Post by Dave on Mar 19, 2016 11:41:21 GMT
George Belli Cup Quarter Final
Buckland Athletic 2nds V Brixham AFC 2nds
Saturday 19th March 2016 Kick-Off 2pm
Venue Wall Park Brixham
Match Referee Tim Platt
Final Score Buckland Athletic 2nds 1 Brixham AFC 2nds 1 at full time, 3 1 to Buckland after extra time
Lat Saturday the first two quarter final matches of the George Belli Cup took place. I covered one of those games between Stoke Gabriel 2nds and Upton Athletic, Upton ran out easy five nil winners.
Link to that match
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/549/belli-stoke-gabriel-upton-march
The other match was between Dartmouth AFC and Ivybridge 2nds played at Longcross, Dartmouth also won by five goals to nil and joined Upton Athletic in the semi final draw.
Today the two remaining quarter final games were due to be played, this years Herald Cup finalists Waldon Athletic were away to Watcombe Wanderers at the George v Playing Fields with a 2pm kick-off.
The other game also featured the other Herald Cup finalists Buckland Athletic 2nds( the Herald Cup final is being played on Good Friday 25th March with a 3pm kick-off and has been moved from Coach Road to the Rec in Newton Abbot) against Brixham AFC 2nds at Wall Park Brixham with a 2pm kick-off.
Brixham reached today’s quarter final by knocking out Newton Abbot Spurs 2nds by three goals to one at the Rec, a good result, but sadly they have lost their last three league games since that victory.
One from bottom Kingskerswell & Chelston beat them at Armada Park by three goals to two, Brixham then travelled to Longcross to face Dartmouth AFC and lost by four goals to nil. Their last home game played last Saturday was against Kingskerswell & Chelston again, they lost this game by one goal to nil, giving Kingskerswell & Chelston their third win only of the season and the double over Brixham AFC 2nds.
Buckland Athletic 2nds had a bye in the first round so this was their fist game in the George Belli Cup. Two nights ago Buckland played Upton Athletic under floodlights at the Heath in a league game they narrowly won by three goals to two. The Friday before (11th March) they beat Newton Abbot Spurs 2nds by five goals to one in the semi final of the Herald cup, also under floodlights.The previous week Buckland were in action against Upton Athletic in the quarter final of the Herald Cup, a game they won in extra time by four goals to three. Due to all the cup games ( Buckland also played Elmore away in a cup game) Buckland have not played a league fixture since the 12th December 2015 against Kingsteignton Athletic away that resulted in a three one win for them.
Buckland are on coarse for the league title, the Herald Cup and the George Belli cup, that is providing they there able to get past Brixham AFC 2nds today. The only remaining chance for any silverware for Brixham 2nds this season is the George Belli Cup; could they pull off what would have been a cup upset and knock the mighty Buckland Athletic 2nds out of this cup?
It was bitterly cold this afternoon and the game during the first half did little to cheer anyone up. It was the worst first half performance I have ever seen from any Buckland side and full credit must be given to a battling effort by all the Brixham players.
Buckland simply could not get their passing game together and as a result failed to create many goal scoring opportunities. Sam Peardon did play Ryan Dabbs in on goal, but Dabbs only managed to hit his effort over the crossbar. Jamie Micklewright hit a good 25 yard effort that also flew over the crossbar.
In one spell of pressure Buckland won four corners on the trot, but mainly due to some good defending by the Brixham back line, failed to trouble Samuel Cook in goal for Brixham. There was nothing else of note to report for the rest of he first half, except that Mark Griffiths for Brixham was putting himself about and doing his best to cause Buckland as many problems as possible.
The half ended and things were going to improve second half surly? Buckland took forever to re-enter the field of play and before they knew it found themselves a goal behind. Just a few minutes before they did go behind, one of their defenders let the ball bounce over him and Mark Griffiths was on to it like a shot, but his shot hit first time cleared the crossbar. Up the other end after a very good passing move, Buckland’s Sam Peardon with just the keeper to beat put his shot wide of the right hand post.
Brixham’s Anthony Matthews out wide on the right hit the ball high goalward and it looked a straight forward catch for Jamie Bradley in goal for Buckland. Jamie caught the ball at chest height, but stepped back over the goal line enough for the linesman to flag the ball had crossed the line.
It did not take Buckland long to get back onto level terms, they won what looked like a bit of a soft free kick on the edge of the Brixham box that was fired home into the back of the net by Jamie Micklewright. Sam Peardon could have put Buckland in front, but blasted his effort well over the crossbar. Buckland’s sub number 12 ( not sure who he is) went down in the box claiming a penalty, but it never was and his appeal was rightly turned down by the referee.
Ben Head for Buckland hit a spectacular side footed volley that only just went wide of the left hand post that would have been the goal of the match had it gone in. Brixham’s Jordan Baxter went on a fine running beating three Buckland players on his way into the box, but the ball ran slightly away from hit preventing him from getting a shot on goal.
Buckland were looking the more likely to get the next goal and came close when Jamie Micklewright burst into the box on the left hand side and fired a good low shot across the keeper that just went wide of the far right hand post. Right at the end of normal time Sam Peardon should have scored, but failed to do so meaning the game was going into extra time.
The first half of extra time got under way and Buckland soon took the lead, they won a corner and I believe it was Sam Peardon who headed the ball in at the far post. Buckland’s Lee Chapman got his name taken when he kicked the ball away after the referee had already awarded Brixham a free kick; it was the only booking of the game.
The first half of extra time came to an end and the only real question was could Brixham get a goal back and take the game to penalties. They did manage to send him a super ball high to the edge of the Buckland box. Mark Griffiths dived in the most spectacular way and headed the ball with so much power it almost broke through the back of the net when it hit it. The lineman raised his flag for offside and it must have been a close call, it was shame the goal had not stood, as it was one of those goals you talk about afterwards.
Then came the talking point of the match as Jamie Micklewright went down in the Brixham box, even the Buckland people around me were expecting him to get booked for diving in the box. But the referee pointed to the spot and Jamie took the spot kick himself sending the keeper the wrong way.
That was it and Buckland will need to play much better for the whole ninety minutes if they are going to have any chance of winning the Herald Cup final. I felt for Brixham today, they worked their socks off, but to be honest failed to create that many goal scoring opportunities.
A game that was saved by the second half thankfully and I wish both clubs all the best for the remaining games still left to play this season.
Due to a battery failure that meant having to change one during the game, not all the pictures might be in the order they were taken.
