SDL Prem Div Loddiswell Ath V Upton Ath 16th April 2016

[Dave]

South Devon league Premier Division

Loddiswell Athletic V Upton Athletic

Saturday 16th April 2016 Kick-Off 2.30pm

Venue Loddiswell Playing Fields

Match Referee Paul Green

Final Score Loddiswell Athletic 2 Upton Athletic 3

It has been my plan for sometime now to meet up with a good friend who lives in the village of Loddiswell and watch the local team in action together. The day we are both free has finally come and I was really looking forward to meeting up with my dear friend and also having the extra pair of eyes to help get all the match details correct in my report.


The name Loddiswell is a corruption of Saint Loda's well, named after one of the many saints that occurred all over the westcountry and there is evidence at the northern end of this parish that Blackdown hill was used by the Romans. On the hill can be found the Blackdown Rings, a ring-and-bailey fort, which may be the remains of a wooden fortress of the 12th century, the hill itself gives a commanding view of the area.

The Blackdown Rings are well worth a visit and I wrote a report on my trip there that can be read on this thread

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/57/blackdown-rings-gara-bridge

I have also enjoyed a number of walks in the area and one very enjoyable one can be read about on this thread

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/52/loddiswell-lower-avon-valley

Part two can be read here

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/66/loddiswell-primrose-line-2

There is also a part three and one thread called the end of the primrose line


davesworld.proboards.com/thread/82/primrose-line-3-diptford-avonwick

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/63/primrose-junction-end-line


On to the football and it’s been a poor season to date as far as Loddiswell Athletic are concerned as for most of it they have been on the bottom of the table. Last Saturday they lost away to improving Kingskerswell & Chelston by a single goal. But the weekend before was a real six pointer for them as they faced the team who were one place above them in the table and three points better off. It was an away fixture to Stoke Gabriel Reserves and Loddiswell Athletic came away with all three much needed points after winning by three goals to nil.

That result lifted them above Stoke Gabriel Reserves in the table on the same number of points (11) but with a much better goal difference, Loddiswell Athletic – 24 Stoke Gabriel Reserves -45.

Upton Athletic were surprisingly only two places above Loddiswell Athletic in the table on seventeen points, but they had played two games less than Loddiswell. They came into this game still licking their wounds from Thursday evening when they were thumped by eight goals to one by Buckland Athletic 2nds. The very team Upton knocked out of the George Belli Cup just two weeks before after beating them by two goals to nil.

Last Saturday Upton Athletic were at home to bottom club Stoke Gabriel Reserves who they thumped by nine goals to one, but I was not expecting Loddiswell Athletic to roll over as easily as Stoke Gabriel Reserves did last weekend.

Loddiswell 1938 winners of the Harvey Cup Team

A very enjoyable afternoon watching a good football match in a lovely location and with good company into the bargain, can life get any better?

Upton turned up at Loddiswell with a number of first team players missing and had to make up their squad with some of their reserve players. They looked for a good part of the first half, a side still in shock from their heavy defeat on Thursday evening by Buckland Athletic Reserves.

For the first fifteen minutes there was nothing much to divide the two teams but that was to change when Loddiswell won a corner on the left hand side. The ball was floated high into the Upton box Edd Roberts rose majestically to head the ball home.

Upton looked stunned and it was Edd Roberts who had the next good chance in the match, but this time his headed effort was saved by the left hand post by Ben Evan in goal for Upton. Then from another Loddiswell corner Matt Duffy headed the ball over the crossbar from close in on goal.

Edd Roberts then found his name being put in the referee’s book after a late challenge on an Upton player that looked far worse than it was. Loddiswell then went two goals in front, but it was a bad mistake by the Upton goalkeeper that allowed that to happen. Loddiswell had won a free kick out on the left hand side of the pitch and Shauny Rowe stepped up to take it. He floated the ball into the Upton box and it bounced in front of Ben Evans and the bounce caused him to misjudge the path of the ball that went over him into the back of the net.

Bartlomey Karkau for Upton hit a nice shot from the edge of the Loddiswell box that only just missed the target and up the other end Jose Pharch should have put his side three nil up when he was played in with just the keeper to beat. But the Upton keeper made a good save and had he not, who knows what the final score might have been.

Loddiswell were good for their lead and Upton would have had no complaints if they had gone into the break at least four goals behind, but that did not happen thanks to the magic of the smallest man on the pitch. Upton’s Ollie Kewell. He was a good twenty five yards from goal when he turned and hit a powerful low shot that flew into the back of the net close to the right hand post. It was a goal from nothing when there looked no real danger for Loddiswell.

Just moments later Upton scored again, big shots went up for handball when the ball was in the Loddiswell box and Paul Green was well placed to award a spot kick to Upton. Justin Grinsill took the kick and made sure he got his side back onto level terms.

That was it for the first half and Upton started the second half well on top, Lee Griffin had his name taken for clattering into the Loddiswell keeper and then shortly afterwards hooked a shot wide of the post from an Upton free kick taken on the left hand side of the pitch.

One of the best moves of the match by Loddiswell maybe should have put them back into the lead, but the final shot by Will Kenny sailed over the crossbar. He then hit another good shot that just went wide of the right hand post.

Upton won another free kick this time on the right hand side and the ball was fired toward the back post where Lee Griffin stooped and headed the ball into the back of the net. From being two behind Upton were now winning and Loddiswell had to try and get back on level terms themselves.

Loddiswell started to get control of the midfield but lacked numbers up front and that situation was to get even worse when they were reduced to ten men. The ball was in the Upton box and there were very loud shouts for handball, but the referee gave nothing. I did not hear Rob Tapper swear myself so I do not know if he had been directed at the match referee, or just that he swore out loud. But out came a straight red card and with it any real chance of Loddiswell getting back onto level terms in the minutes that remained.

The final chance of the game fell to Upton’s Bartlomey Karkau who hit a clean shot from the edge of the box that only just went wide of the post.

Upton were not at their best and Loddiswell may have ended up feeling the game was there to be won, but a number of missed chances in the first half cost them the result in the end.