Post by Dave on Apr 23, 2016 9:42:34 GMT
South Devon League Division Four
Paignton Villa 2nds V Barton Athletic
Saturday 23rd April 2016 Kick-Off 2,30pm
Venue Whiterock#1
Match Referee Steve Clarke
Final Score Paignton Villa 2nds 3 Barton Athletic 0
After last weekends trip to Loddiswell to watch them take on Upton Athletic, I decided to watch a game closer to home today and from a lower division. A game against two teams I have covered before last season, but they were in different divisions then.
On the 15th of May 2015 I covered the Paignton Villa 2nds home match against Ilsington Villa, both clubs were struggling at the bottom of division four and Ilsington Villa won the battle of the Villa’s by three goals to two on a beautiful afternoon in the Bay
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/487/paignton-villa-2nds-ilsington-16th
On the 25th October 2014 I covered my first ever game featuring Barton Athletic away to Premier Division side Upton Athletic in the second round of the Herald Cup. Barton were a division five club then and lost the game by ten goals to nil
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/424/herald-upton-barton-athletic-25th
On the 22nd November 2014 I covered Barton Athletic at home against Moretonhampstead in a division five clash; the Moreton side had one certain Mr Darren Bastow in the starting eleven, but Barton played so well on the day they won the fixture by six goals to three.
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/429/sdfl-barton-athletic-moretonhampstead-22nd
After escaping relegation last season Villa have struggled a bit this season as well, before today’s game they were twelfth in the table just two places off the bottom of the table on seventeen points. . They had played eighteen games winning just five of them, drawing two and losing eleven. Along the way they had scored twenty seven league goals, conceded forty five giving them a minus eighteen goal difference.
In the week Villa were beaten at home by three goals to one by Watcombe Wanderers 3rds, the weekend before they also lost away to Ashburton 2nds by two goals to one. But the game before that they did enjoy a rare win home against fellow strugglers Newton Rovers winning this fixture by three goals to nil.
Barton Athletic did not have midweek fixture this week, but were still licking their wounds from their last league game last Saturday away to Watcombe Wanderers 3rds. A game they were thumped by eight goals to one, but I understand Upton 3rds had a few first team players in their side. The previous Tuesday they played Ashburton 2nds away and came home with a point in a four all draw.
They were beaten by Kingsbridge & Kellaton United away by three goals to one, before that and before that again, they were knocked out of the Les Bishop Cup by Broadmeadow losing by four goals to three after the game went to a penalty shootout. The game before that cup game they drew away to Ilsington Villa( two all) and you have to go back to Saturday 19th March to find Barton’s last actual win against Meadowbrook Athletic, a game they won by three goals to nil.
Barton Athletic have enjoyed a good first season in division four, they were in forth place in the table before today’s fixture on thirty three points from twenty league games, winning ten, drawing three and losing seven. Along the way they had scored sixty goals, conceded forty six, giving them a plus fourteen goal difference.
Both clubs were desperate for a win today for different reasons, Villa to help move further away from the drop zone and Barton to cement their place in the top half of the table.
Paignton Villa 2nds turned up with just the eleven players and three of them were over fifty years old, but you never noticed as they rolled back the years and somehow managed to last the whole ninety minutes. They were helped out by some of the more youthful players in the side especially the running and hard work up front put in by Callum Brennan.
It was Callum who had the first effort on goal but his shot went wide, he then played a great ball into the Barton box but the final shot by a Villa forward lacked any real pace and was saved with ease by the Barton keeper Lawrence Puidie.
Villa took a deserved lead when Callum Brennan burst into the Barton box on the right hand side and from a tight angle got a shot away. The keeper was on his near post and pushed the shot upwards and it went over him and dropped kindly for Conor Hunter to fire home.
Villa were doing well from the right hand side getting good balls into the Barton box, one such low ball was meet by John Williams who turned neatly and got a good shot away that was saved by Lawrence Puidie.
Paignton Villa went two goals in front and once again it came from a good ball played into the Barton box from the right hand side. Graham Haywood got to the cross first and fired the ball past the Barton keeper.
From a corner one of the Villa veterans Tim Barker rose up into the air and looked certain to score, but sadly for him his headed effort crashed against the crossbar. On the edge of the Barton box, Villa’s danger man Callum Brennan turned neatly and hit a great shot that only just went over the crossbar.
Villa were well on top and it was no real surprise when they went three nil up, a great through ball played in Phil Sheppard into the Barton box and he made no mistake from six yards out.
Barton tried to get back into the game before the break and won a number of corners but nothing came from any of them. They kept up the pressure but the only shot they managed on goal was a thirty yard effort by Mark Lucas that went well over the bar.
The referee blew up for halftime and Villa were very good for their lead, but could those older legs hold out for another forty five minutes? From the off Barton had an early chance when the ball came into the Villa box from the right hand side, but Jody Rooney headed the ball over the crossbar.
Up the other end and Villa’s Phil Sheppard fired a powerful shot at goal from inside the box that ended up getting blocked and finally cleared away from the danger area. Barton’s best chance of the game fell to Jody Rooney who was played clean in on goal with just the keeper to beat. But his shot was weak and tame and was never going to beat Sean Hunter in the Villa goal.
Villa’s Ryan Ball was then played into the Barton box and looked certain to score, but a wonderful sliding tackle by Daniel Windcome? (not sure I have spelt that correctly) saved his side from going even further behind.
Barton’s Adam Clarke hit a shot from the edge of the Villa area but once again the shot lacked and real power. Barton were working hard and doing al, they could to at least get a consolation goal and came close when the ball from a corner found its way back out to the edge of the Villa box. Sam Gill hit a good shot that looked like it was going into the top right hand corner of the goal, but Sean Hunter was able to make a fine save tipping the ball over his crossbar.
The referee blew up for fulltime and Villa collected the much needed three points to help them stay up in this division. It was an enjoyable game to watch and summed up what football should be about at this level.
Well done to both sides for providing an entertaining match and good luck for the remainder of the season.
