PSF Brixham AFC V Buckland Ath 16th July 2016

[Dave]

Preseason Friendly

Brixham AFC Vs Buckland Athletic.

Saturday 16th July 2016 Kick-Off 2pm

Venue Wall Park Brixham

Match Referee Lee Roberts Referee Assistants Tim Platt & Keith Hawkins

Final Score Brixham AFC 0 Buckland Athletic 4

I always enjoy going to Wall Park to watch Brixham AFC in action and today it was an added bonus as the Buckland boys were in town. It does not pay to be too confident, but I have a good feeling that Buckland will go one better this season and win promotion to the Southern League.

Adam Castle did such a fine job for the club before he moved on and now the job is in the hands of Ellis Laight. Ellis is one of the most experienced players at the club and was born in Birmingham. He was a professional with the Gulls for five years and has since had very successful spells with Bideford and Taunton Town in the Western and Southern Leagues. He has won the Western League on no fewer than seven occasions and has also won the FA Vase at Villa Park in 2001 with Taunton; the club is in very good hands indeed.

Grant Fisher is back at the club after his short spell with Torquay United and Richard Groves has joined the club from Southern League outfit Bideford AFC.

Jason Couch has done such a good job at Brixham AFC and I also have good feeling his club is going to enjoy a very successful season under his leadership. Last season Brixham made league leaders at the time St Martins look a very ordinary side. Brixham went behind twice during the game but never gave up and got a well earned point for their efforts.

The outside temperature reached 27 degrees and it was perfectly understandable the game was played in three half an hour segments. This was the first time I have ever seem this done but in one way it made it all the more interesting.

Grant Fisher was not at the game and young Scott Walker took over the gloves, to be honest he did not have that much to do all match. The Brixham players gave their all, but the extra class and movement up front of the Buckland players was always going to be a bit to much for them to overcome.

Buckland nearly took a very early lead when a good through ball was played into the Brixham box for Charlie Johansen. He got a low shot away that only just went wide of the left hand post.

Bucks won a corner and Liam Head rose the highest at the back post but could not keep his header down and the ball flew high over the crossbar.

Buckland then took the lead after a great ball was played in from the right and over the Brixham defence into the left hand side of the box by Simon Revell. Lewis Perrin got on the end of the ball and sent it back across the goal to the waiting Charlie Johansen, who fired the ball home.

Brixham thought they had made it all square when they scored at the other end, but the goal was ruled out for offside. But it was Buckland who scored again when the Brixham defender Matt Constable was forced to deal with the ball on the dead ball line. He did well enough to keep the ball in play and move it to the edge of the box, but he then passed it to Richard Groves who hit a low shot from just over twenty yards that hit the back of the net.

It was soon three nil when Gavin Hammon had the ball at his feet inside the Brixham box, he turned this way and then that way trying to make room for a shot, but then laid the ball off to his right to Charlie Johansen. Charlie turned to his right and then left and hit a good clean left foot shot over the goal line.

That was it for the first third of the match and the players took a well earned drink before starting the second third half, does than make sense? Buckland hit the cross bar early in this third and Lewis Perrin hit a good shot over the bar, but Brixham started to get on top but just could not find that killer pass.

Brixham’s Graham Mercieca had one good chance when he turned neatly and got a shot away that only just went past the right hand post. For the rest of this third Brixham had most of the play without really being able to create much in front of goal.

The referee blew up for the end of the second third period and after more drinks it was back on with the action. Buckland upped their game and with so much good movement up front looked like scoring again.

They were awarded a penalty for a hand ball in the box, not sure many referees would have given it when the ball was fired so hard at the defender. I believe it was Richard Groves who took the spot kick, but the ball hit the crossbar and behind for a goal kick.

Buckland did get another goal when they took a short corner, the ball was tapped to Charlie Johansen who floated the ball over the keeper to the waiting Ellis Laight who headed the ball back the way it came and inside the right hand post.

An enjoyable game to watch and good to catch up with so many football mates. Many thanks to Jason and Steve for putting the players numbers on my programme.


Memo to self. Next time you head over to Wall Park, say the name Jason one thousand times on the way, then I will not upset the manager by calling him Justin., I do it every time.