Post by Dave on Sept 5, 2020 10:47:12 GMT
Match Referee Karl Meckaniuk
Final Score Galmpton United 7 Buckfastleigh Rangers 2nd’s 0
So here we are back to some sort of normality with local football starting a brand new season after the last one ending up being abandoned due to covic 19, we will have to wait and see what the winter brings before we will know if this one will be completed.
A lot has happened since I was last free on Saturdays to cover local football matches, a brand new league has been formed with a number of former South Devon league sides joining it. For me one of the biggest shocks was Galmpton United giving up their place in the Peninsula League and starting a new life at the very bottom of the South Devon League.
I remember well the last game I covered at Memorial Ground, the then chairman unhappy with the lack of support the club was getting and with visiting teams going straight home after a match and not spending any money in the clubhouse. Sadly this once great club was heading downwards and would end up hitting rock bottom.
That can be a good thing at times, a chance to rebuild bigger and better and come back a much stronger club with a real vision and plans to take the club forwards and upwards. Andy White took over the club 3 years ago as Chairman and 1st team manager and since then the club has gone from strength to strength.
When he took over the club had one senior team and three youth teams now they had got two senior teams (this is the first season with the reserve team) and seven youth teams. The 1st team won promoted two years on the trot after having to start in division four of the South Devon League, most of the side was made up of the year before under 16’s squad.
The club has also greatly improved the whole ground, new fencing has been erected round the outside of the ground, a bigger car park created , netting behind the bottom goal and there are lots of plans for the future to get the club fully back to where it once was.
Match Report
The first thing to say is just how good the Memorial Ground is looking these days, it just goes to show what can be done when you have people wanting to take the club forward and upward. It was also good to see the club making sure everyone in the ground had their name taken and contact details, I am sure that won’t happen at every ground I visit this season.
In my rush to get to the match I forgot to take a notebook and pen with me and I have to thank Jason Heywood from the Devon FA for going to his car and providing me with what I needed. We stood next to each other for the whole game and for me it was nice to meet up with football people I know again.
On Friday Galmpton were able to sign the legend and goal machine Dave Worthington, a player I am sure they will try and hold on too for the rest of the season. Natural goal scorers just always seem to be in the right place and know where the back of the net is.
This was an enjoyable game to watch, both sets off players just stuck to playing football and the crowd certainly saw plenty of goals. Galmpton were clearly the better side on the day, but there were a few Buckfastleigh players who caught my eye.
The match referee Karl Meckaniuk got the game underway and did a first class job and only needed to show one yellow card during the whole match.The first early chance fell to Galmpton’s Liam Ford who hit a powerful shot from just outside the Buckfast box that flew over the crossbar.
But the first goal was not far away and Galmpton’s Samuel Massey was able to make a good run into the box completely uncontested and fired the ball past the static keeper into the back of the net. The second goal soon followed from a low cross into the Buckfast box from the right hand side that saw Liam Ford having to stoop low to head the ball home.
Goal machine Dave Worthington got Galmpton’s third goal, a good ball was played into the left hand side of the box and Dave found himself all on his home and you knew he was never going to miss the target. Buckfast were doing their best to try and get on the score sheet and came close after a good run down the left hand side by Jonjo Harrity. He laid a good ball to the edge of the Galmpton box which was met by George Davidson who had to stand and watch his shot fly just over the crossbar.
Dave Worthington was to get his second goal and Galmpton’s forth just before the end of the first half. The ball was high up in the air and was headed on into the box twice; Dave close to the left hand post fired the ball over the goal line.
The second half got underway and Buckfast were doing their best, but just were not able to create any good meaningful chances, Galmpton on the other hand looked like they still had more goal in them. Goal number five was a great strong run into the Buckfast box by Max Prestwood , he picked his spot and slotted the ball past Gareth Burton in goal for Buckfast.
Goal six, another good run into the box and shot by Max Prestwood and Galmpton were not finished yet. Substitute Carl Bradley sent a cross into the Buckfast box from the right hand side for Dave Worthington to head home and gets his hat trick in his very first game of the season. Match referee Karl Meckaniuk had no choice other than to show the Buckfastleigh substitute number 18 (sorry was not given the names of the Buckfastleigh subs ) for a not very nice looking over the top challenge on Joe Massey.
That was it, a seven nil result for Galmpton and while it is far to early to judge, one feels they are going to be a force to recon with this season. One final point, I never got the cup of coffee that ginger bloke offered me, but not to worry it was great to see him again anyway.
