Post by Dave on Aug 14, 2021 12:15:48 GMT
Premier Division East
Match Officials Matthew Arthur, Dillon Gascoigne, Stephen Osbourne
Final Score Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police 0 Honiton Town FC 3
Match Preview
The last game I was able to cover due to covid was on the 12th September 2020 Stoke Gabriel vs Crediton United. When I arrived at the ground that day I felt I had arrived at a different ground as all the familiar faces I knew at Stoke were nowhere to be seen. It soon became clear most of those had left the club along with a good number of the first team players.
Stoke Gabriel reserve team players had to step up to fill all the vacant places in the first team and despite playing their hearts out, were clearly not yet ready to be playing at that level. They lost the game by 13 goals to nil and just maybe covid saved them from what might have been a disastrous season for the club.
Being out of the football loop for a while I was unaware Stoke Gabriel had joined forces with Torbay Police, a club I have always felt was very well run and could well be the answer to the problems Stoke Gabriel have been facing.
Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police have played two league games so far this season losing both of them and currently sit at the bottom of the table. Their opening game of the new season saw them beaten by six goals to nil by Plymouth Marjon and their second match against Bovey Tracey they lost by three goals to two, so while another loss. a much more encouraging result.
Honiton Town have only played one game so far this season, a midweek game against Elmore AFC that ended in a one all draw. So both clubs will be looking to secure their first win of the season to give them something to build the rest of the season on.
Match Report
I was told on arrival at the ground that the club now employs a fulltime groundsman and I have to say he is doing a first class job as I have never seen Stokes pitch looking as good as it did today. Before the kick off a one minutes silence was held for the victims of the tragic shooting in Plymouth a few days ago.
If only Stoke had started the first half the way they started the second half this might have been a completely different game. From the off Honiton were the much better side, passing the ball very well and winning all the tackles. Stoke looked like a team that had not played together before and their keeper and defence looked very shaky and unsure.
It only took Honiton two minutes to score their first goal, Josh Organ in goal for Stoke came rushing off his line far to early and allowed a simple tap in over the goal line for Honiton’s number ten Danny Bailey.
Every time the ball went into the Stoke half it spelt danger for them and many of their passes out from the back went straight to a Honiton player. Stoke just kept playing the hopeful longs balls that were easily dealt with by the Honiton defence.
Every time the ball went into the Stoke box the keeper called for it but failed to collect the ball and this created another good chance for Honiton to add to their lead. A loose ball fell to Tom Perryman who turned neatly in the box but his shot was well blocked, but the ball came back out to Chris Long who could only stand and watch his thunderous shot crash on to the crossbar.
Stoke then gifted a second easy goal to Honiton, I am not sure what Ali Ramazant was doing, under no pressure all he had to do was clear the ball away, but he seemed to take his eye of the ball and leave it behind. The ball was picked up by a Honiton player who played a low ball into the Stoke box for Frank Rosenald to fire home into the back of the net.
The ref blew his whistle and at first I thought that was the quickest first half of football I have ever known, but I soon realised it was for a water break for all the players.
Once again the Stoke keeper called mine for a ball coming in from the right hand side of the pitch and once again he got nowhere near the ball which was headed into the goal at the back post, but the goal ended up being disallowed for offside.
Before the break Honiton made it three nil after a powerful run down the left wing by Giles Basson who then played a low cross into the Stoke box for Danny Baily to power home.
The match referee had already spoken to the Stoke captain about the number of late tackle by Stoke players and you knew the next player to be guilty of that would be going in the refs notebook, Rob Heaps happened to be that unlucky player.
The ref blew up for half time and I could not see a way back for the Stoke players in the second half. But they came out a much better side, their passing improved 100% and the defence looked stronger and more determined, but sadly they still looked lightweight up front.
They came close to getting a well deserved goal for all the effort they were putting in when a ball came back out of the Honiton box to 14 ( not sure of his name) who hit a decent shot that just flew over the crossbar.
Honiton still looked dangerous when they did go forward, a great ball into the Stoke box from the right hand side was met by Frank Rosennaud who was close to the near post, but somehow his effort went over the crossbar.
Stokes Jay Bridges became the second player to get booked and rightly so, but I think it looked worse than it really was. Stoke were on the attack again and one a throw-in deep in the Honiton half. The ball was thrown long and headed on at the near post but there was no Stoke player on the back post to head the ball home.
Just seconds later the ref blew his whistle and shouted for the Honiton trainer to rush onto the pitch. Tom Beddow was down on the ground by the Honiton goal with a very nasty head wound. Looking at my photos I think he must have been caught with a trailing arm from the Stoke player who had headed the ball on from the long throw-in they had just take-in.
A bandage was put on his head but he must have been losing a lot of blood and he was taken off and I understand had to attend Torbay hospital. The area where he went down had to be cleaned up before the game could restart. I hope his injury was not as bad as first feared and he will soon be back playing again.
The match referee blew up for the end of the match and for a newly put together side the Stoke players should be proud of their second half performance, with more games under their belt and maybe some extra fire power up front their first win will not be far away as they have a number of gifted players that caught my eye.
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