Newton Abbot Spurs V Honiton Town 9th October 2021

[Dave]

Match Officials
Alan Bassett,  Nick Stephens,  Christopher Palmer.

Final Score Newton Abbot Spurs 4 Honiton Town 2

Match Preview

If there was ever such a thing as a football birthplace, then the Newton Rec was mine. Many will know how I grew up as a very young boy spending a lot of time there and even at my age, I have so many fond memories of those years.

My Newton Spurs upbringing can be read here

davesworld.proboards.com/thread/177/newton-spurs-upbringing

I was torn between covering the Buckland game today and the Spurs one and did not make my mind up until this morning, the Spurs game won because it has been a good while since I was last at the Rec.

Before today’s game Newton Abbot Spurs were in 8th place in the league table on eighteen points. Out of the eleven games played to date, they have won six of them and lost five, scoring twenty six goals, conceding twenty seven giving them a minus one goal difference. In their last league outing they beat Holsworthy at home by five goals to one.

Honiton were sitting in 17th place in the league table on nine points. They have also played eleven games so far this season, winning just two of them drawing three and losing six, scoring a total of thirteen goals, conceded thirty putting them on a minus seventeen goal difference. In their last outing away to Crediton they were beaten by seven goals to nil.

Match Report


What a great advert for football played in the Peninsula league today’s match was. A game with so much energy and action from the first whistle right through until the final one. You could not take your eyes off it for a single second in fear of missing something. Goals, a penalty, yellow cards and drama, this game had it all.

I was unable to park at the Rec or even close to it and had to make do with the Osborne Street car park, thankfully the ground is not that far from the car park and it’s a nice flat walk. The old Newton boy and former club mascot from fifty eight years ago was back at his football home.

The match referee blew up for the start of the first half and Spurs started it at full pace, so much so that the Honiton players were unable to even get out of their own half. We had to wait a little while for the first shot on goal, it came from Harry Ford wearing the number eleven Spurs shirt. He took is shot from twenty five yards out but it sailed wide of the right hand post.

Honiton slowly but surely started to get more into the game but struggled to create and goal scoring opportunities. Joseph Andrews for Spurs had a great opportunity to put his side in front. The ball was passed to him from the left hand side of the box and standing close to the right hand post he looked certain to score, but he miss hit his shot and the ball went back across the face of the goal instead of hitting the back of the net.

Harry Ford also had what looked like a great goal scoring opportunity for Spurs, the ball came into the box from the right hand side this time, but Harry could not stretch out his left boot far enough to make good contact on the ball.

But Spurs did not have to wait to much latter to take the lead in a game they were well on top off, Owen Green hit a very powerful shot from outside of the Honiton box that flew into the back of the net.

Honiton’s Dan Tavender was the first player to find his name going into the referee’s notebook; he appeared to use his elbow when jumping for the ball with a spurs player.

Honiton had a big shout for a penalty when Blake Freemantle burst into the Spurs box and clattered with Joel Patchett in goal for Spurs, but the referee waved away the appeals.

Spurs Jaden Bond went on a very powerful run and got a very powerful shot away from outside the Honiton box, his shot was not that far over the crossbar.

Spurs Will Hancox was the next player to receive a yellow card, foolishly kicking the ball away when he should know better.

Honiton’s Aaron Duble hit a good effort goal wards from all of thirty yards, but his shot was well held by joel Patchett. With five minutes to go before the end of the first half, the Honiton manager shouted to his defence players do not concede another goal before the break.

His request clearly fell on deaf ears when with just two minutes of the half left, Will Hancox with his back towards the goal received the ball turned on a sixpence and fired the ball home into the back of the net.

The match referee blew up for the end of the first half and I could see no way back for the Honiton players. But they started the second half much better than they did the first one and soon got their rewards for doing so.

Danny Bailey was needless tripped right on the edge of the Spurs box; he took the free kick himself and hit a great shot that gave Joel Pachett no chance of saving.

But as soon as they got a goal back they fell behind again almost immediately, Will Hancox getting his second goal of the match. But Spurs then decided to give the Honiton another helping hand by conceding a penalty.

A Spurs defender clearly had his arms wrapped around a Honiton player and it was a clear penalty, Danny Bailey put the ball on the spot and scored his second goal of the match.

Then came a very interesting moment in the game, Spurs Jacob Scotte-Hatherly went down in a heap and it was claimed his head was stamped on. The match referee went over to consult with his linesman and they must have talked for a good three minutes or more. The referee then returned onto the pitch and showed Honiton’s Aaron Doble a yellow card.

Spurs Joseph Andrews was to also find his name in the book just before his side made sure of the victory, I believe it was another goal for Owen Green.

A very enjoyable game to watch with plenty of good football on display, spurs made the second half a bit harder for themselves than they needed too, but were just that bit better than Honiton on the day.