Post by Dave on Feb 5, 2022 8:39:23 GMT
Match Referee - Matt Arthur
Final Score Kingskerswell & Chelston 0 Paignton Villa 3
Match Preview
My second visit this season to the Kingskerswell Playing Field and a chance to gauge any progress made by Kingskerswell & Chelston FC. It is also an opportunity to see the Paignton Villa first team in action. I have covered one of their second team fixtures already this season.
The Kingskerswell game I covered was against Abbotskerswell FC on the eighteen of September 2021. To date it is the only game they have won this season, but sadly due to Abbotskerswell folding a short while later, that well deserved win was chalked off.
Report on that game
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/899/kingskerswell-chelston-abbotskerswell-18th-sept
The club was formed in 2006 when Kingskerswell and Chelston merged and played their football back them at Armada Park which was the home of the Chelston side of the club. I do not know much about the history of Kingskerswell, but I do know a bit about Chelston’s.
The club was formed from a nucleus of boy scouts in 1925 and they played their football at Victoria Park opposite the Haywain pub. They later moved to a field that is now numbers 71 to 83 Nut Bush Lane before moving again to Armada Park in 1956.
In the 1988 season Chelston were playing in Division Four of the South Devon League and even had their own match programmes. There was also a Chelston FC Bingo night held every Thursday at 8pm in the Co-op hall behind the Old Mill Road shops.The programme is worth reading as It contains plenty more history about the club.
Link to one of their programmes on Davesworld
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/596/chelston-meadowbrook-24th-sept-1988
Before today’s game Kingskerswell & Chelston were sitting in tenth place in the league table on two single points after playing a total of nine games, drawing two of them and losing seven. Along the way they have scored a total of sixteen goals, conceded thirty six giving them a minus twenty goal difference.
After a number of heavy defeats in recent games, Kerswell put in a much better performance last week at home against Chudleigh Athletic Reserves and felt they deserved something from the game, they lost by the only goal scored in the match.
With so many local clubs lost over the years and some very recently, it’s incredible to think that Paignton Villa has been going since 1926. I am not sure if anyone has ever documented their history, but what a great read it would be.
Before today’s game they were sitting one place above Kerswell in ninth place on ten points. To date they have played twelve games, winning three of them, drawing one and losing eight. Along the way they scored a total of thirty one goals, conceding forty three giving them a minus twelve goal difference.
Last Saturday Villa lost by five goals to nil away to unbeaten Paignton Saints 2nd. The week before that they were knocked out of the Herald cup by Torquay Town 1st by two goals to one.
Before those two defeats Villa were in good form winning three games on the trot and scoring twelve goals in the process and will be looking to get back to winning ways today.
Match Report
On a very heavy pitch, both teams did their best to put on a very entertaining match, but on the day one of the teams was simply better than the other and fully deserved to win the match.
Match referee Matt Arthur blew his whistle to get the game underway and the first real chance of the game fell to Kerswell’s Mark Tobin. A ball came into the Villa box from the right hand side of the pitch and Mark rose well to head the ball goal ward, but failed to get any real power on his header.
Villa won a free kick just outside the Kerswell box, Joshua Washbrook took the kick but could not get the ball over the Kerswell wall and a good chance ended up being wasted.
Villa were getting on top of the game and passing the ball much better than Kerswell, they looked dangerous every time they went forward. Villa’s Graham Mercieca had a good chance inside the Kerswell box, but he ended up hooking the ball over the crossbar.
Kerswell were struggling to create and real chances but battled hard in the midfield, Mark Tobin did have one good shot from the edge of the Villa box, but the ball was well held by Kyle Lardner in goal for Villa.
The match referee had stopped the match a number of times to speak with players, but his patience ran out when he got an earful from Kerswell’s Mark Tobin and sent him to the sin bin. Mark clearly thought there was a handball not given, but to be fair to the referee he would not have been able to see it from his position on the pitch.
Villa then got their first goal that they had been threatening since the kick off. Tom Parvin was played into the box and he hit a cool low shot past Ryan Fox who was in goal for Kerswell.
Kerswell kept battling away and were still struggling to get anywhere near the Villa goal and were very lucky not to go further behind. Villa’s danger man Jamie Ford who was thorn in the Kerswell defence all game, chipped the keeper from the edge of the box, the ball hit the crossbar and came down where Joe Windsor was waiting to head the ball home. Very close in on goal he somehow managed to head to the ball over the crossbar.
Mitch Lovell foolishly found his name in the book; Villa’s keeper had clearly scooped up the ball and had both hands on it. Mitch decided to push his hand in Kyle’s face; the keeper did make a bit more of it than maybe he should have.
Just before the halftime break, that man Jamie Ford forced Ryan Fox into making the save of the match, Jamie hit a powerful shot that that Ryan dived full length to push around the right hand post.
Matt Arthur blew for the end of the first half and while Villa could have and maybe should have been further ahead in the match, they were only leading by the single goal and Kerswell still had everything to play for.
Kerswell started the second half in a more determined way and could have easily got back onto level terms when Mark Tobin was gifted a chance after a Villa defender gave the ball away on the edge of his box. I felt Mark had more time, but he hit his shot first time and the ball flew wide of the left hand post.
Kerswell’s Greg McPherson either talked his way into the referees note book or the sin bin, not sure which. A free kick had been awarded to Kerswell but Greg made it very clear to the match referee that a card should have been issued to the offending player for repeated fouls.
Villa upped their game and went looking to add to the first half lead. Jamie Ford was played clean in on goal, but he hit his shot over the crossbar. Graham Mercieca broke through a static Kerswell defence and forced Ryan Fox into pulling off another fine save.
But the second goal for Villa finally came, Graham Mercieca was played in again in a one on one with the Kerswell keeper and this time beat him.
Danger man Jamie Ford hit a 25 yard effort that only just cleared the Kerswell crossbar; it would have been the goal of the match had it gone in.
It was soon three nil when Kerswell gave the ball away just outside their own box, Samuel Woodcock said thank you very much and fired the ball into the back of the net.
There was no way back now for Kerswell and Ryan Fox made another fine save with his feet from an effort on goal by Jordan Hayman.That was about it and Villa fully deserved their win, Kerswell gave their all but came up against a very determined Villa who wanted to put last weeks five nil defeat behind them. I am sure Kerswell’s first win is not that far away as long as they keep up their hard work.
Many thanks to both managers and the match referee for sorting out the team sheet for me. Thanks to both sets of players it was a pleasure to cover your game.
