Post by Dave on Mar 26, 2022 9:07:59 GMT
Match Referee Ryan Zarezadeh
Final Score Paignton Saints 2nd 2 Beesands Rovers 2
Match Preview
We are getting ever closer to the end of this season, for me personally I have enjoyed this season and met a great number of lovely people along the way. From managers to players and not forgetting match referees. Sadly during this season we have seen a number of clubs fold, some were a real shock. Other games were lost due to clubs not being able to raise a side, but while smaller than it once was, thankfully the South Devon Football League is still going and I hope the day will come when it grows again.
I do not think I have ever covered a Paignton Saints 2nd game, back in 2017 and also 2014 I did cover a few first team games. Saints 2nd are on course to win the Division one Title this season, while they currently are in second place in the table on thirty two points; they have four games in hand over league leaders Waldon Athletic who have amassed a total of thirty seven points.
Saints 2nd record to date is played a total of twelve games, winning ten, drawing two and with no loses, along the way scoring thirty seven goals, conceding thirteen giving them a plus twenty four goal difference.
Last Saturday Saints 2nd were knocked out of the Herald Cup by Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police Development, by one goal to nil. The week before that they played at home against Beesands Rovers in the Dartmouth cup and won the game by four goals to three. Saints also faced Beesands Rovers away in the league on the 27th November and won that game by two goals to one. So will be looking for a hat trick of wins over Rovers today.
The last Beesands Rovers game I covered was against Buckland & Milber on the 17th Oct 2015. There was something magical watching a game at their old pitch in the Village. On that day the road had recently been washed away and the drive over the dirt track to the pitch was horrendous and I was surprised my car survived the massive potholes.
Report on that game
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/535/div1-beesands-rovers-buckland-milber
Rovers are currently in third place in the league table on thirty points, but they have played two more games than Saints 2nd. But they are still very much in the title race still, a win today and winning their two games in hand over Waldon Athletic will put them in a good position, but they will need Saints 2nd to slip up in the final run-in.
They have won ten of the fourteen league games they have played to date, drawn none and lost four. Scoring a total of thirty three goals, conceded sixteen giving them a plus seventeen goal difference. Last Saturday Rovers faced league leaders Waldon away and lost by two goals to one. They also lost their home game against Waldon on the 26th February also by two goals to won, but they have enjoyed a good number of fine wins over the other clubs around them in the table.
Match Report
I had to check with myself that I was watching a Division One game from the South Devon League. The standard of play was excellent and it has to be one of the best matches I have watched this season. I do not think Paignton Saints 2nd were at their very best today, but that is not to take anything away from a quality display by the Beesands players. Their front players were full of pace and movement, but often wanted one touch to much when there was a good chance to get a shot away on goal.
I have not been to Coach Road for over ten years, back then the pitch suffered from poor drainage, but what a difference now. The 3g pitch looked superb and played its part in what was an excellent passing game.
Match referee Ryan Zarezadeh blew up for the start of the match and the very first shot on goal was from Bees Jack Eades who was outstanding for the whole match. He took his shot from the edge of the Saints box, but failed to get any real power in it and it ended up an easy save for Alfie White in goal for the Saints.
A great passing move by the Bees played in Josh Jewell into the right hand side of the Saints box, He hit a powerful low shot that only just went past the right hand post.
The Saints won a free kick twenty yards out on the left hand side of the pitch. The ball was sent high and deep into the box and it came off the back of Bees Dave Harvey head and into the back of his own net.
Bees Jack Eades went on a great run into the right hand side of the Saints box and got a good low shot away, but had to stand and watch it go past the left hand post.
Saints Jake Powell looked certain to put his side further in front; he was played into the Saints box with just the keeper to beat. But Callum Green pulled of a fine save to deny him.
Up the other end and the Bees were convinced they had got back onto level terms. The ball was in the left hand side of the box and scooped high over the keeper. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down on the goal line, but the referee felt it had not crossed over the line despite all the protests from the Bees players.
The Bees came close again when Adam Winkworth went on a good run down the right hand side of the pitch and sent in a low cross close in. The ball was met by Josh Jewell and hit first time and sadly for him it crashed against the crossbar. Adam Winkworth had a chance of his own just after this from the edge of the Saints box, but shot over the bar.
The game was all action and end to end and after a shot on the Saints goal came back out to the edge of the box, Jamie Watts hit a first time shot that only just went wide of the left hand post.
The referee blew up for halftime with the Saints one nil in front; I felt the Bees edged the first half and were a bit unlucky to be behind.
The Bees came out for the second half flying as they looked to get back into the game. Jack Eades was played into the Saints box but was unable to keep his shot down. The Bees won a free kick just outside the right hand side of the box. It was taken by Adam Winkworth but was blocked on route to the goal. But the ball came back to him to hit first time and forced Alfie White into making a very good save.
But Adam Winkworth was determined to get his side back onto level terms and ran into the right hand side of the Saints box and hit a low powerful shot across the goal and into the left hand corner of the net.
The Saints defence was struggling to deal with the pace and movement of the Bees front players as long searching balls found them. But all too often the forwards wanted the extra touch or turn when there was a chance to get a shot on goal.
For all their hard work and effort the Bees went in front. They won a corner that was fired close in on goal, there was a bit of a goal mouth scrabble, but Thomas lang was able to fire the ball home very close in.
Wave after wave of Bees attacks came to nothing when they might have put the game to bed. They ended up paying for that when Dan Fagett was played clean in on goal and picked his spot to even up the score.
Bees Dave Harvey was rightly booked when he hacked down sub Brace Lowis? Who would have been clean in on goal, it was the only booking of the game. The resulting free kick was well saved down by his right hand post by Callum Green.
After two recent defeats at the hands of the Saints I am sure the Bees were happy to get a point from today’s game, two great sets of players who were a joy to watch.
Many thanks to both club managers for putting the correct numbers on the team sheet and thanks also to match referee Ryan Zarezadeh for all your help today.
