Bovey and Liverton Open Campaigns with Derby Victories
Bovey Tracey spent most of last season struggling in the bottom six, but they top the opening week’s South West Peninsula table after a comprehensive 5-0 victory over fellow South Devon side Totnes and Dartington (see full match report on the South Devon Football Forum here). The Moorlanders had had the best of the opening exchanges but the game was heading for a goalless first half before Joe Bushin’s powerful strike broke the deadlock for the home side on the stroke of half-time. Callum Livingstone latched on to a decent through ball from Gav Collins, a superb signing from Buckland Athletic, firing home from the edge of the box to make it two in the second half before Collins sent in a cross from the right which Bushin headed home at the far post. Bushin completed his hat-trick, his initial shot blocked by Dan Woods in the Tots goal but falling back into his path enabling him to squeeze home from a narrow angle. The icing on the cake for new boss Cyril Gosling came in the last ten minutes, another incisive through ball finding Livingstone on a one-on-one with Woods. Livingstone neatly took the ball around the visiting goalkeeper and slotted home. To make matters worse, T&D’s Myles Chalcraft was dismissed for a second bookable offence. New boss Tim Porter clearly has work to do when he returns from his holidays!
The weekend’s other South Devon derby pitted Justin Yeates’ Liverton United, who finished well after a poor start to last season’s campaign, against Galmpton United who finished in a respectable fifth but have made no secret of their pre-season troubles. As such, it was perhaps not a surprise that the Lillies came away with a decisive victory in this one. The fact that all three goals were scored by former Watcombe players will have also shocked no-one, Owen Stockton heading home Sean Finch’s delivery to open the scoring and Finch himself scoring a first half header to make it 2-0. Finch then scored a third goal in this blistering ten minute spell, a long-range thunderbolt which gave the Greens a mountain to climb. The hosts hit the woodwork three times to cement their superiority but perhaps the best fact for Yeates to savour is that Tony Bowker’s Galmpton were actually much stronger than many will have predicted given the recruitment problems they have suffered. The Greens go to Totnes and Dartington tonight (Tuesday 16th August)
The first match of the Division One East season was on Friday night with Brixham AFC getting off to a winning start against Exwick Villa. The Fishermen, who scraped a top half finish last season, went ahead through Reece Somers but Exwick, who are putting out their former reserve team this season, found an equaliser before half-time. Brixham restored their advantage after the break, through Somers’ second, and then raced into a 4-1 lead with Kieran Parkin and Graham Mercieca finding the net. A late Exwick second was no more than they deserved with Ryan Walton, the Brixham goalkeeper, a key figure in this match.
Stoke Gabriel’s first match back in Division One ended in victory as the Railwaymen came back from Budleigh Salterton with a 2-1 win. A Dean Stevens penalty on 26 minutes and a 67th minute Lewis Woodmore goal sealed the points for the visitors. Teignmouth, runners-up last season, were also happy travellers as they won 3-1 at Sidmouth Town. Despite starting with intent, the Vikings went one down quarter of an hour in as Chris Clarke tripped a Teignmouth player giving his namesake, Lance, the chance to open up from the penalty spot. But Luke Ashfield, who once played in goal for the hosts, could do nothing about Nathan Antat’s 25th minute strike which levelled proceedings. Clarke’s second goal was from a similar distance but was more speculative than spectacular; nevertheless, Steve Jones found himself picking the ball out from the back of the net once more in the 30th minute. Teignmouth clinched the match with ten minutes remaining but not before two very controversial moments: a penalty shout in the 55th minute as Antat went down in the box and a contentious offside decision against Tyler Dobinson ten minutes after that. Instead, Ryan Bush finished off a neat team move to seal the points and Neil Pointing’s dismissal for a second caution after an off-the-ball incident summed up the home side’s afternoon.
Newton Abbot Spurs were disappointed to return from newly promoted Torridgeside with no goals and no points. Spurs almost went ahead in the 2nd minute, Ian Cockwill putting in a superb block on player-manager Adam Dyson. The same player almost put the hosts ahead on 27 minutes, but the referee judged that visiting ‘keeper Travis Rowland had been impeded and so the scores remained level and stayed that way until the second half. Spurs started the second half well, new signing Liam Moseley beaten by the offside flag and Dyson by the post as the visitors piled on the pressure. The home side broke the deadlock on 51 minutes though, Marc Bettiss intercepting Rowlands’ goal-kick and setting up midfielder George Nancekivell whose shot from the edge of the box found its way into the net. Spurs fought hard to equalise but their efforts were undone on 78 minutes, Bettiss collecting a long throw-in before rifling home Torridgeside’s second from close range. Then, seven minutes rom time, Bettiss found the net again taking substitute Rory Paine’s left-sided cross around Rowland and slotting home.
Finally, Waldon Athletic recovered from being two down at half-time to earn a share of the Throgmorton Charity Shield. The full report by Clubnets is here.
