Upton and Buckland Overwhelm Opponents
It may have been the start of a new month but it was the same old story as saturated pitches meant that only six SDFL matches went ahead this Saturday.
After beating champions Buckland Athletic Reserves the previous weekend, Upton Athletic were determined to keep the momentum going, temporarily relocating to Furzeham Green in Brixham for their home tie against struggling Ipplepen Athletic. Their reward was an emphatic 10-1 victory, Ryan Hare returning to action with four goals. Young goal machine Steven Rohan also weighed in with four, with Steven Northcott and an own goal compounding Pens’ misery.
Buckland were also in fine goalscoring form, slamming nine past Kingsteignton Athletic at Broadpark with no reply from their hosts. The Yellows moved up to third spot courtesy of a hat-trick from Western League regular Si Revell and singles from Gareth Davis, Carl Roles (pictured left), Jamie Clifford, Josh Webber, Ryan Frayne and Luke Boyle.
Newton Abbot Spurs climbed to fourth, level on points with Bucks, after a hard fought 3-1 win in heavy conditions, against a Kingskerswell & Chelston side who hadn’t lost at home all season. Spurs took the lead in only the sixth minute, Nick Hayman dispatching a penalty after Lloyd Gardner was brought down. Adam Richards was upended on 25 minutes to earn Spurs another penalty which Hayman once more confidently converted, sending Dean Taylorson the wrong way. ‘Kerswell rallied and pulled a goal back after half an hour, Ben Cripwell’s long-range strike skipping past the outstretched Matt Lear and into the far corner. But Spurs had to wait until five minutes from time to seal the win, Gardner’s right-wing cross causing confusion in the home defence and Matt Joy unwittingly finding the empty net. Joy also hit the post in the dying minutes as Spurs looked to add to their lead.
In Division Three, Waldon Athletic Reserves secured their first point of the year, drawing 2-2 at Loddiswell Athletic Reserves. Hoops’ first team manager Richard Gomm got on the score-sheet, as did Jon Burt.
In Division Five, Preston South End stormed to the top of the table with a convincing 9-2 home win over Riviera United, a week after dumping them out of the Bill Treeby Cup. There was also a repeat of last week’s cup fixture at Paignton Community College, but Polonia Torbay made amends for their defeat by beating Roselands Reserves 3-2 for their first victory since November.
