Premier Class: Jay Morgan and Brixham sink Teigns
Brixham AFC recorded a shock victory over Peninsula East side Teignmouth to reach the semi-finals of the Graddon Vending Premier Cup, Devon’s most prestigious cup competition. Teignmouth opened the scoring after five minutes, through Sam Chapman, but Brixham equalised through a Jay Morgan penalty after a Teignmouth player had handled in the box. Five minutes before half time, defender Luke Chittenden converted Tom Armstrong’s free kick to give Brixham the lead, and ten minutes into the second half Jay Morgan scored Brixham’s third cutting in from the left wing and hitting an unstoppable left foot volley. Adam Fay pulled a goal back for Teignmouth in the 80th minute, but winger Ben Adams secured Brixham’s win, running away from the Teignmouth’s defence to set up Dan Keating to score Brixham’s fourth. Club secretary Bill Harris admitted his side were “over the moon” and praised the performance of referee Adrian Fullam.
Brixham will have to wait until at least next week to find out who they are likely to meet in the last four. The other three quarters, including the all-SDFL clash between Upton Athletic and Watcombe Wanderers, were postponed
The upset will have probably made up for Brixham Reserves’ narrow Dartmouth Cup defeat at Furzeham Green. Strikes by Tom Hopper and Brendan Boddy for Brixham, and Chris Ormsby and Scott Troth for Totnes & Dartington Reserves left the sides deadlocked after extra-time, but it was Tots who edged through after a 5-4 penalty victory to set up a quarter-final tie at home to Buckfastleigh Rangers.
Also through to the last eight are Broadhempston United. The Lidstone Cup holders rediscovered last season’s scoring touch, putting five past Bovey Tracey Reserves in a seven-goal Thursday night thriller at the Western Counties Roofing Ground.
The only League action on Saturday was in the bottom two divisions. In Division Five, the 3G pitch at Paignton College ensured that Roselands Reserves and Newton ’66 Reserves were able to contest their fixture.
The first half saw Roselands start quickest and, mid-way through the half, Lloyd Martin opened the scoring, with a second from seasoned campaigner Adrian Thompson following straight after. But with the referee’s whistle imminent, ’66 pinched an opportunist goal to stay in touch.
Both teams came out strong in the second half, with ’66 pushing for an equaliser, but Roselands exloited gaps in their rearguard to fire another two goals from strikers Luke Williams and Sonwabile Mlenze. Newton ’66’s never-say-die attitude saw them claw one goal back only for Roselands to add a fifth near the end through winger Connor Luker.
In Division Six, Stoke Fleming & Strete had reason to cheer, recovering from Toby Woodmore’s first-half strike to draw 1-1 at home to Watcombe Wanderers Thirds. With their County Cup tie with Upton called off, Watcombe recruited a number of first-teamers for the journey to the South Hams, but Aaron East’s second-half equaliser secured a point and kept up Stoke’s promising start to 2014.
