Cup finals and league title fights in the SDFL

In Division One of the Torbay Clearance Services South Devon Football League, Newton Abbot Spurs dropped points in their quest for Premier League football next season at the hands of Totnes and Dartington.

A Charlie Johansen hat-trick did the damage, plus a single from Joshua Squires, was one more than Spurs could manage. The result leaves the Newton Abbot team 12 points off the top but with three games in hand and Totnes move above them into fourth.

Buckland Athletic moved into mid-table with a 4-0 win against Upton Athletic under the lights at Homers Heath.

In Division Three, there was a feisty fixture at Ashburton, who hosted South Brent for the third time in three weeks and for the first time they came out on top by 3 goals to 1. Brent ended the game with 10 players after Pete Grafton had put them in front, Ashburton move back into 2nd place in a division where the top six could be promoted.

On Wednesday in the Premier Division, Ilsington Villa took another step towards their goal of being crowned champions, a 4-1 win against relegation-haunted Chudleigh Athletic, thanks to goals from Jamie Beer, Jack Dixon, Jack Langford and Jamie Soper putting the Moorlanders 11 points clear but still needing 10 more points from a possible 18 to be sure.

Buckfastleigh Rangers also had a good win over Newton Abbot 66, who are probably in cup mode with two semis to look forward to, 4-3 was the final score.

The final midweek game on Thursday was at the top of Division Two, where Bovey Tracey moved into second place with a 4-0 home win over 4th placed East Allington Utd 2nds, they are now just two points off pole position with three games in hand and remain the only unbeaten team in all five divisions,

Friday is cup final day this season, with one being played every Friday until the end of May. This week, all eyes were on the division four Les Bishop Final between Chudleigh Athletic reserves and local rivals Liverton Utd reserves.

It took Chudleigh just three minutes to take control of this cup final and there was only one moment when Liverton looked like they may get back into the game and that was early in the second half, when Liam Ford scored from the penalty spot to reduce the deficit to one goal and the Livvy supporters got behind the team.

Unfortunately, within 10 minutes they had been reduced to 10 men and Christian Williams had restored the two-goal advantage and bagged himself a hat-trick to put Chudleigh Athletic out of reach.

It was now a case of backs to the wall for Liverton, as Chudleigh pushed forward to put the game to bed and Lloyd Hitchins got his name on a cup final score sheet by finishing off the task. A great night for Chudleigh and one to forget for an experienced Liverton, who did not have one of their better games.

With another full programme of Saturday games, Ilsington Villa took yet another step towards the Premier Division title with a hard fought 4-2 win at East Allington Utd, goals courtesy of Jack and Daniel Langford, Thomas Harcourt Smith and Jamie Soper leaving the Moorlanders needing seven points from five games to be crowned Torbay Clearance Services champions. Next up for them is the small matter of a Herald Cup semi-final and I am told that Tony Lacey has not been watching how Pep and Mourinho celebrate a double win because if he runs down the slope at Ilsington he may not get back up again without assistance.

The other standout result of the day was in the delayed Herald Cup quarter-final at Broadpark, where the Division One promotion hopefuls Newton Abbot Spurs 2nds not only took the reigning champions Kingsteignton Athletic to extra time, but they also managed to outwit them in the penalty shootout to set up a mouthwatering semi-final against local rivals Newton Abbot 66.

As I say almost every week in this column, how refreshing it is to see a club that is struggling take a step back go down a division or two regroup and take two steps forward and enjoy football again, as over the years there are too many that have not been as brave as Newton Abbot Spurs, Paignton Saints, Liverton Utd, Bovey Tracey, Kingsteignton Athletic, Waldon Athletic, Chudleigh Athletic, Totnes and Dartington, Buckland Athletic, Watcombe Wanderers, Paignton Villa, Buckfastleigh Rangers who were founder members of the devon league. And the ones that were not brave enough have folded.

Also in the Premier League Belli Cup, Chudleigh Athletic upset the form book with a 5-0 home win versus Morley Rangers to set up a semi-final at Elburton Villa, who themselves, along with Waldon Athletic, enjoyed victories to move into mid table. The Plymstock-based team beat Buckfastleigh Rangers 3-2 and the Torquay side won 4-2 at home to Brixham AFC.

Totnes and Dartington have changed the layout at the top of Division One. Last week, they beat Newton Abbot Spurs and this week they beat Ivybridge Town 4-1, courtesy of a Harrison Hardy hat-trick and a single from Jack Mullen, moving them into 3rd place with six games to play. Buckland Athletic and Watcombe Wanderers also had good wins, each scoring five goals and cementing mid-table placings. At the bottom, with Buckfastleigh Rangers happy to be going into Division Two, it is looking like either Upton Athletic or Babbacombe Corries will be joining them.

There is a new leader in Division Two, Bovey Tracey huffed and puffed at home to an improving Ipplepen Athletic and it took five substitutions by manager Sean Hawkins and an 80th-minute goal line strike from Ryan Stanbridge to break the deadlock. Bovey added a second goal in stoppage time and will take some knocking off the top with games in hand and four other clubs chasing a promotion berth.

The top seven teams in Division Three could still get promoted with six or seven games to play. Despite losing 4-1 to Liverton Utd, Watcombe Wanderers still lead the pack but the lead is reduced to three points.

Paignton Saints 3rds also lost at home again this time by 3 goals to 2 to Totnes and Dartington reserves and Kingsbridge and Kellaton, who have not won a game this season, came as close as they could, a 1-0 loss to Newton Abbot 66 reserves has put them in Division Four next season, where hopefully they can regroup for a more successful campaign.

In the Division Three League Cup, Stoke Gabriel TP secured their place in the final with a 3-2 home win, courtesy of goals from Max Prestwood and Paul Christie against a South Brent team that seems to have lost its wheels in the last two weeks but remain promotion contenders.

Division Four is effectively a four-horse race between leaders Drake FC, Kingsteignton Athletic reserves, Elburton Villa 3rds and Liverton Utd reserves, who were in cup action on Friday, so had a free Saturday, the other three all picked up three points and this, like every division except the Premier, will go to the wire.

Games to catch this week are the Herald Cup semi-final on Wednesday, April 24 at Buckfastleigh, Ashburton (Div 3) versus Ilsington Villa (Premier), kick off is 7 pm, gates open at 5.45pm.

In the Premier Division, Waldon Athletic take on Kingsteignton Athletic at Windmill hill, this is always a heavyweight bout. Ilsington Villa could be at their best when they welcome bottom club Brixham AFC to Lewthorne Cross.

In the Division One League Cup, Buckland Athletic host Paignton Saints in the semi-final. There is also a semi-final at Long Lane in the Division Three League Cup, where Watcombe Wanderers reserves host Totnes and Dartington Reserves, that’s 1st v 2nd.

But my game of the day to watch is 2nd v 3rd in Division Four. Elburton Villa 3rds visit Kingsteignton Athletic 2nds in a promotion six-pointer and it should be a cracker.