Wet weather persists in South Devon League finale

The weather continued to play its part in this season’s South Devon League football fixtures with waterlogged pitches on Tuesday reported at Ashburton and South Brent causing the fixtures secretary to count the days left in May.

In the games that were played, Totnes and Dartington continue to surprise, a 2-0 home win versus Paignton saints puts them into second place in Division One and on this form, may be joining their opponents in the Premier Division next season.

Also in this division, Buckland Athletic and Paignton Villa met in a pre-run of this season’s Dartmouth Cup Final at Homers Heath. On this occasion, the home team won with a single strike from Charlie Shearer 10 minutes from the end.

At the top of Division Two, with Bovey Tracey already crowned champions, the race for second place will go down to the last game of the season. Both Newton Abbot Spurs 3rds and Paignton Saints 2nds won their penultimate games, Spurs scored seven goals at relegated Brixham Town 2nds and Saints scored three against Newton Rovers.

Spurs have a two-point advantage, so will bag the second spot if they win their last game of the season at home to Waldon Athletic 2nds. But a reminder that promotion for the 3rds is dependent on their second team also getting promoted, as two teams from the same club cannot play in the same division. No pressure for Spurs 2nds then!

Wednesday evening produced the biggest talking point of the week when the Torbay Clearance Services Herald Cup semi-final went to extra time and due to the fading light, could not have gone on any longer.

The referee, who had a busy night on the pitch, deserves a lot of praise for managing to get the game completed in a safe manner. This was not a classic cup game by any stretch of the imagination, but it is one that will be remembered by the 200-plus people that were there.

Spurs were the better team for large parts of the game and when Joe Bushin put them in front on 33 minutes, it did look as if the Division One outfit were heading for the final. But 66 have been here many times before and they just dug in and made it difficult for Spurs to get a second and seal the tie.

A big tackle on the edge of the box by Joe Bushin was not to the referee’s liking and he saw yellow for the second time in the game and Spurs had not only lost their captain but their talisman, this lifted 66 but it took them until the 75th minute to find a breakthrough with a fine strike from Ashley Dove.

With extra time looming, Spurs seemed to get their second wind and again were the team more likely to win it but then a moment of madness and Spurs found themselves down to nine players and going into extra time.

Rather than go straight into extra time to beat the light, the Spurs team disappeared into the changing room for a break but the referee was having none of it, he blew his whistle to get them back out and get extra time underway. In fact, it only took 66 five minutes to score through Stijn Brussen and now all they had to do was hold on to the lead and hope the light held out.

Even in the second half of extra time, Spurs were the better team for large parts but in the end 66 did hold on, as did the light, just.

Newton Abbot 66 now progress to their second final in two years to meet fellow Premier Division side Ilsington Villa on Friday, May 10 under the lights at Stoke Gabriel and Newton Abbot Spurs have a County Cup Final to look forward to and eight more league games to play and if they win all eight, they will be crowned Division One champions or six wins may be enough to get promoted to the Premier League.

Also on Wednesday in the Premier League, Brixham AFC remain in a relegation place, despite beating Waldon Athletic 2-1. A Dalton Sanders double brought home three points that will worry both Chudleigh and East Allington, who, despite the latter winning 7-1 at WBB remain only five points clear with Brixham having only two games left to play.

On Friday evening, it was the turn of Bovey Tracey 2nds and Paignton Saints 2nds to compete for the Division Two Lidstone cup. Once again, Liverton Utd was the venue as the South Devon League committee continue to support member clubs in giving them an end of season boost to their finances.

The game was an absolute credit to the strength of competition in Division Two of the Torbay Clearance Services League. It was end-to-end action for 90 minutes and played in a very good spirit and the referee only had to intervene on a couple of occasions.

Saints took a first-half lead through Jason Dingley on the half-hour and it was not until the 75th minute that Bovey could finally find an equaliser thanks to Matt Churchill, who was in the right place at the right time.

Extra time came and went with a number of stoppages for cramp, and it was down to the dreaded penalty shootout, there is normally only ever one hero in a shootout, it’s either the last scorer or the keeper.

That honour this time goes to the Bovey ‘keeper Jack Smith, who saved the last two Saints spot-kicks to give Bovey Tracey the league and cup double and complete what has been an amazing season.

Ilsington Villa have been crowned Torbay Clearance Services South Devon Premier League Champions for the first time in the league’s long history. A 4-0 home win against Beesands Rovers, thanks to a Daniel Langford hat-trick and a single from Jamie Beer did the trick and considering they only finished third in Division One last season is testament to the whole team at the village club as to just how much progress has been made in the past 12 months.

A big well done to Tony Lacey and his team of volunteers for what they have achieved this season. As it transpired, they would not have needed to win as Kingsteignton Athletic surprisingly slipped up to Brixham AFC, who beat them 5-1 and if they had shown current form earlier in the season, who knows where they would have finished.

Division One continues to produce shocks and spills and now has new leaders in Totnes and Dartington, thanks to a hard fought 3-1 win at Watcombe Wanderers but the stand-out result in the division was the 7-1 demolition by Newton Abbot Spurs on Paignton Saints, this not only knocked Saints off top place but puts the Herald Cup disappointment to bed.

It leaves Spurs with seven games still to play and they can afford one defeat and still win the league. Saints, Ivybridge and Totnes and Dartington must win their remaining games and on 23/05, Spurs host Ivybridge.

The Division Two runners-up spot was secured by Newton Abbot Spurs 3rds with their final game of the campaign. A 4-2 home win against Waldon Athletic 2nds, who ended the game with eight players thanks to three red cards.

Deven Webb and Owen Green were on target for Spurs, who must now wait for their 2nd team to secure promotion for them to be playing in Division One next season. Paignton Saints 2nds need four points from two games to guarantee third place and a possible promotion berth should it not happen for Spurs.

The Division Three title race looks like going to the wire with five teams still in the race for silverware. Watcombe Wanderers 2nds remain three points clear after a 6-1 win over South Brent, Simon Ross scored four goals with Kye Walker bagging two to keep the Greens on course for the title.

Meanwhile, Ashburton slipped up in a 13-goal thriller at Stoke Gabriel TP, 8-5 was the final score. Marc Hagland also scored four with Rusell Cooper, Daniel Treseze and Max Prestwood keeping Stoke in mid-table.

Division Four is also going to the wire this season. Liverton Utd 2nds remain in pole position following a 3-2 win over Drake FC, who drop to third and will be glad to see the back of Liverton this season after three defeats in five weeks.

Elburton Villa 3rds move into second place with their 4-3 win at Kingsteignton Athletic 2nds, who are now fourth and must be favourites to win this division, as they have a game in hand and a relatively easy run in, up next for Kingsteignton is Liverton Utd on 11/05.

Game to catch this week in the South Devon Football League. Well, it has to be the Herald Cup Final on Friday, May 10 under the lights at Stoke Gabriel with a 7pm kick off. Ilsington Villa, Premier League new boys and newly crowned champions will be playing in the final for the first time since 1981 and only the second time in the club’s history.

They will face Newton Abbot 66, who are playing in their second successive final and they last won the cup in 2000. Although there is plenty of parking available, supporters are advised to arrive early, as this is a well-attended event in the South Devon League calendar, gates will open at 5.30pm and the host club will have a full bar and food service available.