Pictures supplied by Stuart Richards. Match report provided by Dave Roach – davesworld.proboards.com
Match Preview
A number of seasons ago the South West Peninsula League was made up of the West Division (Cornwall clubs) the East Division (Devon clubs) and the Premier Division, a mix of both Devon and Cornwall clubs.
Back then I used to enjoy covering a number of the Stoke Gabriel games when they were in the Premier Division as it gave me the opportunity to watch a number of the Cornish clubs in action.
Due to the Premier League being dropped and now only the East and West division making up the league, that is no longer possible. But Devon teams will still take on Cornish teams in the cup competitions as is the case today and for me a game not to miss.
I hav already covered one Brixham AFC game this season against Plymouth Marjon on the 28th August, a game they won with ease by six goals to nil
Report on that match link:
davesworld.proboards.com/thread/892/brixham-plymouth-marjon-28th-2021
In that match report I stated that I felt the Brixham team on display that day was the best Brixham team I had ever seen. A fact borne out by their excellent start in the 2020/2021 season so far.
They have brushed aside every team they have played so far in the league this season and currently look odds on favourites to become the league champions as long as they maintain their current form.
To date they have played ten league games winning them all, scoring a massive 41 goals so far, conceding just eight giving them a plus 33 goal difference.
I have never covered a game featuring Sticker AFC before, so this will be a first for me. Looking at this season’s league record to date, they clearly have not made the explosive start that Brixham AFC have.
They have played a total of 13 games, winning just four of them and losing nine. They have scored a total of 22 goals and conceded 46 giving them a minus 24 goal difference.
On paper this looked a high scoring game. Brixham AFC are full of goals, while one might suspect Sticker AFC might not be very strong at the back. But this was a cup match and as we all know anything can happen in a game of football. Sticker AFC will turn up at Wall Park firmly believing they are in with a chance.
Match Report
Normal service was resumed today for me with Jason Couch standing in the dugout. That man is worth the entrance fee all on his own with his witty one liners that kept me smiling for the whole 90 minutes.
We all know what it feels like waiting for a bus, wondering if it will ever come, then three all turn up at once. Waiting for a goal to be scored in this match felt very much like that.
It was not down to the amount of efforts on goal. Brixham had enough to score 20 goals, but them Sticker boys just kept on blocking shot after shot.
The match referee blew up for the start of the match and Brixham went straight on the attack. Their very first shot at the goal was from a good 25 yards by Kieran Parkin that was more in hope than anything else; his effort went wide of the right hand post.
Kieran was soon testing his shooting boots again, this time from the edge of the Sticker box, but Dominic Richards in goal for Sticker, was able to palm the ball away to safety.
Then came a really great chance for Brixham to take the lead; a good run down the right hand side of the pitch, resulted in a great low ball played into the Sticker box. Mark Brooks was racing into the box to get on to the ball and hit it first time but he could not keep the shot down and the ball flew high over the crossbar.
Shaun Bowden, wearing the Brixham number nine shirt, hit a good low shot from the edge of the box that was well saved low down; you just felt a goal was coming very soon.
A good number of shots were rained towards the Sticker goal mouth but I counted at least 15 blocks by the Sticker defenders. Is there really a place called Sticker? Or is it just the side’s nickname as they are darn good at sticking their legs out.
Brixham’s Scott Robinson made a very good run into the right hand side of the Sticker box but ended up a bit wider from the goal than he wanted to be. He still got a good angled shot off across the ‘keeper but it went wide of the left hand post.
The referee blew up for halftime, how was the score still nil nil? It could have so easily been ten nil to the Fishermen, such was their dominance of the first half.
Sticker started the second half a little better and could have taken the lead in this match which would have been completely against the run of play. They say it only takes a second to score a goal in football. Adam Solomon ran into plenty of space on the right hand side of the pitch to get on to the end of a long pass. He looked up and played an inch perfect ball to the feet of Mickey Rowles-Jane who only had Grant Fisher in goal for Brixham to beat. Not an easy task at the best of times but Mickey completely mis-hit the ball
Brixham were attacking the Sticker goal relentlessly but once again shot after shot was blocked. Sticker’s Martyn O’Callaghan did well to hook a ball off the goal line and over the crossbar, while Kieran Parkin blasted another shot over the Sticker crossbar.
I started to wonder how a game that on paper looked like it would have plenty of goals in it, still did not have a single one. Brixham’s Cole Harford headed just wide of the right hand post; maybe this game needed a super sub?
On came Tom Burt. Could he be the super sub that was needed? It only took him minutes to open up the scoring for his club. The Sticker ‘keeper had to deal with a ball high above his crossbar but instead of knocking the ball behind for a corner, he knocked it down into the goal area. Tom hit the loose ball first time on the half volley and it flew into the back of the net.
Brixham’s Reece Somers earned himself a needless booking pulling back a Sticker player who had only just crossed into the Brixham half. A rare second half attempt on the Brixham goal followed; Connor Cooke hit his shot from the edge of the Brixham box but his effort went well wide of the left hand post.
Hungry for a second goal, Tom Burt was soon to be rewarded. A good ball came into the Sticker box from the right hand side after Ben Hopkins had battled his way through and he turned on the spot and picked his spot.
The floodgates were now open. Brixham captain Kieran Parkin got goal number three for his side, a very well deserved goal after the number of attempts he had during the match.
Moments later the match referee was pointing to the spot after a Brixham player was brought down in the box. Can you guess who made sure he got to the ball first to pick it up and take the spot kick?
Yes, the super sub Tom Burt who sent the ‘keeper the wrong way as he claimed his hat-trick. Reece Somers then took a free kick just outside the Sticker box that crashed against the crossbar.
There was one last effort for Sticker as Isaac Varga made a good run into the Brixham box with his shot only just clearing the crossbar.
A very well deserved win for the Brixham lads who must have been questioning how many legs those Sticker players had with all the goalbound shots they blocked.
Brixham are a very fine club who continue to make so many improvements to the ground and a place I always feel at home at. Good luck in the next round and keep that league form going.