MATCH REPORT - Torpoint Athletic Saturday 23rd November

Lambs welcomed the league leaders to Langsford Park.

TAVISTOCK AFC RESERVES 2-0 TORPOINT ATHLETIC RESERVES FC
SATURDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 2013
EAST CORNWALL PREMIER LEAGUE
LANGSFORD PARK - 2.30PM
Scorers: Jack Crago (P) + Xoli Ncube

Tavistock Reserves Team:

1. Jamie Castle (GK)
    2. Ryan Moorhead (RB)
    3. Harry Southcott (LB)
    4. Christian Evans (CB)
    5. John Francis (CB)
    6. Chris Holt (CM)
    7. James Phelps (RM)
    8. Nathan Ewing (CM)
    9. Tom McHale (ST)
    10. Jack Crago (ST)
    11. Xoli Ncube (LM)

Tavistock reserves pulled off the result of the day and quite rightly grabbed 'Team of the week' courtesy of the Sunday Independent after this great win at home to top of the league Torpoint Athletic. 

Off the back of a good 2-0 home win against Bere Alston last week, the lambs carried on their good run against a slightly weakened and off-colour Torpoint who will be thoroughly disappointed with their performance.

The game itself was a great display of the quality of football represented in the East Cornwall Premier League and from a neutral point of view, unless knowing the two teams, you would have had no idea who was top of the league based on how the game panned out.

Tavistock started off brightly, some excellent midfield play between skipper Chris Holt and Nathan Ewing resulted in Jack Crago narrowly missing the target. 

Torpoint goalkeeper Matt England made some great saves in the early exchanges to keep the score at 0-0, first at point-blank range from Crago, before getting down low to deny wide midfielder James Phelps who turned sharply and shot towards the bottom corner. 

Following a short burst of corners, Tavistock continued to pile on the pressure over their higher placed opponents, but still England and Torpoint withheld the pressure, despite a goal line clearance after a goal mouth scramble. 

Lambs 'keeper Jamie Castle didn't have too much to do in the first half, but saved smartly from Torpoint skipper Lewis Kershaw, and was a real physical presence when coming to claim the ball from the visitor's corners. Defensive duo Christian Evans and John Francis had to be at their best to negate any advances from Kershaw and strike partner Ross Avery, and they rarely gave the tamarsiders' front men a sniff at goal. 

Towards the end of the half, came the turning point. The pacey, tricky Crago played in by Xoli Ncube and a terrific run from out wide into the box by the forward resulted in him being up-ended and referee Butter had no choice but to award the penalty.
       Crago dusted himself off and kept his cool to dispatch of the penalty and put the lambs 1-0 up, much to the liking of the few gathered inside the stadium to watch this crunch game.

The task for the home side was to now keep in front, and they certainly looked like they wanted this more, in particular Torpoint lacking a spark, usually supplied by the absent Brian Stacey.

Tavistock held on until the referee's whistle to bring the first half to a close.

HALF TIME: Tavistock 1-0 Torpoint

The second half started amid cool overcast conditions, totally opposite to the warm sunshine from the first half. 
      Despite the clouds forming, Tavistock didn't let anything rain on their parade, and they started with the same intent as at the beginning of the match. Tom Mchale usually who plays in goal was enjoying an appearance outfield against his home town side, causing serious issues for the Torpoint defence, almost in a bullying fashion. 

The teams provided no real action for either goalkeeper in the opening stages, but Castle was the busier with a couple of half saves to make but nothing too serious as Torpoint looked to show everyone why they are top of the league. 

Good work down the right hand side by full back Ryan Moorhead presented a chance for Phelps to cross, but his cross successfully defended by the visitors but only for a corner. Up came Evans and Francis from the back, and nearly latched onto the delivery, Tavistock were beginning to come into the game again.

The second goal came at a good time for Tavistock, Moorhead again getting forward, laying the ball off to Crago, who eventually found Phelps on the right hand side. Phelps worked his way in field and fired a shot with his weaker foot towards the bottom corner, it seemed to be going in but then smashed against the inside of the post, only for the ball to rebound out to Ncube who coolly side-footed the ball home to double the lambs' lead.

A rare goal for the left midfielder celebrated greatly by his teammates as everyone inside Langsford Park knew how big a two-goal lead was.

Then came a bit of controversy, a free-kick floated in by Kershaw towards the back post looked to be heading onto the head of Avery, only for the striker to take a tumble claiming he had been pushed. No penalty was the decision from the referee. The game continued however moments later an off the ball altercation between Avery and Tavistock substitute Marc Solomon resulted in both players being sent off to add a sour note to the game, which had been a good advocate for local football.

That killed off any momentum from Torpoint and the home side held on for a massive win which throws the title race wide open!

Lambs boss Dave Ewing commented on his delight of the win 'it's a massive result for us, to beat the league leaders really shows what we are capable of and it gives us great confidence heading into next week's game away to Plymouth Parkway.'

Tavistock now face fellow high-flyers and league favourites Plymouth Parkway next Saturday at Bolitho Park (2.30pm kick off) whereas Torpoint face a long trip to Kilkhampton.

Langsford Park bathed in sunshine before a crucial game

      

   

     

The Oxford Diary...

Kidlington FC away, that's a long old polk!

FA Vase Second Round

Kidlington FC vs Tavistock AFC

Saturday 16th November

3:00pm

After sucessfully seeing off Winterbourne FC in the previous round, the next test for the lambs was a mouth-watering tie away to Ulhsport Premier League side Kidlington FC.

It posed a real test of a side developing well under interim-manager Paul Blatchford, the assistant manager taking over whilst Ian Southcott is away due to work commitments.

8:00am - An early start...

It was a bright and early start, an eight o'clock meet at the home of the lambs, Langsford Park. 

A handful of loyal supporters gathered to travel in the executive coach alongside the players who for most was their first taste of an experience like this.

This was only the beginning, only 200 odd miles to the ground in Oxfordshire.

10:20am - The toilet stop...

Lambs Supporter Eric Pinch

Half the journey down, the team arrived at a service station full of optimism. 

It clearly meant as much to the supporters as it did the players, some of them showing their allegiance more than others, but nonetheless, everyone knew how much of a big day this was for the club. 

The players were stocking up on healthy sandwiches and snacks, whilst the majority of travellers enjoyed a luxury KFC feast. The pink and whites then soon set off to complete the second half of their journey to Oxford.

12:40pm - We had arrived...

A few players getting to grips with the bobbly surface

 Just over two hours before kick off, we had made it. We were at the theatre of greens as the locals called it, not quite the theatre of dreams. 

The poor weather had clearly had an effect on the pitch, it was very brown, both soft and hard in places, and it was very small, an opposite to the flat, luxurious Langsford Park surface. 

3:00pm - KICK OFF...

Tavistock wearing some extremely bright pink jerseys attacked ‘The Club House’ end in the first half, but in the opening stages weren’t seeing too much of the ball as Kidlington set about trying to find the net early doors.

Kidlington rained down plenty attacks in the opening minutes but some less than perfect finishing meant that Dean Smith’s goal remained intact.

With almost half an hour played big Central midfielder Ben Fitzmartin finally broke the deadlock. It wasn’t a pretty goal but some goals never are, and a goal mouth scramble allowed him to fire a shot across goal and it went in via the far post for 1-0.  

HALF TIME: Kiddlington 1-0 Tavistock

Lamb's Keeper Smith made a couple of good saves firstly from a Jack Quainton shot across the goal, then from a serious deflection preventing what was surely going to be an own goal .

Smith’s goal was however breached again soon after this when another goal mouth dilemma ended with the keeper dropping the ball and Kidlington's captain Lewis Brownhill blasting it into the net from close range.

The travellers from Devon then tried to get back into the game which looked to be slipping drastically away from them, good work from wingers Tom Hall and James Phelps presented a few attacking opportunities from corners which in particular striker Ian Rooke couldn't take full advantage of after battling hard with the home defence.

A switch to 4-4-2 for the last 20 minutes helped Tavistock, who were showing signs of getting back into the game, central midfielders Dave Hallett and Stuart Morgan showed desire and great work rate but couldn't do anything to stop the trio of Kidlington opponents playing a great passing game in the middle of the park.

Quainton then added the third and final goal of the game when he latched onto a cross by substitute Joe Caven in the final minutes to settle any chance of a nervy finish.

A great effort by Tavistock but a lack of resources ultimately proved to make it a struggle, and they were sent home by a very well organised home team.

FULL TIME: Kidlington 3-0 Tavistock

  

After the long, tiring match, the lambs started their long journey home, arriving back at Langsford Park around 11:00pm. 

TAVISTOCK AFC TEAM

1. Dean Smith (GK)
2. Ryan Moorhead
3. Harry Southcott
4. Dave Hallett
5. Dan Follett
6. Jamie Ahearn
7. James Phelps
8. Stuart Morgan
9. Ian Rooke
10. Jarryd Kelly
11. Tom Hall