WEST COUNTRY FOOTBALL

Tag: 2021/22

  • Beat The Odds

    Beat The Odds

    Almondsbury FC 2 – 1 Odd Down AFC
    Western League – Division One
    Saturday 23rd October 2021
    The Field, Almondsbury (view on map)

    Attendance: 16
    Admission: £6
    Weather: Overcast

    View the full photo gallery HERE

    The Season So Far:

    With Odd Down having taken voluntary demotion ahead of this season, they come into this game as favourites, particularly as their hosts are struggling at the wrong end of the Division One table. Almondsbury had to wait until Match Day 4 before picking up their first point away at Longwell Green, and then remained on a solitary draw until mid-September when they beat Gillingham Town. Last weekend Almondsbury succumbed to a 4-2 loss at Cheddar. Today’s visitors sit in 8th position with a mixed record so far – an impressive 5-2 win over league newcomers Tytherington Rocks sits alongside heavy defeats to Warminster and, in the FA Cup, Alresford Town. 7 days ago Odd Down beat Portishead 3-1 in Bath – revenge for the mirrored result earlier in the season against Portishead.

    With all this in mind, my money would be on the away side taking all 3 points today. However Almondsbury will be looking to spring a surprise and kick start their season with a strong performance today.

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  • Axed.

    Axed.

    Plymouth Marjon 0 – 5 Axminster Town
    South West Peninsula League – East Division
    Saturday 9th October 2021
    Marjon Sports Centre, Plymouth (view on map)

    Attendance: c22 (head count)
    Admission: £0 (donations accepted)
    Weather: Cloudy but dry

    View the full photo gallery HERE

    The Season So Far:

    On the face of it, with the home side lying in 6th and the visitors in 7th, this could well be a very close encounter. However, dig a little deeper and it’s not quite that straight forward as that with Plymouth Marjon having played 4 games more than Axminter. Marjon have won as many as they’ve lost, with Axminster only losing 1 of their 9 games so far. Knowing this it is tempting to put Axminster as favourites despite not having home advantage today.

    The past 2 games involving Marjon have thrown up a 2-1 loss against Dartmouth, after an emphatic 6-1 home win over Torridgeside. Marjon’s only draw so far this season was with the aforementioned Dartmouth – a one-all tie at the Marjon Sports Centre. Most of the games featuring the university side have been high scoring affairs, with plenty of matches throwing up 6 goals apiece.

    Axminster come into this off the back of a 2-2 draw with Bovey Tracey – a result that was probably more of a plus for Bovey Tracey. Prior to that, a confidence-boosting 7-0 away win over Elmore in the Devon St Lukes Challenge Cup was preceded by elimination from the FA Vase by league rivals Brixham. Despite this hiccup, the Tigers can be optimistic about the season, particularly after having started the campaign with 4 straight victories.

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  • Pier Pressure

    Pier Pressure

    Keynsham Town 0 – 4 Clevedon Town
    Western League – Premier Division
    Tuesday 7th September 2021
    Crown Fields, Keynsham (view on map)

    Attendance: 111
    Admission: £7
    Weather: Balmy, sunny until sunset

    View the full photo gallery HERE

    The Season So Far:

    8 games into the season, Keynsham Town sit in an impressive 3rd position in the Western League Premier Division, although they have played more games than the majority of the teams in the league. Opening with two 3-0 victories – at home to league newcomers Ashton & Backwell, and away to Brislington – the K’s then travelled to Tring in the FA Cup where they found themselves on the end of another 3-0 result! An away win at Cadbury Heath was then followed by a relative rough patch including defeat to Cornish side Helston who have this season moved into the Western League from the South West Peninsula League. 3 consecutive draws came next including 2 in the space of four days against Shepton Mallet. Bank Holiday Monday saw a return to form as Keynsham thrashed early strugglers Bridport 6-2. Saturday saw Town travel south to Street; a 1-1 was the result and enough to push The K’s up to 3rd spot coming into this match.

    The Seasiders of Clevedon Town have had a somewhat tougher start to the 21/22 season, with just one victory to their name so far – a decent 4-2 away win against Brislington. The FA Cup saw Clevedon lose heavily – 6-1 – away at the Hellenic League’s Bishops Cleeve. This defeat came after a pair of 2-2 draws: away at Exmouth on the opening day of the season, and at home to Cadbury Heath 4 days later. Mid-August had Clevedon lose 2 home games in quick succession as they faced former South West Peninsula League side Saltash United and then high-flyers Bitton. The Seasiders succumbed 1-2 and 1-3 respectively. The aformentioned win over Brislington stopped the rot and then on Bank Holiday Monday Clevedon travelled to Wellington where they played out another 2-2 tie. Clevedon then hosted winless Ashton & Backwell on Saturday, hoping to earn another 3 points. The final score was 3-2 to United leaving Clevedon in 14th position.

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  • Mashed to a Polp.

    Mashed to a Polp.

    Polperro AFC 5 – 1 Sticker AFC Reserves
    St Piran League – East Division
    Saturday 21st August 2021
    Killigarth, Polperro (view on map)

    Attendance: c36
    Admission: Free
    Weather: Misty, showers, some sun

    View the full photo gallery HERE

    The Season So Far:

    The St Piran League acts as a feeder league to the South West Peninsula League. I was originally planning to visit an SWPL fixture – Liskeard Athletic v Godolphin Atlantic – but the away side had to pull out due to a Covid outbreak. So a swift rearrangement was necessary on my part and, what with my accomodation for the week being in Polperro, it made perfect sense to visit Killigarth for Polperro AFC’s second game of the season. A relatively new league, this will be only the 3rd edition of the St Piran League and will hopefully be the first season to reach a meaningful conclusion. The previous 2 falling victim to the Corona Virus. The 2020/21 season ended prematurely of course, with Polperro flying high in 2nd but with a couple of games in hand over Bude Town in 1st. Sticker Reserves, on the other hand, were languishing somewhat in 13th (out of 15).

    Opening the campaign with 2 consecutive home matches, Polperro began the season last week with a convincing 7-1 victory over Millbrook Reserves (Click here for the ‘Where’s the Tea Hut’ visit to that game). Bizarrely, and I’m not quite sure why, only a handful of fixtures took place last weekend, meaning that Sticker Reserves’ first run out of the season is today. Hopefully they won’t be too daunted by the prospect of coming up against a side who won by 6 clear goals 7 days ago.

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  • Downton Crabby

    Downton Crabby

    Downton FC 1 – 2 Folland Sports
    Wessex League – Division One
    Saturday 7th August 2021
    Brian Whitehead Sports Ground, Downton (view on map)

    Attendance: 142
    Admission: £6
    Weather: Rain showers

    View the full photo gallery HERE

    The Season So Far:

    Both these sides were competing at this level during last season’s forcibly abridged season – today’s visiting side from suburban Southampton were certainly in the title hunt before the campaign was cut short by Covid-19. They were flying high in 3rd place, winning 7 of their 12 played matches, albeit some 13 points behind runaway leaders Laverstock & Ford who were unbeaten at that time. Downton – today’s hosts – were having a tougher time of it down in 13th, but had managed an extra 2 games before the season was called off. Just 3 wins from 14 games, however, and they would’ve been looking over their shoulders at the 6 chasing teams.

    Preseason, then, and Downton’s last 2 fixtures saw them beating Hampshire Premier League side Lyndhurst 4-0 away from home, before drawing 2-2 with Hamworthy United Reserves on Tuesday evening. On Tuesday 27th, Folland Sports executed an impressive victory over Fareham Town from the league above. Prior to that they beat Sway FC, of the Hampshire Premier League, 3-0. So, impressive preseason, but who will go home the happier side after today’s league opener?

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