GILES HEADS HOME HISTORY MAKING GOAL
The Western League Premier Division kicks-off the new season
Well, the season 2023-24 is off and running with the commencement of the Western League on Saturday.
For our six Cornish clubs it probably ended up a little disappointing as Torpoint Athletic were the only side to win in one of three games where the opposition were newly promoted! Nailsea & Tickenham, runners-up in the Western League Division One last season, visited The Mill and within 11 minutes they were trailing to a Ryan Richards goal. It’s good to see Ryan get off to a great start to the season after struggling 12 months ago with injury. Their second came from another regular goalscorer when fit, but who suffered periods out last season with a knee problem. James Lorenz made it 2-0 to the ‘Point not too long after the half-time break and it secured the three points for his new club.
Oldland Abbotonians enjoyed promotion through the play offs last season and are apparently a club looking to the future and despite trailing at home to a much different looking Saltash United side, the newcomers came back to win 3-2.
The third fixture involving a debut team saw SWPL East champions Brixham welcoming Falmouth Town to Wallpark Road. There were no goals, but that was about all the game lacked with three dismissals and Town missing a penalty!
Lots has already been said about Helston Athletic and promotion and when they went two up at home to Wellington, it seemed the Blues were well on course for the expected three points. However it wasn’t to be as the visitors fought back to share a point each with a 2-2 draw.
Little had been heard from the Millbrook camp in the build up to the season but their 8-1 defeat at home to Bridgwater probably confirms the suspicions of many that they could well be in for a long season!
Completing our Cornish representation this season is St Blazey, earning their place at Step 5 level after finishing champions of the SWPL West.
This game against Shepton Mallet also had three red cards in it with a player from each side along with one of the Green and Blacks management in the ref’s notebook! Goalless at the half-time break with neither goalkeeper having been troubled, it was a more determined St Blazey who broke the deadlock with Martin Giles powering home a header from an Aaron Dilley corner.
In the end though an attendance of 305, the league’s biggest of the day, witnessed it finish all square with the visitors levelling the match in the 75th minute. The 1-1 result no doubt leaves many at the club thinking they had the chance to take all 3 points on their history making day, although before the kick-off they probably would have been happy with a point!
Results and scorers through the league:-
BRIXHAM 0
FALMOUTH TOWN 0
(att:217)
CLEVEDON TOWN 3
(King 2, Beresford)
BUCKLAND ATHLETIC 2
(Lewington, Bush)
(att:145)
HELSTON ATHLETIC 2
(Shepherd, Wilson)
WELLINGTON 2
(OG., Brown-Porter)
(att:168)
MILLBROOK 1
(Innis)
BRIDGWATER UNITED 8
(Thorne 3, Wright 2, J Llewellyn, Towler, Taylor)
(att:107)
OLDLAND ABBOTONIANS 3
(Davis, Kyte, Saidy)
SALTASH UNITED 2
(O’Melia 2)
(att:242)
ST BLAZEY 1
(Giles)
SHEPTON MALLET 1
(Rutty)
(att:305)
STREET 2
(McKenna, Corbridge)
ILFRACOMBE TOWN 2
(Smith, Wilson)
(att:90)
TORPOINT ATHLETIC 2
(Richards, Lorenz)
NAILSEA & TICKENHAM 0
(att:171)
WELTON ROVERS 2
(Cole, Russell)
BARNSTAPLE TOWN 4
(Andrew, Foster 2, Laird)
(att:227)
WESTERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION MIDWEEK FIXTURES:-
Tuesday 1st August 2023
19:30
Buckland Athletic v
Torpoint Athletic
Nailsea & Tickenham v
Oldland Abbotonians
Shepton Mallet v
Wellington
Welton Rovers v
Clevedon Town
19:45
Barnstaple Town v
Street
Bridgwater United v
Brixham
Falmouth Town v
St Blazey
Saltash United v
Helston Athletic