TUESDAY 6TH MAY
ST LUKES DEVON BOWL CUP FINAL
WILLAND ROVERS 1 DAWLISH TOWN 3
Dawlish were faced with playing the final on their opponents home soil but overcame the odds thanks to two quality strikes from Darren Vickery which turned this hard fought encounter in Dawlish Town's favour.
Manager Chris Myers sprung a surprise with the inclusion of Liam Moseley at right wing back. Moseley responded to the manager's faith by opening the scoring within five minutes. The Willand centre half tried to head the ball back to his keeper but Moseley was alert to the situation and nipped in to cushion a neat header into the net from close range.
Willand responded positively and took the game to Dawlish. Ryan Draper was forced into a fingertip save to turn the ball out for a corner. From their next attack they gained a deserved equaliser. A through ball eluded Craig Fenner and Willand centre forward Danny Baily smashed a right foot volley past the helpless Draper. Dawlish were finding it hard to play any controlled football on the uneven surface and it was Willand's more direct style which was proving more effective. Twice they opened up the Dawlish defence but failed to convert the chances. Late in the half Dawlish were awarded a free kick just outside the box. The keeper set up a five man wall but Darren Vickery stepped up and planted his left foot drive into the bottom corner of the net for a 2-1 half time lead.
An ankle injury to Derek Fields forced Dawlish to re-organise at the start of the second half. Shaun Bowden was introduced at left wing back with Vickery moving into the centre of midfield. Willand continued to have more of the ball but the Dawlish defensive trio of Craig Fenner, Simon Laughton and Arran Pugh looked much more assured after the break and with Gary Head's tireless work in midfield there was little threat on the Dawlish goal. An injury to Liam Moseley forced a second change and young James Spence was brought into the fray. He quickly settled into the pace of the game and helped to deny Willand any time on the ball. With the minutes ticking away Darren Vickery produced a goal worthy of winning a cup final. The Willand keeper had looked uncertain with the ball at his feet and when he was put under pressure from Jamie Mudge his clearance fell short of the half way line. Vickery met the ball with a first time left foot shot that sailed back over the keeper's head and dropped into the back of the net from fully 45 yards out.
After the final whistle the jubilant players were joined by the large contingent of travelling supporters to celebrate a memorable victory in the long history of Dawlish Town AFC. Thoughts now turn to Saturday when Dawlish meet Bideford in the Les Phillips Cup Final at Elmore FC with a 3pm kick off.
The cup winning DAWLISH TOWN team - Ryan Draper, Liam Moseley, Darren Vickery, Simon Laughton, Arran Pugh, Craig Fenner, Gary Head, Derek Fields, Jamie Mudge, Antony Lynch, Dean Stevens
SUBS
Shaun Bowden (45) for Fields
James Spence (65) for Moseley
not used
Joe Crooks
Liam Jones
David Worthington
TOOLSTATION WESTERN LEAGUE
WELTON ROVERS 1 DAWLISH TOWN 3
Dawlish were forced to take an understrength side to Welton but after surviving a stiff examination in the first half they regrouped and showed the determination to win which has been a feature of their displays all season.
Injury and unavailability left Dawlish without Darren Vickery, David Worthington, Adam Shearer and Simon Laughton and even Manager Chris Myers was unable to make the trip owing to family commitments. The game itself got off to the worst possible start as Dawlish found themselves a goal down inside the first minute. They lost possession from the kick off and a long ball forward was volleyed into the net from 25 yards past a helpless Ryan Draper. On a firm uneven surface Dawlish found it difficult to get the ball down and play any constructive football and the home side were quick to close down their opponents. Jamie Mudge did have a strong run on goal but his final shot was off target. Dawlish's best two opportunities came from corners as twice Craig Fenner outjumped the home defence but headed over the bar. Welton should have added a second goal on the stroke of half time but missed an open goal. Dawlish defenders stopped thinking that the ball would run out of play for a goal kick but the ball was retrieved and crossed to the far post where the attacker somehow shot wide of the gaping goal.
With nothing at stake it would have been easy for the Dawlish players to give it up as a bad day at the office but to their ceredit they came out for the second half with a real determination to get back into the game. Gary Head started to drive forward from midfield and Liam Moseley and Shaun Bowden put in some aggressive running down the flanks and with better possession the strike pairing of Jamie Mudge and Antony Lynch started to unsettle the home defence. The equaliser came from the penalty spot. Bowden crossed into the area and Gary Head was flattened as he tried to get his head to the ball. Dean Stevens stepped up and calmly drove a left foot shot into the bottom corner. Within minutes Stevens doubled his tally to give Dawlish the lead. He picked up the ball on the edge of the box and again used his trusty left foot to fire low into the corner of the net. The home side were now wilting in the warm sunshine and Dawlish gave themselves a two goal cushion when Mudge crossed to the far post and Lynch rose above his marker to score with a trademark header. Ryan Draper was forced into action as he was off his line quickly to block a shot but with no further scares Dawlish were able to hold on to the victory.
After the game the Dawlish players were presented with their medals for finishing runners up in the league. The travelling supporters were joined by the Welton players, officials and supporters for the presentation and the hosts were generous in their congratulations.
On Saturday Dawlish Town play their last league game of the season at Bishop Sutton before the season climaxes with two cup finals in a week, the first of which is the St Lukes Devon Bowl at Willand on Tuesday 6th May 7-30 kick off.
WEDNESDAY 23RD APRIL
FROME TOWN 2 DAWLISH TOWN 2
This was no typical end of season encounter as Frome were in determined mood to gain revenge for two defeats sufferred at the hands of Dawlish earlier in the season. Despite having already secured second place Dawlish proved to be up for the fight and a full blooded encounter ensued.
Dawlish welcomed back Gary Head after suspension but were without Adam Shearer who is resting a back injury.
Frome had the best early chance but Ryan Draper made a great save diving to his left to turn away a header from close range. Dawlish took the lead in controversial fashion when Jamie Mudge drove the ball across the face of the six yard box and Antony Lynch turned the ball towards goal. A defender blocked the ball but despite protests from the home side the assistant referee who was in a good position flagged for the goal. Frome were soon back on level terms in somewhat fortunate fashion. They were awarded a free kick just inside the Dawlish half and the ball was floated into the Dawlish box. Simon Laughton got his head to the ball to try and clear but he was moving backwards and unable to gain any elevation and saw the ball glance off his head into the net to concede an own goal. The game was a real end to end encounter and it was Dawlish who took the lead before the break thanks to the front pairing. An aerial ball was played up to Lynch and he directed his header into the path of Mudge who took aim and struck a powerful volley past the keeper from 12 yards.
Frome started the second half on top and Draper and his defenders were fully extended to keep the lead intact. Dawlish were having to rely on breakaways but the pace of Mudge and the driving runs of Gary Head from midfield meant there was always the threat of Dawlish adding a third. With two cup finals on the horizon manager Chris Myers took the opportunity to rest Gary Head and Darren Vickery in the closing stages and introduced young prospects Joe Crooks and James Spence (Spence making his first ever appearance in the Western League). With time running out it appeared that Dawlish had withstood the scond half pressure but in the final minute Frome were able to build one last attack which resulted in an equaliser and the points being shared.
TOOSTATION WESTERN LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
DAWLISH TOWN 4 BRISTOL MANOR FARM 2
This three points guaranteed the runners up spot in the division for Dawlish Town.
The soreline flattered the home side as BMF put on an impressive performance and were somewhat unlucky to leave Sandy Lane empty handed. They took the lead after only five minutes and it took a brave block from Dawlish keeper Ryan Draper to prevent a second. Dawlish were forced to shoot from long range and both Jamie Mudge and Dean Stevens fired shots off target. The home side did grab an equaliser when central defender Craig Fenner scored his second goal of the season as he smartly turned in a Darren Vickery corner from close range. Dawlish were hopeful of going into the break on level terms but Aaran Pugh was guilty of a rash challenge in the box and BMF made it 2-1 from the spot.
Manager Chris Myers had opted to rest Antony Lynch with the forthcoming cup finals in mind but he was forced to introduce the talismanic striker at the start of the second half in an effort to turn things round and Lynch's presence seemed to galvanise the home side. Within minutes they were back on level terms somewhat fortuitously when a Vickery free kick took a wicked deflection off the end of the wall and flew past the wrong footed keeper into the far corner of the net. The midfield trio of Adam Shearer, Derek Fields and Dean Stevens started to enjoy a spell of possession for the first time in the game and Stevens forced a fine save from the keeper. He soon had a second chance when put clear by Shearer and this time he drilled an unstoppable left foot shot low into the bottom corner. Next it was Fields turn to break forward and he made it 4-2 with a calm finish as he dinked the ball over the onrushing keeper. The alarms were not over at the other end as Draper was again forced into action and Simon Laughton made a desperate goal line clearance to keep the two goal cushion intact.
With second place in the bag Dawlish Town can now relax during their last three league games which are all away from Sandy Lane starting with a trip to Frome Town on Wednesday followed by a Saturday visit to Welton Rovers.
TOOLSTATION WESTERN LEAGUE - PREMIER DIVISION
RADSTOCK TOWN 2 DAWLISH TOWN 4
Dawlish moved a step closer to clinching the runners-up berth with a comfortable away victory.
Dawlish made the one change with Adam Shearer returning from holiday to replace the suspended Gary Head in midfield. With manager Chris Myers unavailable Adam Kerswell took charge of team affairs.
Dawlish started the game in a positive vein and made the early running. The best chance fell to Antony Lynch but he headed a Jamie Mudge cross over the bar. Liam Moseley was using his pace to support the front two and he was instrumental in giving Dawlish a 2- nil half time lead. He broke the offside trap and crossed from the right for Mudge to bundle the ball home from close range. On the stroke of half time he againg burst clear, this time through the middle, and calmly held off the chasing defender to score.
The game was over as a contest within two minutes of the restart. Dean Stevens crossed from the left and Derek Fields timed his run into the box to score from six yards. Radstock tried to make a fight of things and brought on an extra attacker and looked to bombard the Dawlish backline with a succession of early long balls. They gained some success when Craig Fenner was adjudged to have tripped a forward in the box and the penalty was fired into the top cornetr of the net giving Ryan Draper no chance to save. Any thoughts of a meaningful comeback were extinguished when substitute David Worthington played a neat one-two and crossed to the far post where Adam Shearer bravely headed the ball over the onrushing keeper. Shearsy took a whack for his efforts but had the pleasure of seeing the ball nestle into the bottom corner. With virtually the last kick of the game, Dawlish were annoyed to concede a second goal as they were punished for failing to clear the ball out of the box.
On Saturday Dawlish Town entertain Bristol Manor Farm at Sandy Lane with a 3pm kick off. Three points from this game will all but guarantee the league runners up spot.
News reached the team at the end of tonight's game of the remarkable Les Phillips Semi Final scoreline of Truro 2 Bideford 6 ( even more remarkable as we were told at half time that Truro were winning 2-nil) and so Dawlish will now meet Bideford in the final at Elmore FC on Saturday 10th May ko 3pm
