What better way to spend your Easter Hols than watching seven games in three days in the heart of Devon. Throw in an Easter Sunday trip to Villa Park and you are laughing!
Lots to get through so I promise to keep it brief! Here we go then...
11.30am, Saturday 11th April 2009Division One East
Galmpton Gents 2-1 Stoke Gabriel
Attendance: 379
The opening game of the final day was at the War Memorial Playing Fields, the home of the fantastically monikered Galmpton Gents. In all honesty it was a dreadful game which never came to life until the final 5 minutes when Galmpton to took the lead courtesy of a very dubious penalty, tucked home comfortably by Ashley Hoare. Stoke Gabriel thought they'd nicked a point when substitute Kane Bond levelled 3 minutes later, but deep into stoppage time Chris Mitchell grabbed a dramatic winner for the home side.
3.00pm, Saturday 11th April 2009South West Peninsula League
Division One East
Liverton United 0-2 Bovey Tracey
Attendance: 383
Next up it was the big derby game between the two Newton Abbot rivals. There is no love lost between the two sides so a good competitive game was in prospect (cue the sound of the needle being whipped from the record). It was anything but. It turned out to be a complete and utter pile of poo, with the majority of the crowd losing the will to live after an hour or so! The game was not helped by an incompetent referee who never let the match flow and blew for everything. I lost count of the bookings for 'nothing' offences! The game was effectively sealed on 65 minutes when Lee Pascoe scored a penalty for Tracey. Mark Dyson's goal in stoppage time merely added gloss to the result.
Sunday 12th April 2009
As I was travelling home from Devon up the M5/M6 there was a bonus of a very rare easter Sunday game, as Everton were playing Aston Villa at Villa Park.
6pm, Saturday 11th April 2009
South West Peninsula Premier League
Buckland Athletic 1-0 Witheridge
Attendance: 491
Well, talk about saving the best until last. The final game of the hop was a Premier league encounter at Homers Heath, between 4th placed Buckland and mid table Witheridge. The difference in standard between this league and Division One was there for all to see. An absolutely absorbing encounter was settled after just 11 minutes when Darren Vickery slotted home for Athletic. The game was end to end as both teams played fluent attacking football. How there were no more goals in this game, who knows?
As well as the decent football, this was also a decent ground and the clubhouse served a fine selection of beers and was most welcoming. Everything about Buckland gave the impression of a club on the up from the Programme to the Catering. It was a relief to end on such a high after the dross of the days other games. This final game restored my positive image of the SWPL and I am now looking forward to next Easter when I can do it all over again!
As well as the decent football, this was also a decent ground and the clubhouse served a fine selection of beers and was most welcoming. Everything about Buckland gave the impression of a club on the up from the Programme to the Catering. It was a relief to end on such a high after the dross of the days other games. This final game restored my positive image of the SWPL and I am now looking forward to next Easter when I can do it all over again!
Sunday 12th April 2009FA Premier League
Aston Villa 3-3 Everton
Attendance: 40,188
As I was travelling home from Devon up the M5/M6 there was a bonus of a very rare easter Sunday game, as Everton were playing Aston Villa at Villa Park.
This is a ground i'd visited on numerous occasions in the past for league games and FA Cup semi-finals and is always a good day out.
The match today was absolutely fantastic but after being 3-1 up, and having enough other chances to bury Villa, it was a little disappointing to only come away with a draw. Having said that, the fact we were hanging on at end as the momentum swung in Villa's favour, I suppose I have to be grateful for the point.
Marouane Fellaini gave Everton the lead (19) before Tim Cahill headed home (23) to make it 2-0. John Carew reduced the deficit for Villa (33) before Steven Pienaar (53) scored a great effort from 20 yards to restore Everton's two goal advantage.
Two minutes later though James Milner blasted home a free kick before a Gareth Barry penalty (66) dragged Villa level.
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