A NARROW defeat at the home of the new Peninsula League Champions was Crediton’s final outing this season although in all honesty this was a game they should not have lost.

A few weeks ago it looked like the title race would be closer and this game was to take place on my birthday and so I hoped for great things.

However Brixham is on a great run and are worthy winners of the title this year.

They do not concede many goals and despite a critical run in where they were playing games virtually every three days they managed to win all of them.

With a strike force of Charlie Johansen and Kieran Parkin they led the way with great consistency and the defence let in far less goals than anyone else in the league.

Crediton however has had the most marvellous season and deserve full credit for the way they have conducted themselves under the tutelage of Ben Watson and Jack Furzer.

To see so many youngsters in the side, on merit as well has been a joy and this team will go down in the annals of Crediton history and this season will be reflected on with great joy and pride.

This was a strong side that Crediton put out for the final game.

Only Dan Preece was absent. As Ryan White was still out of action this left young Harvey Dorothy with plenty to do up front and yet again he did not disappoint, opening the scoring early on with a fine run and shot that gave the Brixham goalie no chance making the score 0-1.

Soon after Brixham should have had a penalty but the referee waved play on.

They also missed a couple of good chances, just before half-time they equalised from a corner on the right.

So when the teams went in for the half-time break the scores were level.

In the second half Oakley Bennett replaced Shay Corrick in midfield and Crediton started to put together some great moves.

Brixham however were resilient and showed the sort of football that won them the league.

Time after time they surged forward but the game was looking more like a draw the longer it went.

Then with around 10 minutes left disaster struck as a standard defensive pass back hit various sods of earth and somehow eluded Jack Arthur in the Crediton goal, and ended up in the net making the score 2-1.

A nightmare moment for a young keeper who has been superb all season. With almost the last kick of the game, Crediton should have equalised but after a fine cross on the left Marcus Howe headed wide with the goal, gaping.

So the final whistle went and the Brixham lads deservedly held the league champions cup aloft.

Okehampton finished the year in second place.

It is to be hoped that Ben and Jack do continue next season because it will be so difficult to find such a great management team as they have proven themselves all year.

Thanks again to all the lads and the committee and helpers without whom this would never have happened. Roll on next year. Come on Creddy.

Crediton team: Arthur, Whitfield, Knight, Lee, Johnson, Bilcock, Corrick, Stephens, Dorothy, Pike and Stapleton.

Substitutes: Bennett, Down, Howe and Goss.

Man of the Match: Adam Bilcock.

Paul Whittall