AXMINSTER TOWN 2 - CREDITON UNITED 4
IT’S a good job I checked the kick off time otherwise I would have arrived at half time for the South West Peninsula League East game between Axminster Town and Crediton United.
Axminster usually kick off at 3pm but a problem with the lights meant a 2.15pm start.
The star of the show here was centre forward Kenny Ord who scored all four goals in this comfortable, albeit scrappy victory at the home of Axminster Town.
The Tigers are really struggling at the moment and lie firmly rooted as the bottom side in the division so it was expected that Crediton may win this match.
However for long periods they hugged and puffed and had they been playing a better side this victory might not have been so comfortable.
It was good to have former captain Aidan Whitfield in defence as Willand did not have a game.
But, it was Kenny who stole the show and it was as early as the 10th minute that his clinical header from a cross on the right flew past the young Axminster goalie and into the top corner, 0-1.
Crediton flooded forward and Alex Bond went close before Sam Stapleton missed an absolute corker when put through with only the keeper standing between him and 0-2, and as the half progressed despite Crediton’s domination, they could not add to their tally.
Will Burwood should have scored having rounded the goalie but his effort also went wide.
It was not until the closing minute of the half that Kenny slid in at the right hand post to make it 0-2 which was a lead the Crediton deserved although they had made very hard work of it.
The second half began in the same fashion and soon it was Kenny who completed his hat trick on 50 minutes with another classic striker's goal. Sliding in at the far post after good work on the right, 0-3.
The pitch was now getting rather sticky making passing football a challenge but both teams battled on.
This did not deter the Tigers and on the hour a speculative effort flew into the top corner leaving us all bemused as this effort sailed into the top corner, 1-3.
Still Crediton continued to give the ball away and it became clear that the Tigers were starting to threaten an unlikely second.
It grew darker and darker and making out what was going on became more difficult as we strained our eyes in the bleakness that is January in East Devon.
Then, with a couple of minutes, left Kenny cleared the defenders and executed a sublime chip into the corner of the net to make the score 1-4 and that settled the issue.
Although Axminster added a consolation from a goalmouth scramble right at the end making the final score 2-4, it was Crediton who returned back to Mid Devon with the spoils on this occasion.
They now have a run of fixtures against the bottom sides so hopefully some more good performances will see them climb the table.
On a similar note I hope that Axminster manage to haul themselves off the bottom of the table and don’t end up relegated because this is such a well appointed ground and a pleasure to visit.
Also the match programme, free on entry is absolutely fantastic and brings back fond memories of when we used to do the same. Happy Days.
Crediton team: Chalk, Stephens, Knight, Warren, Pike, Whitfield, Burwood, Bond, Ord, White and Stapleton. Subs: Hale, Woodman and Tottel. Man of the Match: Kenny Ord.
Paul Whittall