South West Peninsula League Division East
CREDITON UNITED 3
TOTNES AND
DARTINGTON 2
CREDITON secured their first win of the season against Totnes and Dartington last Saturday (August 29), with a battling performance that had the crowd on the very edge until referee Keith Mann’s whistle blew at the end.
It was no more than they deserved and showed their class at times in this game.
When the first half was only six minutes old Kenny Ord clinically found the net after a flowing passing move found him unmarked in the area.
Things got even better for the home side when Simon Durrant scored from a direct free kick on the right-hand side of the box after young Ben Pike had been brought down by a defender who was lucky not to be booked for his untidy intervention.
Still Nathan Keast had some fine saves to make and the Totnes attack was repelled.
Crediton also had their chances. Dave Lee had a fine shot saved by the visiting ‘keeper and Kirton were beginning to create some flowing passing moves.
The heart of midfield was working well with the new pairing of Dave Lee and Michael Broome looking confident and with the new signing Simon Durrant pushed slightly further up, this gives new options for the team.
If Kenny Ord’s finishing had been better the home side would have been out of sight by the end of the half but that is football.
Totnes suddenly were let back into it as some half-hearted defending allowed a cross from the left to be tapped in by Myles Chalcraft on 34 minutes.
Just as the home side looked to be in control the lead was down to one goal.
The second half proved no less exciting than the first with Crediton searching for that third goal which could take them out of sight.
On 58 minutes the goal they were searching for arrived.
Substitute Daryl Pidgeon, on for Kenny Ord, controlled the ball and crossed for Richard Blake who sent a left foot volley into the corner of the
Totnes net making the score 3-1.
Still, Totnes tried their hardest and Keast was busy in the Crediton goal.
At one stage Matt Trenaman cleared off the line as he had done twice at least during the defeat at Alphington.
Ten minutes to go and Badham came on for Ben Pike and disaster struck as the away team scored a virtually identical goal to their first with a speculative cross from the right headed back across goal and
Charlie Johnansen made no mistake from round about the penalty spot.
Crediton were now on the back foot but succeeded in keeping out the Tots and Josh Badham had a good shot saved with a minute or two left.
The whistle went after four minutes of injury time had been played and
Crediton had their first win, just.
PW