28.08.2007 Bideford v Willand Rovers

Match: Bideford v Willand Rovers

Result: 3-0 Home win

Date: Tuesday 28th August 2007.

Competition: Toolstation Western League Premier

Venue: Sports Ground, Bideford

Weather: cool

Conditions: good

Crowd: 176

Ground Appearance: Very good

Referee: K. M. Knowles, Falmouth

Willand came back to earth with a bump last Tuesday night as they suffered their first league defeat of the season at the hands of the mighty Bideford. The usual delays at the Sports Ground raised their heads again as apart from a twenty minute delay in the kick off due to an injury with the lines person, the floodlights failed at the start of the second period, meaning the second 45 minutes commenced at around 9.35ish. This is the THIRD season in succession that the so called "pride of North Devons" lights have failed when Willand have turned up, and although this had no bearing on the result whatsoever, surly this is unacceptable at step 5 in the pyramid system.
The home side started lively with the impressive Marc Bettis blazing wide with just 2 minutes gone and Matt Downing stinging the hands of Willand goalkeeper, Nathan Whatley just a minutes later. Willands first sniff at goal came on 7 minutes when a David Hambly free kick was headed wide by Danny Jee. Downing again showed his menace with a surging run into the Rovers box, firing a shot hard and low across the face of goal and put out for a corner by the outstretched hand of Whatley on 11 minutes. The visitors best chance of the game came on the quarter hour mark when Simon Hill played a peach of a ball through, splitting the home defense wide open and leaving James Ansell with a clear route on goal. After storming into the box a bad touch with only the goalkeeper to beat, allowed Kenny Griffiths the easiest of saves when he should have been collecting the ball from the back of his own net. It came as no surprise when the home side took the lead on 21 minutes, a well worked move down the left saw the ball squared across the Willand penalty area to the feet of Glenn Duff, his shot from the edge of the box taking a deflection before sailing past Whatley for a deserved opener. Whatley was again in action before the break, this time making a good stop from a rasping shot by Nick Barker. The visitors could have drawn level just before the interval as Ansell set up Paul Pocock at the far post, but his effort was put wide in one of the rare adventures into the Bideford half. Willand started the second half when it did eventually get under way slightly better, Danny Baily having a good drive well held by Griffiths. The home side then slotted into top gear and proceeded to stretch Willand and look like scoring with every forward movement, and they increased their lead with a great goal by Bettis on 58 minutes, tapping in from close range after some great football had ripped the Rovers apart. Bettis got his second of the game with twenty minutes to go, again after the visitors were caught napping, sliding the ball under the advancing Whatley. A further delay in play was brought about thanks to a good hard tackle from Simon Hill on Bidefords Matt Downing, that left Hills name in the book and Downing being substituted through injury with 16 minutes remaining. Try as they might the home side could not add to their goal tally, Clay Bond forcing another good save from Whatley on 80 minutes, and with just minutes left on the clock Bettis should have completed his hat trick but could only watch his lob drift wide of the upright. This is not the Willand we have seen for the start of this season, and followers of the Rovers will hope this minor blip in their league campaign ends here.

Willand: Whatley, McAuley, Ansell, Hambly(Beech 80), Hill, Steele, Jee, Norrish(c), Everett, Baily(Williams 75), Pocock(Burwood 75)
Booked: McAuley 57, Hill 74

Bideford: Griffiths, Moseley, Barker(Hare 44), Pook, Hawkings, Stocco, Bond, Duff(Jee 52), Bettis, Downing(Gough 74), Laight(c)


Star Man: Matt Downing (Bideford)