Category: Matchday

Match Preview
Didcot Town v Willand Rovers

It’s the first of three in a 7 day period where Willand get back on the road and first out of the trio is the furthest with David Steele’s men making the journey over to Oxfordshire to take on Didcot Town in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO.

With a busy schedule coming up, reinforcements have been brought in to help the schedule as James Watts-Barciela arrives from Plymouth Parkway on a month’s loan to help add some attacking flair to the side by the Exeter El Matador!

Last week at the races it was Tavistock who made the journey up to Silver Street and with that came a battle for bragging rights. Rovers would put the first foot right before halftime with a Jamie Richards swoop from a corner to roll past Dearing. However, the hosts gained momentum throughout the second half with Mortimore’s near on half time equaliser and in the final 10, Plymouth Argyle loanee Harley Sneap nestled a thunderous strike into the top right corner for the lambs to take all three on the day.

Moving back onto the game in hand it is now the reverse fixture with The Railwaymen as it will be our first-ever visit to Loop Meadow. Jamie Heapy’s men came down from the Southern Premier League last season and have found themselves not with the front runners but still are a competitive side within the league with hopes to get back to where they were.

Their last game was on Tuesday night with Bishops Cleeve going cross country for a 1-0 win on the evening. One to watch for Didcot would have to be Jenson Wright who has proven a handful for any backline in this league with 7 goals and 7 assists to his name if goals need creating, he is at the hub of the operations.

The Fun Bus is in operation this weekend with the coach leaving from half 10 from Silver Street and the fare being £15, be part of Rovers history when we make the journey to OX11! Contact Mike Hawkins or our socials to book your place.

#WeAreRovers

Willand vs. Tavistock

Latin is the linguistic equivalent of that vintage record you never knew you needed—a relic from a bygone era that still manages to add a sophisticated spin to modern tunes. Despite its ancient origins, Latin continues to pepper our everyday language, offering succinct phrases like et cetera, vice versa, and ad hoc that have withstood the test of time. These expressions provide a kind of verbal efficiency that newer, trendier words sometimes struggle to deliver.

Yet, if you ask why the younger generation seems to bypass Latin as a foundational element of their vocabulary, the answer is as layered as a well-crafted pun. For starters, the educational spotlight has shifted dramatically. Where once the study of Latin was a rite of passage in classical education, today’s curriculum is dominated by technology, coding, and an ever-expanding digital lexicon. Instead of spending hours parsing ancient texts and conjugating verbs, students are now busy mastering the art of emoji communication and crafting the perfect tweet. Consequently, Latin has become the unsung guest at the modern language party—present but rarely acknowledged.

Moreover, the pace of modern communication hardly leaves room for the measured elegance of Latin. In a world where brevity is king and every character counts, the elaborate structure of Latin feels like an overqualified candidate in a market that demands rapid-fire clarity. The nuance and precision of Latin expressions, once celebrated for their intellectual heft, now risk being overshadowed by the immediacy of digital shorthand. It’s as if Latin is the quietly brilliant friend whose elaborate metaphors go unnoticed amidst the rapid-fire banter of social media.

There’s also a cultural component at play. Today’s language is a living, breathing organism, constantly evolving through memes, slang, and creative wordplay. The impersonal detachment of a language that hasn’t evolved in two millennia can seem, well, a bit too formal for the modern conversationalist. The idea of invoking carpe diem or caveat emptor might strike some as unnecessarily grandiose in an era when most people are content with the efficiency of saying, “Seize the day!” or “Buyer beware!” in plain, modern English.

Despite these shifts, Latin’s legacy is far from extinct. Its influence is woven into the very fabric of our vocabulary, quietly underpinning countless terms in fields as diverse as law, medicine, and academia. Even if the younger generation doesn’t start their language journey with Latin, they still benefit from its distilled clarity and intellectual rigor—often without even realising it. In a sense, Latin serves as a hidden component in our linguistic formula, a timeless spice that infuses our words with a touch of classical sophistication.

So while Latin may not be the first stop on the journey of modern communication, its enduring charm remains evident. It stands as a testament to the power of language to evolve while still holding on to the elegance of its past—a quietly witty reminder that sometimes, the best words are those that have gracefully aged over time.

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David Steele welcomed new signing Brandon Bak to the Willand squad, and the Weston loanee made his debut in the starting eleven, which also saw a return for Harvey Dorothy.

With both Willand and opponents Tavistock having at least one eye on the bottom of the table, it was a familiar story in unfamiliar conditions as Willand kicked off in unseasonably warm conditions against a team that included Dearing and Mortimore, two names synonymous with Willand’s league triumph in 2019, alongside alumni Jack Winsor and Harvey Sneap.

The familiarity continued to frame the game as both teams seemed content to trade cautious passes rather than create any genuine chances, the flow of the game not being helped by a number of necessary interludes featring trainers from both sides.

The game came to life in the 25th minute, as only a scrambling clearance off the line by Burton, prevented the visitors taking the lead when a  Mortimore cross was met by a looping Harrison header.

Tavistock were again denied by the Willand Number One on the 40th minute, clawing away a Prynn header that seemed destined for the top corner.

As the half closed, it was Willand who took the lead; a well-delivered corner from Allen swung into a crowded penalty area and was met by Jamie Richards, who flicked the ball past Dearing.

Familiarity reared its expected head within minutes, though, Prynn chopping his shot onto the bar, before Mortimore fired the rebound past Burton for his first goal for his new team to send the tema into half-time level.

Half Time – Willand 1 – Tavistock 1

Familiar with familiarity?

While the home team remained competitive in the first half, it was Tavistock that controlled the second period, and the visitors came out fast, nearly taking the lead within the first few minutes, as the Willand defence was momentarily caught off guard by a simple ball played over the top. Burton again came to the rescue of his defence as he pushed a dangerous shot around the post.

Tavistock remained in control as the half continued, but it was Willand who conjured up an excellent chance in the 78th minute; good work from Rooke saw the ball land at the feet of Hewitt, whose looping shot hit the top of the bar before the rebound was smashed high and wide by Camillo.

Naturally enough it was left to a familiar face to seal the game for the visitors as former Willand player Sneap scored the winning goal, and with some aplomb. As theTavistock substitute stepped onto a loose ball he unleashed a stunning strike that hit the back of the net before the Willand keeper could react.

David Steele eluded after the game that there are no easy answers to turning the season around but, once again, I feel that we can turn to Latin for some direction.

Audaces fortuna iuvat

Vincit qui se vincit

Full Time – Willand 1 – Tavistock 2

Magic Numbers for 22.2.25 were 11, 15, 18 & 19. There was no winner, so next week’s jackpot will be £400.

 

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Match Preview
Willand Rovers v Tavistock

Weather permitting, there is a Devon Derby to be played out this weekend as the Lambs make their way to the Stan Robinson Stadium in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm KO!

Last weekend it was the weather who beat us as our game against Shaftesbury had to be chalked off with the pitch not feeling too well. But this has not stopped the momentum as preparations have been continuing as the fixture list shrinks down with the race towards the end of the season continuing.

On the squad news side of things, the club are delighted to announce the loan signing of creative striker Brandon Bak who joins Rovers until the final whistle, Bak is a rising talent and will be an asset to have for the final push. We thank Scott Bartlett and Rogers for their assistance with the loan!

Onto the game at hand, Stuart Henderson’s Lambs make the journey through the county this weekend and are ramping up for another county clash with the lower temperatures finally making it’s departure, the heat still remains on the pitch with the title of Devon Pride on the line.

Last weekend for Tavistock was a home clash with Mousehole which despite the conditions across the South West being less desirable than wanted, a game was still on down at Langsford Park with it being a point a piece for both sides with the tie ending goalless.

One to look out for in the Red and Black (potentially blue and white) would be Jack Winsor who came through the ranks at Torquay United as a youngster with lots of potential and even had a spell at Silver Street before heading to North Devon to join Bideford for 18 months. Only recently has he joined the Lambs but has taken like a duck to water in recent performances.

Earlier on in the season it was just the one goal which separated Rovers and Tavistock with Harvey Dorothy firing past Dearing ensuring that Steele’s men found three points on the road on a bitter afternoon in West Devon.

Though not a traditional Devon Derby like Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City or Bideford v Barnstaple, any in county fixture is a chance to get one over another but at the same time to share a common goal of pride and spirit for the non league game in our part of the world. Join us this weekend for another massive game at the Street, come on Rovers!

#WeAreRovers

*MATCH PREVIEW*

Willand Rovers v Shaftesbury

All eyes turn to the fixture list this Saturday as Rovers continue battling through the shortest month of the year it’s the turn of Dorset side Shaftesbury who makes the journey to Silver Street this weekend ahead of another clash in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 3 pm kick-off at the Stan Robinson.

Our first fixture of the week saw David Steele’s men travel up the motorway to Cribbs in which several returning players made it onto the team sheet for this game. The hosts took the lead early on through a goal from Calney, then two before the half-hour mark through Bonnick. Rovers made sure not to let the hosts run too far away with it as Kempster pulled it back to half the deficit going into the break.

Second half and the hosts did get that third but the story does not end there with Kempster finding a response early within the second half. Harvey Dorothy helped secure a point on the road on a bitter night in Brizzle just under 20 minutes from time which was the final action of the half and 3-3 it stayed.

Onto this game now and it is the Rockies (not the Rookies, sorry Fin) who make the journey down to Mid Devon on Saturday, Pat McManus and his lads have progressed on through the season with it being their debut campaign at this level. They’ve had a midweek off after having Exmouth come to them on Saturday but it was the hosts who managed to find three points on the afternoon.

One to look out for Shaftesbury would have to be Brett Pitman. For those who aren’t familiar with Brett, he has a fantastic CV of footballing experience with his career starting at AFC Bournemouth before making a move to Bristol City where he spent three years at the gate. Other clubs he has plied his trade at include Ipswich Town, Portsmouth, Swindon Town, Bristol Rovers and the most prestigious of all… AFC Portchester where he scored a lot of goals in the 9th tier.

We visited Cockrams during October in which for around 90 minutes it was 0-0, however, it would be the one to look out for which put it in the back of the net to secure three points for the hosts on the night after a heavy battle.

With Valentine’s Day out of the way, hopefully you’ve bought your partner a ticket to this fixture to show your appreciation or if you don’t have a relationship, treat yourself to a game of football and the joy of another exciting Willand Rovers game, see you Saturday.

#WeAreRovers

Match Preview
Cribbs FC v Willand Rovers

A very quick turnaround for Rovers up ahead as tomorrow night we travel up the M5 for our rescheduled fixture with Cribbs in the Pitching In Southern Football League Division One South with a 7:45 pm KO at the Lawns.

The last time out for Willand was just shy of 72 hours ago with the long journey over to Bashley where 5 goals were struck on the afternoon but the pendulum swung the host’s way with a 3-2 win for the Stags. Bailey Kempster’s contributions from the penalty spot made up the goals for Rovers with the late stages the pressure being piled on to find that golden third.

Onto the game at hand, on a night of cup football in the county, Rovers escape all of that to focus on the important fixture ahead of them with another vital three points up for grabs. Cribbs have been in the Division for 2 seasons now with their first season being under current Taunton Town boss Richard Luffman and now Ryan Crouch has taken the reigns at The Lawns and will be keen to build on from the previous success.

One to watch for Cribbs would have to be Mal Nicholls who is currently on loan from Chippenham Town at the moment. The Welsh 21-year-old defender came through the ranks of the Swansea City academy before he departed for Newport County. He’s also turned out for the likes of Chippenham, Basingstoke and Larkhall. A promising defender, Nicholls will certainly be tough to get past on the evening and will be one to look out for in the future.

The hosts’ last matchup against Rovers was on a sunny, September afternoon at Silver Street with Willand running out 4-0 winners and most notably a goal of the season contender from River Allen with him soaring the ball from the halfway line and past the keeper securing all three for the All-Whites on the day.

Our final away game of the month, plenty to fight and play for. The magic of the Southern League strikes again, Time to step it up again on a cold Bristolian Tuesday night.

#WeAreRovers