SWPL EAST Ivybridge Town 0 Bovey Tracey AFC 2

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Created on Thursday, 15 September 2022 10:00

Last Updated on Thursday, 15 September 2022 10:00

Published on Thursday, 15 September 2022 10:00

Written by GRAHAM HAMBLY at Erme Valley

TWO superbly taken goals enbled Bovey Tracey to inflict a first defeat of the season on South West Peninsula League Premier East leaders Ivybridge at Erme Valley last night.

It ended a run of eight successive wins at the start of the season by the Ivies, who finished last season with eight successive league victories, so Bovey's success ended a sequence of 16 consecutive league wins.

An indifferent first half performance saw Ivybridge trail to a 27^th minute goal when Bovey skipper Cliff Walters pushed forward on the right and launched the ball into the goalmouth where Neil Last scored with a perfectly directed header.

Ivybridge lifted their game for a 20-minute spell at the start of the second half and thought they had equalised when Josh Zimmerman had the final touch in a crowded goalmouth, but the match officials ruled that the ball did not cross the line before being scrambled away.

Bovey cashed in on that escape with Finn Roberts sealing victory in the 79^th minute after breaking down the left and scoring with a great shot from the narrowest of angles.

Ivybridge manager Darren Stewart was generous in his praise of the visitors, commenting: “Congratulations to Bovey Tracey. They inflicted our first league defeat of the season and our first league defeat after 16 games.”

Stewart also had a word of consolation for his own players, adding: “Congratulations to our lads for the way they have started the season. A defeat was always going to happen and we were not at our best tonight. Bovey Tracey worked very hard and we can’t argue with the result.”

Ivybridge struggled to find the necessary finishing touch with Stewart admitting: “We got into some good positions but our quality in the final third was not great and our balls into our front men and our patterns of play, which are usually very good, for some reason did not really click.

“I thought in the first half we were not really at it and we were happy to come in at half-time just 1-0 down. We said the second 45 is a long time in football and we felt Bovey’s energy would drop and we would get on top and show a bit more quality.

“For a 20-minute spell I thought we were good. What was lacking was that little bit of luck which did not drop for us in the box. We created a couple of opportunities where we did not hit the target and the closest we came to a goal was where some people said it was over the line. But the only opinion which counts is the officials and they ruled the ball has not gone over the line.”

Adding to Ivybridge’s misfortune was a 40th minute injury to midfielder Owen Raven, who went off with damage to his ankle. Stewart explained: “Owen has gone to hospital as a precaution. Hopefully, it is not too serious.”

Ivybridge will look to bounce back on Saturday at ninth placed Cullompton with Stewart saying: “When you come off a bad performance or a bad result people will judge you on the next result. If we bounce back with a win on Saturday then that gets us to 10 games with nine wins and if we do that again for the next third and do that for the final third then it is actually where we want to be.

“We have got to be better and maybe the unbeaten run was weighing a little bit heavy around some players’ necks. Now they have a point to prove on Saturday and we will be back to our normal aggressive self and hopefully get the three points.”

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