MATCH REPORT

DEVON & EXETER LEAGUE SENIOR ONE

SATURDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2007

BROADCLYST  (1)  1

v

BUDLEIGH SALTERTON  (0) 3

Budleigh made it six win's in a row and move seven point's clear at the top of the table after ending Broadclyst's eight match unbeaten run. Thing's did not go as planned though, after Budleigh started brightly playing slick passing football Broadclyst took the lead on the half hour mark. Scott Thornhill was proving a real hand full down the left wing, and could have drawn Budleigh level a few times but for some excellent work by the host's keeper. So it stayed 1 – 0 against us until half time.

Budleigh, playing down the slope in the second half, flew out of the blocks and produced another special half of football. First Scott Thornhill scored with five minutes gone, only to watch in disbelief as the linesman put his flag up for offside despite a defender slicing a clearance to him. This just made Budleigh play even better and it was Simon Rose who got the equaliser with a sweet volley from ten yards out. Then Thornhill thought he put Budleigh in front when he prodded home from a corner only for the flag to go up again, and even the home manager could not understand why the goal was not given. But at last Thornhill got the goal he deserved on the hour mark with a close range finish. Then with twenty minutes remaining Thornhill's pace got him clear and his deflected shot was flying into the net. Some would say it was an own goal, but I think Thornhill should claim it as his second. Now Budleigh were camped in the home side’s box and Craig Higham nearly made it four only to blaze over from two yards out, a real contender for miss of the season. In the end the fitness and quality of the young robin's side told.

Next week they are away for the ninth time out of eleven this season at Elmore. Star man Scott Thornhill.

SQUAD:
POND, BRADSHAW, PALLETT, OWEN, C HIGHAM, THORNHILL, NIELD, EVANS, HOWARTH, ROSE, RICKARD

SUBS: R HIGHAM, LANE, (Played), FREER, SIDNEY

Report by Alex Freer