SWPL premier division
Torpoint Athletic 2,
Ivybridge Town 0
Town face a trip to division one west side Millbrook in the Walter C Parsons Cup this weekend, looking to bounce back from a midweek loss to Torpoint writes Tim Leigh.
Millbrook have endured a difficult start to the season, having picked up just three points from 12 games to sit second from bottom in the table.
The fact that they have conceded 46 goals in those 12 games makes this an excellent opportunity for the Bridgers to vent some frustration after their 2-0 defeat away at Torpoint on Tuesday night.
Millbrook’s only points, however, were picked up last weekend, when they four past bottom club Vospers Oak Villa away from home.
Following tomorrow’s game, which kicks off at 2.30pm, Town return to league action with a trip to Witheridge on Tuesday night.
A win against the Cornishmen midweek would have seen Ivybridge overtake Godolphin Atlantic and snatch third place in the table, but as it is they remain in fourth spot.
Ivybridge Town general manager Brian Howard was disappointed with the defeat and felt his side merited a point on the balance of play, but was not too surprised given how few players they have had available of late.
He said: ‘I thought we deserved a draw with our performance second half, but we only had the bare 11 for the game, including two youngsters.
We’ve done well to get the results we have done given our numbers, but that should improve after this weekend hopefully.
Overall I’m pleased with how the first two months of the season have gone.’
Ivybridge weren’t great in the first half, going down a goal, but improved in the second period.
Striker Steve Sutton had a chance to level matters from the spot but missed out, and Torpoint made certain of matters with a late second goal.
Last weekend, Ivybridge enjoyed better fortune, mainly thanks to the efforts of Lee Doel, who scored a second-half hat-trick. Things were all square at the break as Ivybridge again started slowly, but they were a side transformed in the second half.
It took just five minutes after the break for Doel to give the Bridgers a two-goal lead, but Rangers refused to lie down.
They fought back to level matters, but that man Doel capped an outstanding effort by rifling home the winner and pick up his hat-trick.
Ivybridge Town’s postponed St Luke’s Challenge Cup fixture against Stoke Gabriel has now been rearranged for Tuesday, November 10, with the winner earning a quarter-final place away to Buckland Athletic.