'Inconsistent’ Newton Abbot Spurs flatter to deceive

NEWTON Abbot Spurs were unable to build on their FA Vase victory over Sticker AFC when they hosted Cullompton Rangers in the league on Saturday, September 19.

For Spurs, “the problem this season has been consistency” in the eyes of manager Matt Hayden and that proved to be the case once more at The Rec.

They made a familiarly bright start in front of their own supporters, controlling the ball and fashioning half chances from crosses and set-pieces.

The visitors responded with some pressure of their own but it was a similar story with little more than speculative opportunities.

In truth, it was a game of abrasive and attritional football, both sides failing to retain possession for notable periods of time.

As Cully looked to turn the screw, Jimmy Weeks was out quickly to deny both Callum Chivers and Dave Lee from opening the scoring before the latter then rolled another effort wide of the far post.

Their increased intensity did eventually provide the breakthrough, Cullompton’s forward remaining calm and beating Weeks in a one-on-one situation.

Will Davies was the next to trouble Weeks’ goal with the Spurs shot-stopper keeping his team in it.

With just one goal in it at the break, there was plenty of reason for Spurs to still believe only for Weeks to go from hero to zero.

In what his manager described as a “complete freak mistake”, Weeks threw the ball at Chivers who almost couldn’t believe his luck. The Rangers man accepted the gift and doubled the lead by burying it under the ‘keeper.

Spurs’ defence were then at sixes and sevens with constant miscommunications at the back as they clung onto their life in the game.

At the other end, they looked to get going again and Tom Burt was a few shoe sizes away from reaching Saul Vanes’ inviting cross with the latter ballooning a shot over shortly after.

Hayden was short-handed on the day in terms of personnel and in the absence of a few key players, the bench was dominated by members of Spurs’ U18s team, who were sent on to change the game.

Substitute Rob Heaps couldn’t steer the ball on target when a Burt cross was tipped into his path by Jack McAndrew.

The final chance of note came when Josh Coles had all the space in the world at the back post but Weeks remained big and saved well.

After the game had ended, there was quite a contrast in emotions with Cullompton singing for all to hear from their changing room whilst Hayden kept his players on the pitch to unpick where it all went wrong.

He peeled back the curtain as to what was discussed: “I just said if you’re going to turn up to football then you’ve got to have the hunger and desire to win football games.

“You can’t just turn up and go through the motions because you’re letting me down, Sam down, Rich down and also the club, then mostly they’re letting themselves down.

“Everybody should have been at football to want to win games, that’s what we love about football is winning matches.

“Today it just seemed like that wasn’t on their agenda. I know they haven’t done it intentionally, obviously, but to win football games you need to have that added edge so I’ve said to them they need to go away and look at themselves and pick themselves up, quickly, ahead of Tuesday.”

As alluded to there, they have a quick turnaround with Holsworthy AFC coming to town on September 22 for the St Luke’s Challenge Cup.

Meanwhile, on that shocking second goal, Hayden said: “Jimmy has saved a lot this year, he’s kept the score down to a minimum, he’s kept us in games and he’s helped us win games so that one mistake doesn’t define the player or the season he’s had.

“It doesn’t define the result either as ultimately, everyone else in front of him was far from good enough.”

He added that he “felt let down by the boys” and that he was “very gutted to lose in the manner we did,” highlighting the “inconsistent” nature of the group.

They will regroup for the Holsworthy clash before concluding the month against Middlezoy Rovers (Saturday 26).