From the bottom of the pyramid:
11: Elmore Eagles
Leaders Elmore had a bad day
as they kicked off late away at the University of Exeter after both sides wore
green and when the game started the Eagles lost 5-3 to a Student side who
started the day in 13th place. The chasing pack all won to close the gap with
the title race looking as open as it has ever been this season.
10: Exmouth Town
Following their 0-0 draw at
home to Elburton Villa in midweek Exmouth Town had to come from behind to win
4-3 away at Camelford in a seven goal thriller at Trefrew Park with the
normally watertight Town defence breached by the Camels.
9: Buckland Athletic
Buckland travelled to Hengrove Athletic and finished the
match 4-0 winners thanks to two goals from Ryan Bush, one from Ethan Phillips
and one from Lloyd Gardner.
8: Barnstaple Town
Barnstaple continued a losing season by going down 3-1 at home
to Evesham United. The only goal for the home side was scored by Stephen Reed.
7: Tiverton Town
Tiverton battled to a 0-0 draw at home to Hendon. No more
information is available at this time.
6: Weston-super-Mare
Weston travelled to Welling United for today’s match and
lost the game 3-1. According to the Welling Twitter feed it was Tom Llewellyn
that scored the goal for the seagulls.
5: Eastleigh
Eastleigh travelled to Barrow and earned themselves a 3-0
win thanks to two goals from Paul McCallum and one from Ben Williamson. Information
from the Barrow Twitter feed.
4: Exeter City
A devastating last-minute
Northampton equaliser saw Exeter City held to a draw against the Cobblers at St
James Park.
City took the lead through captain Jake Taylor, who netted his
first of the season, before Billy Waters levelled for the away side.
Jayden Stockley then struck late in the first half to give City
a 2-1 lead, but City were pegged back once again on 90 minutes when a
Northampton corner seemed to come off a City player and end up in the back of
the net meaning the points were shared.
Grecians boss Matt Taylor made four changes to the side that was
eliminated from the FA Cup last week by Blackpool, with Christy Pym making his
return to the starting line-up, alongside Lee Holmes, while Aaron Martin and
Tristan Abrahams kept their places in the starting 11 from the midweek win over
Bristol Rovers in the Checkatrade Trophy.
It was City that edged a tight opening quarter of an hour, and
first came close when a corner routine saw Lee Holmes’ cross-turned-shot hit
the post. However, the Grecians were not to be denied a few moments later, as
skipper Taylor surged into space on the inside-right flank of the Northampton
penalty area and fired past David Cornell in the Cobblers’ goal with 16 minutes
on the clock.
A lively Tristan Abrahams threatened to double the home side’s
lead five minutes later, running onto Jayden Stockley’s header, but Cornell
closed the angle down well and made the save. It acted as a catalyst for the
visitors to grow into the game, and they were soon level through Waters – the
visitors broke at speed, and after a great block by Nicky Law from Sam Hoskins’
initial effort, the ball rebounded and fell kindly for Waters, who bundled over
from close range.
Only a superb save from Christy Pym prevented the visitors from
then taking the lead as a delicate ball was lofted into van Veen, and while his
header was powerful, it was straight enough for Pym to get down and make a
great reaction save, before Aaron Martin cleared the danger. As the game opened
up, there were more chances at both ends when Holmes’ effort from the left-hand
side of the penalty area arrowed narrowly wide of Cornell’s far post, before
Stockley fired agonisingly wide from just outside the area.
Stockley then made amends just before half-time after a spell of
prolonged pressure. Pierce Sweeney’s rasping effort was blocked spectacularly,
though City recycled possession, eventually finding Woodman on the other flank,
and his cross to the back post was met by Stockley, who headed back across the
goalkeeper and into the far corner.
The influential Nicky Law was again involved soon after the
restart, shooting from just outside the box with a deflected effort that looked
like it would loop over Cornell’s outstretched hand, but it somehow landed wide
and the visitors escaped again.
City were then required to defend a flurry of Northampton
corners, though threatened to break clear when Forte latched onto a clearance
before he was cynically taken down by Shay Facey. It was a period where
Northampton probed, but were unable to find a way through the resolute City
backline, and the Grecians always looked lively in possession.
The Grecians then had a golden chance to put the game to bed, as
substitute Chiedozie Ogbene broke down the right-wing and cut the ball back to
Stockley, but his effort flew wide from just inside the area with just under 20
minutes to go.
Chances were again coming at both ends – Hoskins fired wide from
inside the area with less than five minutes to go – but there was a cruel twist
late in the tale for City. A Northampton corner in the 90th minute was met by Andy Williams, and the header took a
cruel deflection off Jayden Stockley and nestled in the back of the City net.
It proved to be the last meaningful action in an eventful game that City will
be disappointed they couldn’t come away with more.
EXETER:
CITY: Pym; Sweeney, A Martin, O’Shea, Woodman; Holmes (Ogbene
77), Tillson, Taylor, Law; Abrahams (Forte 72), Stockley.
Subs not used: Hamon, Jay,
Oates, Croll, Collins.
Booked:
NORTHAMPTON
Town: Cornell, Buchanan, Odoffin (Taylor 45), Hoskins, van Veen
(A Williams 71), Powell, Pierre, McWilliams, Turnbull (Facey 45), Waters,
O’Toole.
Subs not used: Ward (GK),
Bridge, Roberts, J Williams.
Booked: Pierre, Facey
Attendance: 4,332 (329 away)
3: Southend United
Southend suffered a third
successive league defeat as a late Armand Gnanduillet header secured a 2-1 win
for Blackpool at Roots Hall.
Blues went close early on when Michael Kightly hit the inside of
the post after a mistake by goalkeeper Mark Howard before Oliver Turton put
Blackpool ahead, thumping in a low cross from Marc Bola inside quarter of an
hour.
Blackpool almost doubled their advantage early in the
second-half when Jay Spearing rattled the crossbar with a deflected effort
before the Tangerines captain went close again, curling the ball wide while
unmarked on the edge of the area.
Southend would capitalise on that missed opportunity by
levelling when Jason Demetriou stooped low to head in Timothee Dieng’s cross,
but Blues were undone again when Gnanduillet rose to head in Harry Pritchard’s
cross for the winner.
Minutes after Gnanduillet’s header, Blues were reduced to 10 men
as Michael Turner was shown a straight red card for an apparent stamp on a
Blackpool player as Southend were unable to prevent a third straight league
defeat.
Once again, Blackpool had proven how hard they were to get past
on the road – having only lost once away in the league prior to their trip to
Roots Hall – and Chris Powell must now pick his side up for Tuesday night’s
Emirates FA Cup replay at Crawley Town.
Going into this afternoon’s game, Southend had been lifted
somewhat by their midweek Checkatrade win over Southampton following three
games without a win and they were gifted a chance to take the lead after a
mix-up at the back by the visitors early on.
Goalkeeper Mark Howard’s attempted clearance hit a Blackpool
defender allowing Michael Kightly to nip in and, with the goalie off his line,
the winger’s lob had Howard well beaten only for the ball to come off the
inside of the post and away for a huge let off for the visitors.
Terry McPhillips’ side would take advantage of that good piece
of fortune and would make the breakthrough before the quarter-hour mark when
full-back Oliver Turton got on the end of a low ball into the box by Marc Bola,
powering the ball home from close range to put Blackpool in front.
Blues responded well to early set-back and Stephen Hendrie went
close with a low drive that went just wide of Howard's post before Harry Bunn
picked out Simon Cox in the area only for the striker’s glancing header to also
go wide.
Southend were dealt a blow when Dru Yearwood was forced off
injured after half an hour, being replaced by Shawn McCoulsky, but despite the
change of personnel and shape, Blues were unable to trouble Howard in the
Blackpool goal going into the half-time interval.
After a scrappy first-half which Blackpool had edged, the
visitors went within a whisker of doubling the lead early in the second-half
after Jay Spearing’s rasping effort from distance took a huge deflection before
rattling the underside of the crossbar.
The Blues were in desperate need of a lift and the noise around
Roots Hall rose when Kightly’s cross was only cleared as far as Hendrie. The
full-back chested the ball down before firing a half-volley towards goal which
needed tipping over the bar by Howard.
Southend continued to push forward and had a half shout for a
penalty waved away when Harry Bunn went down inside the area before Spearing
had the chance to quash Blues’ momentum by shooting just wide when unmarked on
the edge of the Southend box.
If Spearing had hit the target it would have been curtains for
Blues, but instead Chris Powell’s side immediately went up the other end and
grabbed an equaliser. Timothee Dieng’s looping cross found the run of Jason
Demetriou who stooped to head Southend level with 15 minutes to go.
Having worked so hard to get back level, Southend’s tendency to
concede late goals came back to haunt them once more when Armand Gnanduillet
nodded Blackpool back in front. The striker rose highest to get to Harry
Pritchard’s cross, beating Oxley from 12-yards out.
Minutes after going behind a second time, Southend’s task of
salvaging a point were all but ended when they were reduced to 10 men after
Michael Turner appeared to stamp on a Blackpool player, leaving the referee
with no choice but to show the centre-back a straight red card.
Blackpool comfortably held out for their fourth straight win in
all competitions, condemning Blues to a third straight defeat in the league
ahead of Tuesday night’s Emirates FA Cup replay away at Crawley Town.
Blues XI: Oxley, Turner, Kightly (McLaughlin 74’), Dieng, Cox,
Yearwood (McCoulsky 31’), Mantom (C), Moore, Demetriou, Bunn, Hendrie (Robinson
87’). Subs Not Used: Bishop, Bwomono, Hyam, McLaughlin, Kyprianou
Blackpool XI: Howard, Daniels, Heneghan, Delfouneso, Spearing
(C), Dodoo (Nottingham 70’), Tilt, Turton, Gnaduillet, Guy (Pritchard 60’),
Bola. Subs Not Used: Boney, Cullen, O’Sullivan, Taylor, Feeney
Referee: Nicholas Kinseley
Assistants: Marc Wilson & Richard Kendall
Fourth Official: Geoffrey Russell
Scorers:
Southend United: Jason Demetriou 74’
Blackpool: Oliver Turton 14’
Yellow Cards:
Southend United: None
Blackpool: None
Red Cards:
Southend United: Michael Turner 85’
Blackpool: None
Attendance: 6,882 (241 Away)
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