'Outstanding second half’ performances sees Tavistock AFC to victory

AN “outstanding second half performance” made the difference for Tavistock AFC in the eyes of manager Steve Tully as they returned home from a trip to Bovey Tracey AFC with all three points.

In a matchup of Moorlanders, the Lambs paid Bovey a visit at the Western Counties Roofing Ground on Tuesday, September 8, and came from behind to land a third win of their Western League campaign.

Tavistock boasted some really impressive movement and passages of play early on without really threatening Andy Collings in the Bovey goal.

A minor talking point saw skipper Shane White carded with Stuart Bowker rolling around having been stood on.

It was the set-piece opportunities that somewhat rattled the cage, as highlighted by Bovey boss Ben Gerring: “We switch off from dead balls, whether that’s a goal-kick down the middle or restarts from kick-offs, throw-ins and corners too, we are conceding at will.”

Tavistock’s best chance from one of these was cleared off the line by fullback Josh Searle and then at the other end, Bovey made a rare yet decisive foray within 18 yards of their opponent’s goal.

Josh Webber fired the ball into Bowker’s feet and the forward used his know-how to turn away from the marker and strike the hosts ahead, Oscar Noone getting a hand to it but only pushing it further into the side netting.

Perhaps the most intriguing battle of personnel in the opening 45 minutes saw a young duo, striker Deacon Thomson and defender Harvey Coggins, going toe-to-toe on numerous, physical occasions.

At the turnaround, Tully noted a sense of “disappointment” in the dressing room but they made sure to hit the ground running when returning to the field.

With supporters still returning to their positions and with a matter of seconds on the clock for the second-half, Gene Price’s effort deflected beyond Collins to restore parity.

Tavistock went close twice more with aerial balls keeping Bovey on their toes yet again, plus there was a heavy and late lunging tackle from Louie Roberts on Sam Gleeson that saw the former booked.

The Lambs continued to turn the screw and good work from Ryan Smith set Kian Burch on his way who strode through on goal before being felled by Collins in the area.

It wasn’t from this penalty that they edged ahead though as White ballooned his attempt way over the crossbar.

Instead, Tully made a decisive double change which saw the in-form Tom Chastey enter the fray alongside the reliable Jack Crago, taking the places of Tallan Burns and Burch.

Chastey was involved instantly, combining with Price in the buildup to a go-ahead goal from Smith. The scorer being a former Buckland Athletic player simply adds further fuel to the fire.

For Bovey, who made changes of their own, discipline has been a recurring issue and experienced head Lewis Perring earned himself a seat in the sin-bin due to something he said to the linesman.

Despite having the man advantage, Tavistock weren’t able to put the game to bed until the final moments, when the full complement was restored.

Their energy started to shine through against the tired legs of Bovey as the evening wore on and after a half-hearted penalty appeal for a handball by Crago, the fresh legs of Chastey were able to drive away on the counter and bury a decisive third goal for Tully and co.

A weighty push from Owen Stockton in the area meant that it was Tavistock’s turn to ask questions of the referee but he was unmoved once again and shortly after, the final whistle blew.

On that aforementioned energy, Tully said: “They’re a really good bunch, they work so hard for each other.

“They’re all in it together, there is a little bit of resilience about them and even if we go 1-0 down, they keep going.

“I’m delighted for the effort they’ve put in at the start of the season as we’ve had a difficult run of games.”

Whilst Tully labelled Bovey Tracey as “a hard team to play at home”, he insisted that “3-1 flatters them”, adding: “We had numerous chances and it could have been five or six.”

This victory sees Tavistock move up to eighth in the league but with three points separating fifth and 14th, and sides in that pack having played as few as five times and as many as 10, it’s not worth reading into the standings just yet.

Another inter-country trip awaits Tavistock this weekend as they pay Ivybridge Town a visit at Erme Valley on Saturday, September 12, in the FA Vase.

Looking ahead to that clash, Tully commented: “It’s another tough place to go, Ivybridge are really good at home. They’re a tough team to play against, they play in good areas and they’re scoring a lot of goals at the moment.

“We’ve got to be really at it defensively so we’ll come up with a plan, try to put it in place and look to get through to the next round.”

That meeting with the Ivies is one of four Devon derbies still to come in September as the Lambs also host Brixham AFC (Tuesday 15), they’re then away at Bideford AFC in the St Luke’s Challenge Cup (Wednesday 23) and finally, they travel to Buckland Athletic (Wednesday 30).