WESTERN FOOTBALL LEAGUE

BUCKLAND ATHLETIC 3 SALTASH UNITED 1

THREE first-half goals earned Buckland Athletic another Western Football League win on Saturday, August 31.

Saltash United were the visitors at Homers’ Heath and they were dominated by Dan Hart’s side all over the pitch in truth.

Ryan Richards opened the scoring for Buckland with what was probably the first chance of the game. When the ball fell to him, he fired low and hard at Jordan Duffey’s near post with the Saltash goalkeeper unable to get down in time.

It was the home team who had a lot of the possession early on but it should have been 1-1, only Adam Seedhouse-Evans had other ideas. A great ball was sent across the box and the Buckland shot-stopper sharply denied Tom Huyton’s effort on goal with an outstretched leg.

That was the only clear-cut chance for Saltash in the first 45 with their attacking line regularly being bullied by the Buckland backline.

Injuries for both sides disrupted the flow of the game as goal scorer Richards was forced off, as were Tyler Yendle and Ed Goodman for United.

Buckland’s talisman Jared Lewington doubled the advantage, rising highest and heading down into the ground from an easily avoidable corner.

Not long before half-time, two became three courtesy of James Rowe. Rowe was sent on by Hart in the place of Richards and the number 14 didn’t hang about in making his impact, his wonder strike being tipped by the Saltash keeper only further into the top corner.

With the game edging away from Saltash, Mackenzie Brown needed to deliver a rousing team talk to his troops at the break.

It was the home side that began on the front foot though, Ryan Bush bearing down on goal and seeing his chip over the oncoming goalkeeper bouncing the wrong side of the post.

That being said, the fourth goal of the game came at the other end. A superb delivery from Kieran O’Melia caused panic amongst the Buckland defenders and Deacon Thomson dispatched for Saltash, just moments after entering the fray as a sub.

In their search for a second, tempers flared and the referee presented a yellow card apiece. The fixture needed livening up in truth with this adding a bit of bite to every challenge.

Rowe came close once again and Buckland had an effort cleared off of the line whilst Saltash’s much better showing in the second 45 came too late in the day, 3-1 was how it ended, making it five wins on the spin for Hart and co in all competitions.

Talking of Hart and he said that “Today was a really polished first 45 minutes, putting the game out of sight really, but I am slightly disappointed with the fact that we couldn’t continue the momentum and obviously conceded.”

The Buckland boss labelled Saltash as “A good side full of young players” and stated that it is now “on to Street, which will be another difficult test.”