With all the summer activities out of the way the new look Central team with their new kit kindly sponsored by City Sports were looking forward to welcoming West Hill to King George. It was really hot and the grass was nearly up to our knees (not quite but it was very long!) so it was going to be a difficult playing environment. Both teams were eager and West Hill had certainly improved since last time we played them and so the first 20 minutes or so was pretty even with few chances on either side. Central were first to break the deadlock however, with an excellent volley from just inside the box from our new re-signing Ben Burak, 'goal of the season so far' was the cry from the sidelines!! That was it for the first half.

Second half I bought on Esben and Ruben in defence and Kirky on the left wing replacing Joe Van Doorslaer who had had a solid game. This unsettled the team and a combination of long grass and defensive indecision led to West Hill's equaliser.

The match at this point could have gone either way, but up steps Jack Leach linking well with Ben B to power in two more goals by sheer grit and determination and before I could blink Ben B fires in another one to make it 4 - 1. Jack's power and presence made the difference up front and Rob 'the poacher' Kirk sneaked one in with his left foot off the post to make it 5 - 1. By then everyone started to wilt in the heat and the team lost it's shape, all credit to West Hill they kept battling to the end and Jack Martin in goal made some fine saves to keep the score at 5 - 1.

Ian Keenan, our new coach, has made two pages of notes on things we need to improve on before the next match - training on Thursday is going to be interesting!

Man of the match: Jack Leach for an awesome performance on a difficult pitch, well done Jack.

Above: Ben Burak (No. 10) about to volley home Central's fourth direct from a corner.
Below: Patrick Clark on the ball.

Above: Midfielders in control in the long grass.
Below: Jarod Bradley spots the camera and the result is inevitable.

Below: Action from the game.

Tim

The weather was hot again for this tough encounter with Brixington United. We knew we had to play good football, keep our shape and discipline if we were going to get close to Brixington. Whilst we held our own for the first twenty minutes or so Brixington took the lead with a fast flowing passing move followed quickly by a second. We were still playing good football and managed to get a goal back thanks to a good link between Jarod Bradley and Ben Burak but more Brixington pressure led to a third goal and we went in 3 - 1 down at half time.

Ross replaced Aiden on the wing who had had a solid game but then we lost our shape and discipline and Brixington took full advantage with power, speed and strength taking 3 good goals to make it 6 - 1. Joe came on for Aaron on the left with fresh legs and made a telling run to cross in for Jarod to slot in a consolation goal but Brixington put in another to make the final score 7 - 2.

We all were disappointed by our performance and all players know we can play better than that. Onwards and upwards!!!

Man of the match: Aaron Hunt for some impressive running and tackling well done Aaron.

Tim

In near perfect playing conditions and with an official referee these two teams played out an entertaining game. Broadclyst started the brighter and soon scored with a shot that bobbled past a couple of defenders and the goalie. Central began to get a foothold in the game and created some chances and the side netting rippled three times from close efforts (Jarod Bradley twice and Owen Carter) but in truth Broadclyst were winning all the loose balls in midfield and their well organised defence were catching our strikers frequently off-side. They added two more goals, one of them was an impressive long range effort. Goalie Scott Hosea produced a fantastic save from a point blank header and a couple more good saves to keep the score down. Just before half-time Central received a much needed boost as Patrick Clark raced clear to slide the ball past the advancing goalie – 1- 3 at half time.

The second half would prove different as Central started the brighter and the ball over the top of Broadclyst’s high defence created a series of chances – most of which were missed or saved (Jarod hit the side netting again). Finally a Patrick Clark effort was parried and Ben Burak followed up well to make it 2-3 and with the momentum seemingly Central’s an equaliser seemed likely. Unfortunately Broadclyst responded well and after a period of pressure a cross found a player unmarked on the far post to complete the scoring.

Central might have got something out of the game but they failed to compete for much of the first half and gave Broadclyst too much ball. Both goalies had impressive games as did the referee.

Man of the Match: Ed Hammond

Below: Action from the game.

Shaun

After finally managing to get to the pitch the Central boys were eager to get the match underway despite the soggy conditions and sloped pitch. They were full of confidence, with the formidable Jack Martin back to partner Sam Philpott in the centre of defence.

The game started brightly for Central and they began to ping the ball across the wet surface, looking assured in possession. Already Ed Hammond and Patrick Clark were beginning to get control in the middle of the park and it wasn’t long before Central had got their first from an unexpected source.

They won a throw in on the left hand side around level with the penalty area. Jack Leech renowned for his long throws took it and Ben Burak caused confusion with his presence between two defenders. Joe Harrison came speeding through from left back to meet the ball getting there just before the keeper, he gracefully brought it down on his chest and with the keeper stranded fired home his first goal of the season to set Central on their way. Two more goals followed before half time: a great solo run and shot from Joe Van Doorslaer and a right footed shot from Patrick Clark helping Central to go in at the break three goals up. It could have been a lot more with Ben Burak missing a glorious opportunity and other chances going wide.

At half-time managerial mastermind Tim Clotworthy made three changes bringing on Ruben Richardson for Joe Harrison, Owen Carter for Joe Van Doorslaer and Ross Clotworthy for Jack Leech. With Jack off it meant a reshuffle with Ross playing on the right wing and Aaron Hunt moving up front alongside Ben. Buckland and Milber were clearly demoralized by their situation and Central began to gain superiority all over the pitch. They started keeping the ball, passing and moving and playing in triangles, all things that they’d practised in training. The result was many more chances and luckily for Central enough of them went in. Ross Clotworthy with the best of the misses, when after being played through by Jack Martin he chipped the keeper only for the ball to bounce off the bar. Patrick Clark bagged a second with a stunning volley and Ben Burak scored a hat trick, three very good goals showing that he was back to his best. Aaron also scored, after being unlucky with two good chances, he finally put it in the net, thanks partly to a slight deflection.

8-0 was a good result, probably could have and should have scored more but this showed a significant improvement in Central’s performances. Everyone involved played well and we should to take a lot of positives from this team effort. A special mention to Luke Howlett who played a full 80 minutes today after coming back from a broken arm.

Man of the Match: Patrick Clark

Below: Aaron Hunt battling for the ball.


Above: Patrick Clark in a bit of space. Below: Luke Howlett & Ed Hammond start another attack.


Above: Ed Hammond attacking the ball. Below: Joe Van Doorslauer tussling away.


Above: Luke Howlett putting in a strong defensive display.

Joe H

This game was played on the seemingly standard long grass Exeter City pitch – it makes close passing all but impossible - and without an official referee once again. Central were expecting a tough game from Civil Service who are making steady improvements and appeared to have some new players on board.

Central made a dream start with Jarod Bradley finishing neatly after about two minutes. After that Civil pinned Central into their own half by dominating most of the midfield tussles. Scott Hosea in goal had to be tidy to intercept quite a few through balls. Central were restricted to moves on the break and after about 20 mins Ben Burak managed to finish off one and put Central 0-2 up. Coach Tim’s frantic pacing along the touchline suggested he was a bit worried and he was right as from a series of excellent corners Civil bundled two goals in to draw level and the defence was found a bit wanting. Just before half-time Jarod’s excellent touch and finish off the far post put Central a slightly fortunate 2-3 up.

Below: Jarod Bradley with the ball.


Above: Scott Hosea at full stretch. Below: Ed Hammond & Patrick Clark.

Coach Tim brought on the fresh legs of Ruben Richardson & Owen Carter for the second half and Ross Clotworthy soon replaced Aaron Hunt who had picked up a knock. Central scored a slightly contentious fourth as Jarod bundled in his hat-trick after Ben’s shot had been parried. Civil were unhappy with the goal standing and the game went through a physical stage and Civil developed a policy of trying to catch Central offside by holding a defensive line on the half way line. Central were caught o ffside many times but when they timed it right there followed four identical goals with players running through and lobbing the poor unfortunate onrushing goalie – Ben got his second, Jarod his fourth and fifth and Ross Clotworthy got Central’s eighth. Ross's goal involved beating the offside trap and his lob was precise. Civil finished off the scoring with an excellent run into the right side of the box and a thumping shot giving Scott no chance.

Below: Aaron Hunt challenging for the ball.


Above: Luke Howlett on the ball. Below: Ed Hammond tackling.

Central found this a bruising encounter but the team managed to battle hard and allowed their skill to win through in the end. Both Civil’s coach who reffed the first half and ours, who did the second half, found it difficult with plenty of back-chat that they could have done without in what was a hard game to ref in any case.

Below: Jarod bundles in his hat-trick goal.


Above: Patrick Clark on the ball. Below: Owen Carter passing the ball.

MOM: Jarod Bradley for his fiver.

Words: Shaun, Photos: Bob

By looking at previous results we knew Pinhoe Spartans were a much improved team this season and we were not wrong. Jack Martin pulled out of the squad ill prior to the match so Ed Hammond reluctantly filled in at centre back with Ben Burak dropping into midfield with Jarod and Jack Leech up front. The first twenty minutes was pretty even with some good link up play through the midfield with Paddy and Ben and Joe Harrison making some excellent runs from left back which led to a through ball to Jack Leech who hit a power drive from just inside the penalty box off the inside of the crossbar to give Central the lead. This seemed to fire Pinhoe into action and they then put our defence under allot of pressure with Ross slipping allowing their no. 14 to get into the box with a clinical finish to make it 1 - 1 at half time.

Below: Ed Hammond evading sliding tackle.


Above: Aaron Hunt challenging for the ball. Below: Ben Burak at pace.


Above: Ruben Richardson clearing from defence.

Second half Aaron came on for Owen and Joe for Ross and Ben B moved into attack, Ed into midfield and Jarod into defence. Aaron was very lively on the wing again making some excellent forward runs leading to a number of chances for Ben and Jack but we just couldn't finish, our attacking formation left us prone to the counter attack and Jarod and Joe Harrison had to cut off a number of Pinhoe attacks. This was on the whole a solid team performance but I felt on balance we should have made our chances count and 2 points were lost as a consequence.

Below: Ed Hammond tackling (again).


Above: Aaron Hunt high kicking. Below: Jarod Bradley heading.


Above: Ross Clotworthy challenging.

Man of the Match Joe Harrison for some impressive tackling and intelligent forward running.

Words:Tim, Photos: Bob

This was a great game to watch against two well matched teams. The team welcomed Cody Lewendon for his first game for Central and he slotted into a left midfield position with pace and strength and from the kick off seemed to raise the performance of the whole team, who were clearly up for this encounter.The first half was very tight with just a handful of chances and though Central hit the bar, Sidmouth were unlucky with a one on one with Scott Hosea in the Central goal when the ball went just wide of the post. No goals in the first half but we knew that goals were coming in the second!

Central had to replace Jack Martin in central defence with Jack Leech moving in from right back to centre back with Ross Clotworthy coming on in right back. The defence looked solid and the midfield partnership of Ed Hammond and Patrick Clark were beginning to link well but it was still a tense affair for the first ten minutes, although Jarod Bradley came close only prevented by the Sidmouth's keeper handling outside the box for a yellow card. However, the deadlock was finally broken by a great ball inside the full back from Patrick Clark to Aaron Hunt who narrowly squeezed the ball in the net from a tight angle. This goal opened the game up as Sidmouth had to push forward and Ben Burak and Jarod Bradley took full advantage of the extra space they were allowed and with 2 clinical finishes opened up a three goal cushion. Sidmouth then forced a goal in to keep the game interesting and Scott was forced into a desperate block with his legs to keep Sidmouth at bay. Central put a gloss on the score line with a late long range effort on the volley from Ben Burak and a power header from Jack Leech storming up from defence being the icing on the cake. Though the final score line was harsh on Sidmouth, this was probably the best team performance from Central this season.

Man of the match Aaron Hunt for persistency that broke the deadlock

Tim and Shaun!

Central were away this week against Westexe at Cowick Barton Fields. When we arrived I couldn't believe how narrow the pitch was, the corner flag was only a few metres from the box! It was a blusterly day so I knew we had to keep the ball down and play to feet. Westexe have many tall players who made Sam look like an umpa lumpa, so again a passing game was essential for us to do well. Jack Leech and Ben Burak were both carrying knocks but with Ed and Jarod not available and Ruben and Jack Martin rested their contribution was crucial.

Below: Aaron Hunt heading on.


Above: Ben Burak hooking the ball on. Below: Jack Leech taking them on before his injury.


Above: Cody Lewendon with Owen Carter behind.

We started off brightly with a new midfield combination of Patrick Clark and Cody Lewendon both very competent on the ball and they soon began to dominate midfield, however the final ball into the strikers was proving difficult as Westexe defended deep in numbers stifling a lot of the attacks. The deadlock was finally broken by Paddy with his pace latching onto a great through ball with a side foot finish giving the Westexe keeper no chance. Next goal came soon after taken well by Joe Harrison running from defence finishing with his right boot through the keepers hands for 2 - 0. Jack Leech couldn't continue and Aaron went up front with Owen slotting into a right wing role. Just before half time Cody chased down the ball in a crowded penalty area, as Westexe failed to clear their lines, to be punished by Paddy, coolly slotting it into the back of the net passed a shell shocked keeper.Three nil at half time.

Below: Joe Harrison getting first to the ball.


Above: Goalmouth melee. Below: Sam Philpott giving it some air


Above: Another goalmouth melee.

Joe Van Doorslaer was replaced by Aiden Murphy and with the wind with us I thought the goals would be coming thick and fast. Unfortunately, for some reason the team lost it's shape and focus and although they controlled the game, the shots were either off target or tame and the game became a bit like a firework without gunpowder, flat as a pancake, dead as a dodo not pleasant to watch! Cody battled hard in midfield and Sam made a good run from defence and Ben and Aaron missed a few golden opportunities, thankfully Paddy was at hand having weaved passed a few defenders he calmly and precisely finished the game off with a right footed shot into the bottom corner. All in all a solid performance with a clean sheet and a handful of goals against an enthusiastic opposition. Special mention to Central old boy, Johnny Barrell in goal for West Exe, who frustrated Central on many occasions.

Below: Luke Howlett in defence


Above: Joe Van Doorslauer.

Joint men of the match were Cody Lewendon and Patrick Clark, Cody for his strength and control of the midfield and Paddy for his hat trick well done lads

Tim

After a delayed start because of the frosty pitch Central soon wished the game had been postponed totally. The game started evenly enough with Ben Burak’s overhead kick going close but West Hill started to dominate in midfield and after about 20 mins they scored at the far post with an unmarked player ghosting in and then repeated the feat 5 mins later with an identical goal. West Hill were unlucky in one attack when they rattled the bar twice. Just before half time Jack Martin’s sliding tackle beat goalie Scott Hosea at the near post with both players contesting the privilege of the own goal. 3-0 down at half time but with the prospect of playing down hill second half there was still hope.

Unfortunately West Hill scored again with a one on one on Scott and a perfect finish inside the post and Central began to think that it wasn’t going to be their day. Patrick Clark briefly gave us hope with an individual goal but West Hill scored with a direct free kick in the top corner. Cody Lewendon then scored his debut goal for Central with a cool finish and Jack Martin netted to cancel out his own goal but West Hill had scored two more as well to make the final score a disappointing 7-3. Central at least matched West Hill by hitting the woodwork twice themselves.

This was a very poor performance and the worst for several seasons. We probably underestimated West Hill, who played well, but our lack of ability to fight for the ball and pass it was shocking and apart from Scott in goal no one played well and there was no team ethic evident.

Shaun

My goodness, the highs and lows of football management, last week was one of the poorest performances I've seen from the team for a number of seasons and boy was I a difficult person to live with afterwards and yet this match was one of the best team performances for years, how does that work? I've spent too many hours analysing the whys and wherefores maybe I should relax and take a chill pill!(Yeah, that's likely - Editor)

Below: Central Press Forward.


Above: Aaron first to the ball. Below: Ben Burak shoots but Dan Phillips saves this one.


Above: Midfielders push forward.

Ok, so we narrowly lost 3 -2 to a team who are probably one of the top three teams in the league but we made them look ordinary. I think the West Hill match was a wake up call for us we came out a different team for this match! Even the Heavitree manager said we didn't deserve to lose the match, on the day we were overcome by a touch of brilliance from Ali Omari.

Below: Ross Clotworthy challenging.


Above: Central attack again . Below: High ball for the midfield.


Above: Ben Burak takes on the defence .

Anyway back to the game! We chose to go 4 -5 -1 with Ben Burak as a lone striker, Ed, Cody and Paddy in the middle of midfield with Joe Van Doorslaer and Aaron Hunt on the wings. Joe Harrison was back to strengthen the defence in left back and Ross, the zombie, who didn't get to sleep till 5.30am as he had Luke H to sleep over was dragged into right back with Sam and Jack Martin as centre backs. First 20 minutes or so was pretty even although Scott made a couple of saves, Cody and Paddy were linking well in midfield laid the ball to Ben who took it past two defenders to score past the sprawling keeper. Umm that wasn't on the script. This seemed to waken Heavitree who piled on the pressure but Ed dropped back into the back 4 to stifle their attacks and just on half time Scott dived at the feet of their attacker and picked up what appeared to be a serious injury to his knee. Second half Scott was replaced by Aaron and Owen came on on the right. Heavitree within a few minutes had pulled one back with a weaving run by Ali and a goalmoath scramble. Umm, I thought oh well, we've had our moment of glory but Paddy and Cody had a different idea, again chasing down every ball and linking well with Owen and Joe (replaced by Kirky half way through the half), long ball over the top for Ben to hit an unstoppable volley 2 - 1, umm ok so where's the catch? Unfortunately although we defended like trojans Heavitree replied to equalise (Ali again) and in the last ten minutes Ali again used his pace to get through the defence to slot the ball home for 3-2 to Heavitree.

Below: Joe Harrison first to the ball.


Above: Owen Carter giving chase . Below: Starting another attack.


Above: Sam Philpott forces the attacker to hurdle him .

What pleased me was the commitment of all players right to the end, I'm proud of them all.

Below: Heavitree shot that didn't trouble Aaron in goal.


Above: Sam Philpott wins the header . Below: Ross beaten by Ali.


Above: Jack Martin about to clear the ball .

Man of the Match Scott Hosea for his heriocs and bravery in goal and for a clean sheet!

Words:Tim, Photos: Bob

The team welcomed Ben Grayson back for his first competitive match of the season against a much improved Buckland and Milber side. On a very cold day, I decided to try a 5 man midfield with 3 in the back and Jack Leech and Ben Burak upfront. Also the aim was to give Aiden Murphy and Luke Howlett a full match.

Below: Scramble in the Buckland goalmouth.


Above: Ben Burak turning with the ball . Below: Jack Leech on goal.


Above: Ed Hammond tackling .

Whilst we piled on the pressure early on the Buckland defence held and their keeper made a number of excellent saves to keep the first 15 minutes at nil-nil, the deadlock finally broken by Cody running in from the left to finish with the outside of his boot across the keeper into the corner of the goal. Next Ben Burak hit an unstoppable volley from a good pass from Jack Leech 2 - 0 at half time. Ed felt we should go back to our more familiar 4-4-2 so Ben Grayson dropped into the back four, Aaron replaced Cody on the left wing and Joe Harrison and Sam Philpott came on in defence. We certainly looked more comfortable at the back and with Joe's organisational skills the back 4 kept a solid line throughout the half.

Below: Jack Leech, Cody Lewenden and Ben Burak prepare to attack the ball .


Above: Aiden Murphy on the wing. Below: Ben Grayson playing the ball out of defence.


Above: Cody shooting .

Finally Leechy got his breakthrough and powered the ball in from close range 3 - 0. All credit to Buckland their heads didn't drop and they battled on, earning a corner which unfortunately Ben Grayson headed into his own net 3-1. This gave Buckland a real boost and they began to play some really good passing football through midfield and put us under a lot of pressure but as they pushed forward Paddy started one of his runs from the half way line passing half a dozen players to hit his shot against the post. Then we won a corner and Buckland failed to clear their lines only to be punished by a fine header from close range by Cody to make the final score 4 - 1.

Below: Ruben Richardson preparing a header.


Above: Patrick Clark in midfield . Below: Aaron Hunt on the ball.


Above: Ed shooting .

Man of the Match was Aiden Murphy who looked very comfortable on the ball and made some excellent passes to open up the Buckland defence.

Words:Tim, Photos: Bob

A lot of rain the night before made the pitch heavy but playable and Central started off the stronger team with a great pass from Paddy in the first ten minutes to Ben who finished superbly to make the score 1- 0. Civil levelled soon after and went 2-1 up with an own goal from Joe off the post and then just before half time Civil went 3-1 up from a poorly defended corner. Second half I reffed and early on Paddy weaved through several players and was clearly taken out by the last defender for a penalty which Ed calmly put away.

Civil scored another and then Jack Leech tapped in Paddy's cross but they scored again to make the final score 5-3 to Civil. What was really needed was a proper ref and it annoys me that a ref turned up at our pitch lookingfor the Under 13s and then went off to ref their match, surely the Under 15s and Under 16s should get priority, it doesn't make sense to me.

Man of the Match - Cody for managing to keep focussed on the football.

Words: Tim

Many matches were postponed this weekend because of the weather but we were lucky enough to play and doubly lucky to have a referee. I decided to play 5 in midfield with Ben Burak upfront on his own and Jack Leech in a centre back role with Jack Martin. Aaron Hunt, Ed Hammond and Patrick Clark took up centre midfield positions and with Ross Clotworthy and Owen Carter on the wings we pretty much had our strongest team available. The first fifteen minutes was pretty even with play being predominantly in midfield. Ben looked sharp upfront and the deadlock was broken by Ben setting up Patrick for a shot which the goalie did well to deflect onto the bar - Ross Clotworthy reacted well to head the rebound onto the post and as the ball rolled along the goal line, Ross reacted well again to force the ball in just inside the far post - as no one celebrated he assumed the goal was disallowed and trotted back to his position looking bemused! 1-0 up at half time.

Below: Ed clearing the ball.


Above: Ben goes flying as goalie gets to the ball first. Below: Aaron throws the ball in.


Above: Goalmouth scramble .

Second half started with Ben Burak latching onto an Owen Carter ball over the top and finishing well with his left foot into the top corner. After that it was much the same as the first half - the defence looked solid and in command and Central dominating midfield. The third goal again from Ben latching onto a Jack Leech long ball and the 4th, again by Ben, with a rare header for a well deserved hat trick which came as Luke Abraham from Pinhoe narrowly missed a goal line clearance. Sam and Luke came on for Aaron (who played an excellent game bearing in mind he was recovering from the flu!) and Ruben. Fair play to Pinhoe who kept battling to the final whistle and in the last quarter of the game put us under a lot of pressure but we managed to keep a clean sheet which pleased Scotty in goal.

Below: Goalmouth scramble.


Above: Jack Leech freekick. Below: Ben chasing the ball.


Above: Scott clears long.

All in all a much improved team performance. Man of the match: Jack Leech for a dominating display in defence.

Words: Tim & Shaun, Photos: Shaun

Central welcomed Billy Mathews and Ty Fisher to the team and I knew we would have to play at the top of our game to beat Colyton. The pitch was hard in some areas because of the frost but playable and we opted for a 4-5-1 formation with Ben upfront and Ed, Ty and Paddy in the centre of midfield and Aaron and Cody on the wings. We went for an experienced back four of Jack Leech, Sam, Ross and Joe Harrison. Central started off the brighter of the 2 teams completely dominating the first 20 minutes or so with wave after wave of attack, I counted at least 10 shots on goal but they either went straight at the keeper or narrowly wide and then Colyton scored with their first shot from a poor goal kick straight to their attacker who shot straight away and scored. Our dominance finally paid off when Ty crept in behind the left back to finish confidently and then soon after Ty got a chance again and took the ball well off his chest from a Ben Burak pass 2-1. Sloppy defending allowed Colyton to deflect in an equaliser off the unfortunate Scotty 2-2 at half time.

Billy came on for Ross in right back but Colyton came out the more determined team and again sloppy play in the back 4 failing to clear the ball allowed the Colyton striker to put Colyton 3-2 up. Central were looking tired at this stage but Ben weaved his magic and slotted the ball in the corner of the goal to make it 3-3. Unfortunately a rash challenge in the penalty box gave Colyton a penalty that they put away for 4-3. Scotty picked up a groin strain and Aaron deputised in goal and Ross came on on the right wing with Jack Martin replacing Sam in the centre. We went 4-4-2 with Jack Leech pushing up with Ben and had at least 3 breaks where he could have scored but didn't, thankfully Ty was at hand to finish well for the equaliser a few minutes before the final whistle to finish at 4 - 4. We had the most chances but failed to finish and defensively we made too many mistakes, so a lesson learned I think!

Man of the match: Ty for a debut hat trick, well done.

Words: Tim

With both sides without a league game both teams took the opportunity to hold a friendly and give everyone in both squads a run out. The first half was a tight affair highlighted by a typical Ben Burak run through from 40 yards and competent finish. There were several half chances for both teams but the defences were mainly in control.

The second half saw more changes of personnel than a Sven England friendly and West Hill equalised as goalie Ross Clotworthy was unlucky to see his clearance blocked and fall kindly to the West Hill striker. Central began to dominate but all their efforts were either straight at the goalie or wide. Eventually Owen Carter picked up a loose ball from a corner and found a gap through the packed defence to score. Central had time to score two more goals – one from Cody Lewenden from outside the area that went just under the bar and one from Ty Fisher.

All in all a good work out against good opponents. Man of the match: Ruben Richardson for a dominating and confident display at right back.

Words: Shaun

Even with a full strength team we knew that this was going to be a difficult match but with 7 players away or injured including Ben B and Ed we knew this was going to be an uphill struggle. At least we had a ref this time which helps my blood pressure! We decided on a 4-5-1 formation with Jack Leech up front and Jack Martin slotting in front of the defence with Ty and Paddy centre midfield. The first 20 minutes or so we were the better side with a disallowed Jack Leech goal the only difference, however, with the strong wind behind them Brixington opened the scoring and quickly after got another one with sloppy defending but if we could have gone in half time at this score, I would have been happy. Unfortunately again not being able to clear the ball allowed the strong Brixington forwards too much possession and we were punished twice to go in 4 - 0 down at half time.

Action from the game

Now we had the wind behind us and this helped us push forward with Joe Harrison now on the left wing he took the opportunity to sneak a goal in for 4 -1, then 2 minutes later Ty was unmarked at the back post with a clinical volley 4-2 game on I thought! Unfortunately, Cody nudged a Brixington forward in the penalty box and the ref awarded a penalty (not that I criticise ref's as I think they do a great job but I thought this was a little harsh and not even the Brixington players thought it was a penalty!) but anyway Scotty almost saved it to his left but it rolled in for 5-2. We then never really recovered and Brixington took full advantage and scored twice 7-2 and we tried to stem the tide but it was all one way traffic really however, on a free kick, Sam Philpott came up from defence and headed well for 7-3 just before the final whistle.

All in all we played good football and battled hard but never really took the game to Brixington and our lack of pace in the back was our downfall. Man of the match Cody Lewendon for a disciplined display and some wicked throw ins!

Words: Tim

Central started this game in a hurry with Cody Lewendon finishing neatly after a one on one with the West Exe goalie and Patrick Clark nutmegging the goalie after 10 minutes. Central look set for a big win but a combination of a bumpy pitch, inspired goal keeping and spirited West Exe defending frustrated Central. The West Exe goalie produced stunning saves pushing Jack Leech’s long shot onto the bar and reaching Ross Clotworthy’s shot that was heading for the top corner. Full back Joe Harrison also had three chances to add to last week’s effort but failed to convert any of them. West Exe were restricted to just a few half chances but were unlucky with an effort that just missed Scott Hosea’s far post. 2-0 at half time.

The second half started in the same vein but West Exe had packed the midfield and were more of a threat on the break. Sam Philpott and Luke Howlett replaced Jack Martin and Ruben Richardson. Central were struggling to threaten the West Exe goal but an excellent saves from a shot by Aiden Murphy and a dramatic double save from Cody kept West Exe in the game. With Central pressing for a third goal one too many defenders were out of position and were punished with a good West Exe finish and the result was in the balance for about 20 minutes. Central were still pressing and finally managed to put a good move together when Owen Carter and Patrick Clark combined well to set up Ty Fisher who took two left foot touches to find room and a right foot shot to finish. Central held out the last five minutes easily enough.

A frustrating game for Central but a good result nonetheless. Man of the Match: Jack Leech who played the first half in defence and then switched to attack as Central searched for the winning third.

Words: Shaun

With both sides having a weekend free of league action, we organised a friendly which gave Central a chance to experiment with players in different positions. Tim, showing great faith and foresight, put an eager Ross in goal, giving Scotty a chance to play outfield. We switched back to 4-4-2 after a few weeks playing 4-5-1 with Jack Leech taking his place upfront alongside Ben Burak and Ed reluctantly dropping back into defence. Unfortunately the conditions were not good with everyone soaked through within minutes, however Central were trying to make the best of it with Paddy and Ty controlling the midfield and the defence looking solid. Central got the first goal when Ben ran at the Pinhoe defence from the right and let fly, his shot was saved well by the Pinhoe keeper but he pounced on the rebound to put it into an empty net, 1-0! Full of confidence we started creating more chances but couldn't convert any of them and against the run of play Pinhoe grabbed an equaliser: A goalkick fell right at the feet of a Pinhoe player who played a neat one-two before crossing for the striker to finish. Central managed to get their heads back up and grabbed a second when Jack found some space on the left and smashed it from 25 yards over the keeper. He seemed to have his scoring boots on today. We bought on Scotty for a rare excursion outfield replacing Paddy in midfield which was the catalyst for the third goal just before half time when neat work by the Joes down the left resulted in Ty finding some space in the box and finishing. He always seems to have his scoring boots on, 3-1 at half time.

Central rang the changes in the second half with Aaron coming on the left wing, Ed moving into midfield and Cody and Joe H the new centre back partnership. We knew that, as usual this season, we should have killed the game with the chances we had first half however, we came out even stronger in the second half and this time produced 4 more goals; two more for Jack to give him a hat trick, one for Ty, and one for Paddy. Pinhoe continued to have chances with Ross actually making some good saves. Then came the moment of drama, Tim (reffing) gave a penalty to Pinhoe and Ross' moment of glory came saving it well, even if he didn't have to move very much! Scotty then came on for Cody and Ben for Joe V and we lost all sense of shape as everyone attacked leaving the defence coping admirably with a couple of 3 on 6s. However, fair play to Pinhoe who never gave up and were rewarded with a second goal from a rebound after another save from Ross.

A good result in bad conditions better than staying in playing the X Box! Man of the Match; Ross Clotworthy for some goal mouth heroics which we probably won't hear the last of for several months!

Words: Joe H

Sidmouth play on the senior Sidmouth Town pitch which is a very well looked after pitch which on the day was in extremely good condition, however there was very strong cross wind that made playing conditions tricky. Sidmouth kicked off as I was getting my stopwatch out of my bag and I looked up and the ball was in the back of the net - I timed it at 26 seconds! 1-0 Sidmouth. Central restarted and Ty slotted a through ball to Ben Burak who calmly lobbed the keeper 1 -1 within the first minute!! 2 minutes later Sidmouth failed to clear the ball and Ben as sharp as ever, pounced with a telling shot 2-1 with Ed Hammond in back up position. Less than 2 minutes later Ben the poacher muscled his way onto the ball with the inevitable finish 3 - 1. Central were clearly up for this encounter and even Cody after a night out on the tiles was quicker to the ball and stronger than normal, stifling many of Sidmouth's attacks. Jack Leech and Sam Philpott were solid and in control of the defence.

Action from the game

The game quietened down after the explosive start and Sidmouth still looked dangerous on the counter attack and Scotty made some excellent saves to keep the score at 3-1 at half time. Ross Clotworthy replaced Owen Carter (who had picked up a knock) slotting into an unfamiliar left wing position. I knew that whoever got the next goal would be the winning team and half way through the half Ben pounced again from a great cross from Patrick Clark 4-1 and good set up play by Ross. Sidmouth battled on but Paddy was awesome in midfield and time after time weaved his familiar path through the midfield but unfortunately never got the reward of a goal that his runs deserved. Just before the end Sidmouth were rewarded with a goal from some good late pressure to make the final score 4-2.

Joint Man of the Match: Scott Hosea for some excellent saves and Patrick Clark for a top class midfield performance. Special Managers mention to Ben Burak for battling through the game with an ankle injury and still managing 4 goals - he's a hero!

Words: Tim, Photos: Shaun

After some initial chaos where Broadclyst found out they had no pitch and we moved the game back to KGV the game started only 20 minutes or so late. There was a strong wind at the start and the weather deteriorated steadily as the game progressed. Central welcomed back Ben Grayson to the midfield.

Action from the game - photos don't do justice to rain

Central started with the wind and after an even opening period Patrick Clark crossed from near the bye line for Ben Burak to tap in. 5 mins later Patrick doubled the lead with a fine goal. 10 mins before half time Broadclyst hit a high ball into the wind in front of Scott Hosea’s goal and the Broadclyst striker managed to nod in from close range. Central managed to regain their two goal cushion just before the break with Ben Burak’s second goal. 1-3 to Central at half time but would that be enough against the league leaders and the strong wind.

More action from the game - photos don't do justice to the wind

Central extended their lead further at the beginning of the second half – Aaron Hunt finding himself in the box and producing a composed finish. Things went further Central’s way as a Broadclyst player was red carded but maybe Central got a little over confident and certainly Broadclyst didn’t give up. Broadclyst scored three goals to level up the match – one was a brilliant free kick from miles out and one was due to a defensive lapse. Central had had chances to score more goals but the Broadclyst goalie had a good game especially with a good save to deny Ben Burak his hat trick. Central did score their fifth goal with two minutes left after the goalie deflected the ball wide to sub Ross Clotworthy who hit the ball from long range into the empty net – a good finish considering the strength of the cross wind. Unfortunately Broadclyst managed another attack and Central failed to clear the ball and it was eventually bundled in to make the final score 5-5.

More action from the game - photos don't do justice to the cold

Ben Burak was Man of the Match for Central and special mention to Broadclyst’s coach Geoff Gale who refereed this tricky game firmly and fairly. Despite spectators and players being soaked to the skin this was a great game and a credit to both sets of players.

Words: Shaun, Photos: Bob

Whilst Central were happy to play in the sun (after last week) and in very picturesque Colyton, the bumpy pitch with long grass would make Central’s natural passing game very difficult. Colyton had apparently struggled to get a team together but they had eleven players on the pitch some of whom would prove to be very good.

Action from the game

Central lasted about 5 mins longer than they had against Sidmouth before conceding their first goal. All Colyton goals were similar in that they were scored on the break with good interplay in midfield and clinical finishing giving Scott in goal no chance. Central on the other hand probably had more efforts on goal but they were either saved or off target. Ben Burak was the first to miss when his miss-hit shot was just about smothered by the goalie. Ben has been carrying a couple of injuries for a few weeks and these hampered his performance but his shot that was flicked over the bar by the goalie showed he was still dangerous. Colyton scored their second after about 20 minutes but then Ben was unlucky when his chip thudded off the bar. Patrick Clark then went on one of his trademark runs into the box and managed a neat finish into the corner. Unfortunately Colyton scored a third after a tremendous break from a Central corner but there was still time for Pat to get his second - blasting the ball under the bar from an acute angle. 3-2 at half-time.

More action from the game

The second half was a frustrating affair – loads of pressure but not many efforts on goal. Ben Burak took a rest as he was struggling but returned just before the end as we desperately searched for the third goal. Colyton continued to break well and scored twice more - the last one was unfortunate for Scott as he pulled off a brilliant parry from the original shot but Colyton just bundled the rebound in. Sam Philpott was pushed forward to support the attack and was unlucky with a couple of half chances. Cody went close with another effort and the Colyton goalie just deflected a Ben Burak shot wide.

More action from the game

A disappointing end to the season and although Colyton deserved their win the final score line was a little bit flattering to them. Caretaker coach Paul awarded joint men of the match to Patrick Clark & Ruben Richardson. All in all, an excellent season and things look promising for a good run next year.

Words: Shaun, Photos: Bob

Central Under 15s reached the semi final of the Twyford Spartons Youth Football Tournament. The team performed well through the group stage finishing runner up in the group but lost in the semi final to a strong Stoke Hill side who won the competition last year. Pictured is the team with two new signings Aaron Saunders and Charlie Caddy, Tim would like to welcome them to the squad and is pleased that they fitted in well with the rest of the team for this competition

The Squad for the Day

Words: Tim