Match Preview: Tavistock AFC vs Didcot Town

Tavi return to Langsford Park to take on a young Didcot Town side, with the Lambs looking to keep up their fine League Form!!
By Luca Sperti

The Lambs were last in action on Tuesday, where they picked up a crucial victory away at Mousehole, with Talisman Liam Prynn stealing the show. Without Manager Stuart Henderson or first choice goalkeeper Aaron Dearing, the Lambs went into the game against the Seagulls as the underdogs. The Lambs started the game in the worst fashion possible after in the 1st minute the Devonshire outfit fell behind, after a Julio Fresneda Carrasco cross was flicked into the net by diminutive midfielder Tallan Mitchell. The striker was Mitchell’s first of the season and Lambs goalkeeper Jamie Dudley, couldn’t have imagine a worst start to his Lambs debut. The seagulls had another early chance after Torin Ntege slipped in Tim Nixon. The forward looked to lop Dudley, but his effort deflected off the keeper before eventually being cleared by Charlie Elkington. Despite the home side being on top for the first 15th minutes, the Lambs grew more and more into the encounter and equalised in the 30th minute. A through ball by Alex Battle, making his first start since returning from injury, looked for Lambs Number Nine Liam Prynn. The ball looked to be just over hit, with Mousehole goalkeeper Ollie Chenoweth looking destined to clear it. However, the Goalkeeper swung and completely missed the ball, with the ball going under his foot, and leaving Prynn with one of the easiest goals he will score. The strike was the attacker 11th of the season. The Lambs were on top for the rest of the first half and had chance through Elkington, Ruben Kane and Ed Harrison but Mousehole goalkeeper, despite his earlier mistake, made some important saves to prevent the Lambs going ahead at the break. However, the Lambs did eventually go ahead in the encounter. Tavi were awarded a penalty in the 56th minute, after Seagulls left-back Jorden Hackett was adjudged to have fouled Ben Steer in the area. Prynn stepped up for the Lambs from the spot and smashed a effort into the bottom left-corner, for his second of the day and 12th of the season. The goal was the match winner on the day, with the win being the Lambs second win in as many games in the League, after a 3-1 win over Shaftesbury on Wednesday.

Didcot Town were last in action on Saturday 26th October in the League, as they welcomed Exmouth Town to the Draycot Engineering Loop Meadow Stadium. The first chance of the encounter fell to the Red and White outfit, after a following a corner, the ball was curled into the top right-corner by Jenson Wright. Despite Frankie Phillips beaten in the Town goal, the Number 10’s effort smashed the crossbar before eventually being cleared by the Devonshire outfit. Not many chances occurred in the encounter until a minute before stoppage time in the second half, after Exmouth were awarded a penalty. Good hold up play by Tom Bath, saw the forward find Issac McCue who crossed to Callum Shipton, who get on the end of the ball before being tripped by Didcot keeper Leigh Bedwell. Bath stepped up from the spot, smashing his effort into the bottom left corner, sending Bedwell the other way. Four minutes into added time, Exmouth had a second, after a through ball by Bath was poked in by McCue under the body of Bedwell. The win was another away from home for the Blue and White outfit. The Railwaymen’s last victory came the Tuesday before the defeat against Exmouth, with Jamie Heapy side coming out 1-3 winners against Cinderford Town at the Causeway Ground. In the 11th minute in the encounter, the Diddy in their Green away strip took the lead after a James Glover cross was poked in at the far-post by Patrick Osbourne. The away side then added a second just a minute after the half an hour mark, after a Wright cross from distance was looped into the far-corner by Osbourne, for his second of the encounter. The striker was looped perfectly into the far-corner, with Joel Manning-Butler, having no chance in the Cinderford goal. The Black and White outfit pulled a goal back just one minute after the hour mark, after a long cross into the box was dropped by Bedwell in the Diddy net. Joe Keeping took his time, before smashing a shot into the net to reduce the scoreline in the encounter. However, only seven minutes later, Didcot reinstated their two-goal advantage after Wright, slipped in Josh Davis, who calmly rolled a effort into the corner. The victory was the Red and White outfits, first away win of the League season.

Following relegation from Step Three last season, Didcot currently sit in 11th position on their return to Step Four of Non-League. The Railwaymen, have won five, drew two and lost five of their 12 matches this season and currently sit on 17 points. After two wins in two, the Lambs have put breathing space between them and the bottom four, with the Stuart Henderson’s side now looking up to the playoff picture and sitting 14th . The Lambs currently sit on 15th points, after five wins six defeats after from their opening 11th games. The Lambs have one game in hand on Didcot and most sides around them, due to their involvement in the Fa Trophy in previous weeks. Didcot have scored the lowest number of goals in the top 13 in the League, with the closest side around them to score lest being the Lambs, who have scored 13 so far this term. A win for the Lambs in this encounter, would see them leapfrog Didcot and go up to as high as 8th position if other results go their way. Didcot could go into the playoffs if they pick up a victory on Saturday, however this does on depend on a handful of sides not winning on the Weekend.

The two sides have only faced each other once, with the match coming back in September of 2022 in the Fa Trophy. At Langsford Park, the only goal in the encounter game from the unlikely source of right-back Iestyn Harris. The right-back did brillaint in the first-half, after he was slipped in by Josh Grant. Harris took his time before smashing a shot into the roof of the net past Bedwell in the Diddy net. The goal was the only difference between the two sides, with the result being a very important won in another impressive Fa Trophy campaign for the Lambs.

Didcot Town Key Players:

Jenson Wright- A tall and creative attacking midfielder, Wright has had an excellent start to the 24/25 season with the Railwaymen, scoring three goals and getting five assists in just 12 games this season. The attacker started his career at Oxford City, where he made 8 appearances in the 19/20 season, scoring once in the Fa Cup against North Leigh in a 7-0 win for the Blue and White outfit. Wright’s debut for Oxford City was a full ninety-minute outing against Wealdstone in the National League South. Whilst contracted to Oxford City, Wright went on loan to Banbury United where the midfielder made three appearances against Nuneaton Borough, Peterborough Sports and Royston Town. Following a brief spell with Banbury, Wright returned to City for the 20/21 season where the tricky attacker made one appearance in the Fa Cup against Tamworth. Briefly after, Wright joined Thame United on loan where he appeared three times, without finding the net. The following season, Wright was let go by Oxford City, with the Number 10 joined North Leigh. In his first season at North Leigh, the midfielder made 15 appearances scoring twice, including strikes against Binfield and St Neots Town. The following season saw Wright score one in six at North Leigh, before Wright joined the Diddy in October of 2022. At Diddy, Wright played 32 times in his first season, scoring nine times, in step-four, including goals against Thame United, Waltham Abbey and a hattrick against FC Romania. Wright achieved promotion into the Southern Premier Division One South, the following season with Wright playing 18 times for a struggling Didcot side, scoring six goals. These goals included strikes against Tiverton, Harrow Borough and Beaconsfield Town. Wright early season form caught the attention of Hanwell Town, who sign the silky midfielder in November of 2023. During his time with Hanwell, Wright made 22 appearances scoring five times, including strikes against Hungerford, Harrow Borough and Gosport Borough. Despite a positive season in Step Three, Wright dropped back down to Step Four in the Summer to re-join Didcot, where he has been one of the first names on the team sheet. A silky and intelligent footballer, Wright will be one to look out for in this game.

Tavistock AFC Last Five Results:
Tuesday 29th October- Mousehole AFC 1-2 Tavistock AFC- Southern League
Saturday 26th October- Tavistock AFC 0-4 Winchester City- Fa Trophy
Saturday 19th October- Yate Town 2-0 Tavistock AFC- Southern League
Tuesday 15th October- Bishop’s Cleeve 3-0 Tavistock AFC- Southern League
Saturday 12th October- Tavistock AFC 2-0 Thatcham Town- Southern League

Didcot Town Last Five Results:
Tuesday 29th October- Didcot Town 1-3 Flackwell Heath- The Berks and Bucks Senior Cup
Saturday 26th October: Didcot Town 0-2 Exmouth Town- Southern League
Tuesday 22nd October- Cinderford Town 1-3 Didcot Town- Southern League
Saturday 19th October- Larkhall Athletic 2-3 Didcot Town- Southern League
Saturday 12th October- Didcot Town 0-1 Yate Town- Southern League

Ticket Prices:
Adults: £10
Concessions: £8
U16’S: £2
Cash or card can be used on the turnstiles, tea hut and “The Lambing Shed. Club Shop: We have a top of the range Club Shop, located near the Lambing Shed which features Hats, Scarves, pin badges, keyrings, and mugs. We also have a wide range of Programmes, some which are over 20 years old.