Unbeaten Saltash stand firm to move up to second place

SALTASH produced one of the results of the day on Saturday by beating Bovey Tracey at Mill Marsh Park with goals from skipper Alfie Wotton and striker Henry Donovan.

Wotton, who went on to earn the man of the match award, fired the Ashes ahead after 14 minutes from a free kick and Donovan notched his seventh goal in six games just before the break.

Saltash are only kept off the top of the table by Clevedon’s superior goal difference and their six-game unbeaten start to the league campaign is made all the more remarkable when you consider they have played five of them away.

This was their first clean sheet of the season – on goalkeeper Jordan Duffey’s 100th appearance for the club – and manager Lee Britchford handed out plenty of praise for his defenders.

He said: “Full credit goes to the whole team but I thought our back four and keeper were outstanding.

“We’ve talked a lot about defending set pieces as being a team effort rather than just the back four’s responsibility and on Saturday we did that.”

“A game is won in both boxes and yesterday we were better than them in both boxes and that’s what won us the games.

“We scored from a set piece, which was excellent, and then Donners took his goal brilliantly.”

Britchford revealed that he had to adjust the game plan early on, saying: “It became quickly evident that it wasn’t going to be effective in terms of the way the game was playing out.

“So we made a couple of tactical changes that helped us get a little bit higher up the pitch and the boys adjusted to it really well.

“We’ve played well at times this season and been too open, which has led to us conceding too many goals, but Saturday was a really solid performance.

“I don’t think it was our best performance with the ball but out of possession we defended our box really well.”

“We’ve still got a lot of growing and developing to do across the season.”

The Ashes have a clear midweek to prepare for the visit of Shepton Mallet to the Kimberley Stadium on Saturday (3pm).

Bovey Tracey: Andrew Collings, Charlie Stevens (Lewis Perring 76), Josh Searle, Owen Stockton, Harvey Coggins (Charlie Castlehouse 82), Cieran Bridger, Jadore Lawson (Zico Kendall), Josh Webber (Stuart Bowker 46), Olly Aplin, Louie Roberts (Alex Cherry 82), Rudd McKinnon.

Saltash: Jordan Duffey, Max Everall (Owen Davies 66), Alfie Wotton, Hayden Greening, Sam Joce, Charlie Elkington, Kieran O’Melia, Fin Wilkes (Harry Truscott 83), Henry Donovan (George Powell 89), Jack Jefford (Joe Preece 60), Freddie Tolcher.

Sub not used: Adam Peters.

Goals: Alfie Wotton (14), Henry Donovan (45+1).

Yellow card: Hayden Greening (67).

Attendance: 121.

Man of the Match: Alfie Wotton.