SDFL premier division

This season has brought a new management team for the Greens, with the local pairing of Edd Roberts and Mark Stockwell-Weeks taking the reins at the club.

After a summer of some hard pre-season training and tough pre-season fixtures the players and management were eagerly awaiting for the season to start.

The first opponents could not have been any tougher. In Edd Roberts’ opinion, Dartmouth are the league favourites. So with the atmosphere of the floodlights, Loddis­well travelled to Dart­mouth to begin their campaign.

The match could not have got off to a worse start, as after only six seconds with a defensive error Dartmouth were through on goal and managed to put themselves ahead.

Without letting their heads drop Loddiswell kicked off again.

Continuously in the first half Loddiswell were put under im­mense pressure. The defensive four of Ben Tapper, Adam Tapper, Matt Duffy and Shaun Rowe were all having to play at 200 per cent to keep Dartmouth at bay. With Simon Tapper in goal it was possible.

The Loddiswell ‘keeper managed to keep Dartmouth out with some outstanding saves which had the Dartmouth attack puzzled as to how they were to going to beat him again.

The second half proved to be similar to the first. The running and battling in the midfield from Kieron Trent, Alex Watts and manager Edd Roberts was an outstanding effort as they kept attacking Dartmouth’s middle three.

As the second half moved on both wing­ers, Rob Tapper and Lee Hammett, started to find a lot more space and were able to start feeding lone man Troy Carruth­ers up front, who also worked tirelessly to put pressure on the de­fence.

With half chances creeping in for both Lee Hammett and Troy Carruthers, Loddiswell fancied themselves to steal a point and get some reward for all their hard work.

Though it was not to be and the referee blew his whistle for the last time. Though a loss, both Mark and Edd were overwhelmed by the effort and workrate of every player.

The man-of-the-match award went to Simon Tapper, who pulled off countless outstanding saves and even left ex-Loddiswell player Dan Hardy saying it was the ‘best goalkeeping performance in local football ever’.

Judging from the spectators’ reactions at the game, it appears he wasn’t the ony one who thought that.