Devon and Exeter six

South Zeal United 6

Newton St Cyres 1

SOUTH Zeal played their final game of the season on Saturday in glorious sunshine which brought out a large crowd.

Having lost their previous five straight fixtures Zeal looked to end the season on a high with victory against fifth placed Newton St Cyres and leapfrog them in the table. Zeal looked sharp from the kickoff and played neat passing football which they had been lacking for the last five games.

James Williams commanded his defensive line of Spencer Stallion, Adam Woolnough and Tom Boother right from the off. Both Williams and Boother were regularly key to starting Zeal’s attacking opportunities linking well with Adam Clark and Harley Cann up top for the home side.

With just ten minutes played Zeal made the break through, Samuel Jones threaded the ball through the defence to Harley Cann, who laid the ball back to Clark; Clark beat his man before sliding the ball past the keeper for 1-0.

This seemingly opened the flood gates and Zeal began to score on almost every attack. The best move of the game led to Harley Cann’s first of the match. A neat one two between Boother and Clark set Boother bursting down the left flank, his ball across goal was met by Cann for 2-0.

Luke Jefferies and Matt Dennis’ battling in midfield allowed for Samuel Jones to burst clear through on goal; his composure gave Zeal their third as he found the back of the net with a superb finish.

Man of the match James Williams found himself with time and space to pick out Harley Cann with a perfectly weighted pass; Cann then beat the Newton left back before firing a ball across goal giving Adam Clark an easy tap in for his second.

In what proved to be one of only a few attacks for Newton a mistake at the back from Zeal allowed the forward to break through and beat goalkeeper Ben Davey. Davey looked at home between the sticks and was forced to make a few good saves to stop any real comeback from Newton. Just before the half time break Zeal’s Ollie Jefferies, on the left wing, linked up well with Matt Dennis, A ball over the Newton defence was met by Harley Cann, whose pace saw him make it to the ball before the out rushing keeper and he lifted it high with a volley that just snuck in under the bar for 5-1 at the break.

In the second half South Zeal still continued to control the game; the introduction of Redd Cann, George Jeffery, and Garry Smith gave the home side the fresh legs to see the game out.

The final goal came ten minutes from time when Redd Cann’s lovely floated ball over the away side’s back line was put in by Adam Clark who completed his hat trick and gave coach Garry Smith the perfect result to end his time as Zeal coach and see the team finish in a healthy fifth place in the league.

The team and supporters thanked Garry Smith and his wife Tracey for all their hard work, time, and effort that they have put into running the team and keeping football going at Zeal over the last few years.