28 | May | 2026 | Hopping across The Pond

South Devon League

Premier Division

Thursday28th May 2026

Kick Off 18.30 Actual 18.41

Plymouth True Blues 1 Lakeside Athletic 5, attendance 154

15’ 0-1

44’ 1-1

53’ 1-2

68’ 1-3

72’ 1-4

90’ + 1, 1-5

@ Millbay Park

Prospect Place

Millbay

Plymouth

PL1 3BQ

No Admission or Programme.

I never did a game here at Millbay Park during the days when Devon & Cornwall Police played here in the South Western League, up until leaving the league at the end of the 1994/95 season. As well as hosting Plymouth True Blues games, it’s also home to Division 2 club Drake. It’s a decent venue for this level, with the pitch fully railed off and there’s a pair of dugouts on the entrance side of the ground, with grass banking on this side, running round behind the left hand goal end, where wooden planks are set into the ground, giving stepped viewing areas. The changing room building is in the far left hand corner, where toilets were available, but no other facilities. The only downside here, at least if you arrive by car, is the lack of a car park and street parking has an enforced charge of £2.80 per hour, caused no doubt by it’s close proximity to Plymouth Hoe.

The match was 4th versus 2nd in the league table, with Plymouth True Blues still able to finish third and Lakeside Athletic still in with a chance of winning the league, but they would have to win this game and then win again at home to Kingsteinton Athletic on Saturday, in order to pip current leaders The Windmill to the title by a single point. Having had two no shows in two days in this league, I was fully expecting a third on the trot. Thankfully, unlike Ilsington Villa and Mount Gould, who couldn’t be bothered to raise a team for their home games in the last two days, Plymouth True Blues were well up for it and had no intention of giving the three points to Lakeside by default.

In front of a crowd in excess of 150, the visitors got off to the perfect start, going ahead after fifteen minutes, scoring at the second attempt, following a blocked shot from a cross wide on the right. They could have doubled their lead after half an hour, but saw a header come back off the crossbar. PTB saw a 25 yarder hit the crossbar soon afterwards and three minutes before halftime Lakeside had a goal ruled out for offside. A minute before the interval PTB grabbed a deserved equaliser, when a cross from the right was headed into the top corner from eight yards out. Eight minutes into the second half Lakeside regained the lead, curling a shot into the far corner from just outside the box. Midway through the half they added a third, heading in from a corner, with the ‘keeper getting his fingertips to it, but unable to keep it out. Four minutes later they made it 1-4, rounding the ‘keeper after winning the race to a through ball and rolling it in from a tight angle at the near post. PTB then had a man sin binned with thirteen minutes left and Lakeside had the points safely in the bag and rounded off the scoring a minute into added time, with a 20 yarder that gave the ‘keeper no chance. So, they roll onto Saturday, where a win will see them crowned champions.

Despite having kicked off eleven minutes late and a drinks break taken in each half, the game was still finished for 20.26. Despite the M25 being closed at J11, a SatNav diversion off the M3, via Aldershot and Guildford, rejoining the M25 at J10 meant arrival back home was still achieved for half past midnight.