KJM SPORT REPORTS Cornwall Senior Cup semi-finals

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Created on Thursday, 17 March 2022 17:58

Last Updated on Friday, 18 March 2022 06:57

Published on Thursday, 17 March 2022 17:58

Written by KEVIN MARRIOTT at Burngullow and Bodieve Parkon the cup trail

Saltash United 1 Wendron United 3

Let’s get this out of the way first – Saltash United were far from their best on a chilly Spring evening at Burngullow Park.

The team who were bidding to reach their fourth successive Senior Cup final ended the night on the floor, literally.

This was not the Ashes’ night. It belonged to Wendron, who earned the right to face holders Falmouth in the final at St Austell’s Poltair Park on Easter Monday, April 18.

Put simply, they were the better side, especially in the first half, and when they were required to do so, they defended with their lives.

Very few people who follow local football would have predicted this outcome. A good South West Peninsula League side beating a very strong top half Western League team. Nah.

But before our eyes, Mike O’Neill’s players were inspired on the night and the result was no fluke.

They have key players in key positions. Charlie Young, leading the attack, was a menace throughout; Fred Walter commanding in central defence; and Cam Wheat a classy left-footed midfield man.

An early goal always helps and when Jack Stocker finished off a superb team move in the sixth minute, it set up half an hour of relentless Wendron pressure which brought a second goal after 25 minutes.

Ryan Rickard, usually such a calm and reliable goalkeeper, lost out to Young in an aerial duel challenging for a wind-assisted ball and the striker followed his tap-in over the line.

Ashes manager Dane Bunney could be heard bellowing instructions to his shell-shocked team but it made little difference as Wendron went into half-time slightly disappointed that they were not further ahead.

They must have expected a backlash from Saltash in the second half but before that happened, they increased their lead four minutes in, and again Rickard was found wanting.

His attempted clearance was charged down by irrepressible Young and the ball broke kindly for Wheat, who kept his cool from 20 yards, passing the ball into an unguarded net.

At 2-0 there was still hope that Saltash could turn things around. At 3-0? 

The Ashes did finally get their game together and piled pressure on from free kicks and corners but when the ball is bobbling around the six yard box and you don’t get a final touch, you probably know it’s not your night.

There was a setback for Wendron when Walter, who had been magnificent, was forced off after 64 minutes and within eight minutes Sam Farrant had reduced the arrears with a well struck shot from 15 yards.

But whatever Saltash tried in that last 20 - or 25 minutes as it turned out - Wendron always seemed to have a couple of players on hand to clear.

The Ashes heads never dropped, they couldn’t be faulted for effort. But they just couldn’t force a second goal which would have set up a cracking finale.

Wendron celebrated loud and proud and they can now look forward to facing Falmouth in the county’s showpiece final.

Do they have a chance? They’ve just beaten a Western League team – of course they have.

But they would probably prefer everybody to write them off again.

Saltash: R Rickard, D Barker, A Wotton, C Elkington, R Wilson (S Davey 54), R Thomson, A Cairo, S Farrant, S Hughes, T Harris, D Lewis.

Substitutes not used: J Ward, O Sidey, M Burke.

Yellow card: S Farrant (72).

Goal: S Farrant (70).

Wendron: E Fearn, J Chapman, R Carroll, S Palmer, F Walter (L Rundle 64), S Young, K Thomas (J Noy 77), L Potter, C Young, J Stocker, C Wheat (B Stone 90+1).

Substitutes not used: T Packenas, K Carpenter (gk).

Goals: J Stocker (6), C Young (25), C Wheat (49).

Referee: Neil Hunnisett

Attendance: 146

SWSN Star: Charlie Young (Wendron)

Falmouth Town 4 Dobwalls 1

Falmouth’s march into the final was more straightforward – they had their semi-final at Wadebridge’s Bodieve Park tied up before half-time in front of a crowd of 341.

Luke Barner’s glancing header from Jack Bray-Evans’s left wing cross after 38 seconds gave Andrew Westgarth’s side the perfect start and when Bray-Evans made it 2-0 after nine minutes, the writing was on the wall.

Urged on by a noisy and entertaining F Troop, Town increased their lead on 26 minutes when Dave Broglino produced one of his special shots from the edge of the box which gave Dobwalls keeper Jordan Duffey no chance.

To their credit, Dobwalls forced their way back into the tie and were twice denied by the bar – Dominic Bryant and Danny Zalick were the unlucky duo – before Bray-Evans got his second goal and Falmouth’s fourth eight minutes before the break.

You rarely come back from 4-0 at half-time, especially against teams as strong as Falmouth, but I never saw Dobwalls heads drop and they were eventually rewarded with an 88th minute consolation from Nathan Lang.

Dobwalls joint manager Simon Westlake gleefully emerged from the dugout to claim his side had won the second half 1-0, and you couldn’t really argue with him.

It was left to Falmouth’s players to celebrate in style with their incredible supporters and their music behind the clubhouse goal.

They certainly were glad all over.

Falmouth: R Barnes, K Davies (A Thompson 68), T Moxham, A Calleja-Stayne, T Annear, J Ward, L Brabyn (J Bowyer 70), D Broglino, J Bray-Evans (A Wharton 71), L Barner, T Nixon.

Sub not used: T Clark.

Yellow card: J Ward (90).

Goals: L Barner (1), J Bray-Evans (9 & 37), D Broglino (26).

Dobwalls: J Duffey, J Hogan (D O’Brien 69), K Smith, S Hill, N Lang, J McCarthy, R Spear, J Clarke, K Fyneboy, D Zalick, D Bryant (V Wright-Innis 61).

Subs not used: T Ojedobe, B Shiels (gk).

Yellow cards: D Bryant (16), R Spear (18), N Lang (90), J McCarthy (90+1).

Sin bin: R Spear (77).

Red card: R Spear (89).

Goal: N Lang (88).

Referee: James Long.

Attendance: 341.

SWSN Star: Tom Annear (Falmouth).

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