KJM SPORT MATCH REPORT Saltash Utd 1 Falmouth 3
- Details
- Created on Wednesday, 16 August 2023 11:24
- Last Updated on Thursday, 17 August 2023 11:30
- Published on Wednesday, 16 August 2023 11:24
- Written by KEVIN MARRIOTT at Saltash United
And for the third match, they conceded a third goal to end their hopes of salvaging a point to reward an encouraging performance.
All of which left Ashes manager Macca Brown frustrated at his young side’s fourth successive league defeat to start this transitional season at the club.
He said: “It’s a similar story, but the feeling is becoming a bit boring to be honest as you can probably imagine.
“We can be really pleased with elements of our performance but the challenge is now to have a 90 minute showing, because we are losing the game in the moments that we aren’t quite on it, and in all honesty Falmouth probably edged us in that respect and deserved the win.
“I thought we were excellent in the first half, and caused them quite a few issues. They were quite direct and aggressive in their play with lots of forward passes in behind our back line which caused us a few issues, but after going 1-0 down from a corner we settled and played some really good football with Joe Preece at the heart of it. When we equalised before the break I was optimistic going into the break.
“But we were different in the second half, we had less control of the game because we were forcing play and in a rush to get the ball forwards and the quality was lacking in their half of the pitch, which was there in the first half.
“This was a disaster for us, because Falmouth are so dangerous on the counter attack, and we gave them many opportunities to hurt us with it and eventually it cost us.
“We had a couple of snapshots, but again it probably summed up our second half as in all of those occasions an extra pass was needed to create a proper chance and that’s where we need to improve.
“They killed the game in injury time, and it’s another game where fine margins have cost us but it’s still the same end result.
“I must say though, the support was fantastic, it was loud and they were behind the team throughout and I think they can recognise we aren’t far off.
“However, we have to start picking up points now, because performances aren’t enough. We understand we have a young team and we have to allow time for the fruit to ripen, but we are hungry now.”
Brad Leivers gave Falmouth an 11th minute lead with a stunning volley from 10 yards but Saltash responded strongly and it was no surprise when they equalised after 34 minutes with Jake Foster heading in a corner.
The Ashes were cheered off at the end of the first half by their delighted supporters and that should have set up the players for a rampaging second half performance.
But they found it difficult to get going again and it was Falmouth who stepped up the pressure which resulted in the excellent Luke Brabyn firing them back into the lead after 55 minutes.
Saltash had their moments, with the impressive Preece sending a fierce 20 yard shot inches over the bar, but the more they pushed for an equaliser, the more gaps they left at the back.
Falmouth used the long, accurate ball out of defence to good effect and they were rewarded in the second minute of stoppage time when former Camelford favourite Cam Hutchison sidestepped a challenge from goalkeeper Jake Crebbin-Mead to roll the ball into an empty net.
Brown is right with his view that Saltash are not far away from opening their points account – but they are conceding an average of three goals a game and they must find a solution to that.
Saltash: J Crebbin-Mead, B Goulty (H Bunning 90), E Wright (W Larsen 84), J Wood, T Huyton (T Love-Holmes 64), L Murray, K O’Melia, J Preece, J Foster (S Cox 77), R Thomson, N Crump (J Johnson 64).
Falmouth: M Coxhead, J Swan (K Gordon-Dunn 72), B Leivers, A Coueja-Styme (J Grange 58), T Annear, J Ward, L Barner, J Webber, L Brabyn (J Gilbert 77), J Sims, C Hutchison.
Referee: Lee Roberts.
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