Saturday 24 February 2007

Stratton Utd 1-1 Grampound Res.

(Duchy league Division 3)
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The long journey to high-flying Stratton saw a battling Grampound performance to secure a valuable point. The pitch was barely playable, being fine in places but with a large very boggy area. The pitch condition, given the recent weather, was expected, but to travel so far to play on a pitch that was not marked out without a reasonably pumped-up ball was disappointing.

Grampound began brightly but were finding it difficult to get support quickly enough to lone front runner Mike Bawden. Playing down the steep slope should have made this easier, but Stratton defended without too much trouble, giving Grampound plenty of problems at the other end. An excellent save from Harry Cooke in the Grampound goal ensured the half ended scoreless.

The second half was mostly one-way traffic, with Stratton pouring players forward down the slope looking for a goal. Their increasing frustration with Grampound's reluctance to give way boiled over on a few occasions. With the visitors defending better in the second half, Stratton chances were rare despite having all the advantages, and Cooke had relatively little to do. Grampound managed a couple of breaks and Max Varnell had two good efforts well saved. Dean Dunn, on as a substitute, skipped past a couple of defenders down the left but his run towards the penalty area was cynically stopped by a defender's body check. The resulting free kick from Topham was stopped by an outstretched arm, but Grampound's penalty appeals were waved away by the referee. Minutes later, hesitation in the Grampound defence allowed an unchecked run into their penalty area and Mike Berry's desperate tackle felled the forward. The penalty was well struck into the top corner but Cooke got his fingertips to the ball to divert it onto the woodwork. Stratton's forwards reacted quickly to the rebound as Grampound's players stood and watched and the ball was banged home from close range. A disappointed Grampound kept battling for the remaining five minutes and were rewarded when, with only seconds remaining, veteran Ian Varnell received the ball 35 yards out and threaded the perfect ball through to his son Max, who rounded off a good performance by cruising past the goalkeeper and hitting the ball into the back of the net. Seconds later came the final whistle and the contrast between a jubilant Grampound and a deflated home team could not have been more stark.

Squad

1. Cooke

2. James R

3. Woodman A

4. Berry M

5. Yeo

6. Orchard R (sub Dunn D, 55)

7. Topham (sub Varnell I, 85)

8. Varnell M

9. Prall

10. Dunn J (sub Leaney A, 70)

11. Bawden

Goals

Varnel M (90)

Man of the Match

Max Varnell

Yellow Cards

Topham

Red Cards

Nonen of the Match Yellow Cards Red Cards