Saturday 15 December 2007

Delabole Utd 3-3 Grampound

(Duchy League Division 2)
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Grampound, much depleted by injury and unavailablity, went a goal behind in the home side's first attack. A ball was needlessly kicked out of play and from the throw, Keith Burnard was allowed to cross and Glen Burrell managed to get across in front of a sleeping Grampound defence to sidefoot the ball home. Grampound gradually worked themselves back into the game and in the following fifteen minutes played much the best football of the half, which culminated in Stuart Harris stabbing the ball home from close range on his return to the team. Five minutes later Delabole restored their lead when Tony Ford mispunched and the ball dropped to a Delabole player who hit it goalwards. On the goal- line was one Grampound player and Delabole's Mike Irwin, who touched the ball home. Inexplicably, the young referee over-ruled the raised offside flag to award a goal, even though all except him in the ground thought the scorer was well offside and he could not have seen from his position outside the penalty area. A couple of minutes before half time Grampound were again aggrieved when the home linesman's flag was raised with Harris realising he was in an offside position and standing still with the ball being delivered to Weeks who was clearly in an onside position but now through on goal. From the resulting free kick, poor defending allowed Olly Ubly a chance and Grampound had conceded a third soft goal.

A determined Grampound started the second half brilliantly. Everyone looked up for the battle and within two minutes young Tom Bartlett won the ball in his own half, ran at the home defence and then split them with a crisp ball played perfectly for Shane Weeks run. Weeks then calmly slotted the ball past the advancing keeper to put Grampound back in the game. A minute later the hard work of Weeks won him the ball and his chip over the Delabole keeper looked in, but bounced back off a post. With the industry of Weeks and Harris up front, Grampound began to dominate the game and Tony Ford was mostly a spectator as it was one way traffic in Delabole territory. Several half chances and a few good ones came and went and it began to look that it was not going to be Grampound's day. Joe Dunn came on for the visitors to make his first team debut and gave a very solid performance, but it was Bartlett, swapped to the left flank, who caught the eye with his enthusiastic aggression and running. Ryan Maker battled hard in Grampound's midfield throughout the second half and it was appropriate that it was he that rescued a well-deserved point for Grampound when his last minute left foot volley from the edge of the penalty area found the back of the net to Grampound's huge delight.

Squad

1. Ford T
2. Cooper
3. Webb
4. Fletcher
5. Bartlett
6. James A (sub James R, 85)
7. Maker
8. Trudgeon (sub Woodman A, 65)
9. Dunn G (sub Dubb J, 75)
10. Weeks
11. Harris

Goals

Harris (16), Weeks (46), Maker (90)

Man of the Match

Ryan Maker

Yellow Cards

None

Red Cards

None of the Match Yellow Cards Red Cards