Saturday 3 November 2007

Falmouth Town 3-2 Grampound

(Cornwall Junior Cup Round 2)
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Grampound took the field against Falmouth and Helston Division 1 side Falmouth Town with a depleted team. At least five players were injured or unavailable and even Tony Ford had to come out of retirement and pick up the keeper's gloves. The hosts poured forward on a very tight pitch and got the ball in from everywhere and it needed some heroic defending to keep the scoresheet clean. Ford made an outstanding save from a free kick but could not keep out a drilled shot and Falmouth took a well-deserved lead on the half-hour. From the re-start, Grampound had their first meaningful attack and Barlett's long throw, a powerful weapon on such a narrow pitch, resulted in Fletcher's header coming back off the bar for Glyn Ford to head it back and put Grampound back on terms. This was totally against the run of play but gave the visitors heart, only for the hosts to re-take the lead with a simple diagonal cross and free header from eight yards. It looked as if Grampound may be over-run when Falmouth scored their third just before half-time when Tony Ford managed to save well only for his parry to be stabbed home.

If the first half saw Grampound struggle badly, the second period was played with huge heart and spirit. Midfield players began to win the ball and pass more constructively, with Toms coming on and running the channels intelligently, and tackles were being more crisply contested. Falmouth were forced to defend for long periods and an eventual breakthrough came when Glyn Ford slotted past the Falmouth keeper from close range. The game was nearly rescued in the dying minutes with the home team hanging on desperately as Grampound threw everything at them, but the equaliser would just not come. Grampound, however, could return home with heads held high after an exhilirating second half display that stretched their opponents to the limit and with a little more precision could have seen an upset.

Squad

1. Ford T
2. Leaney (sub Woodman A, 75)
3. Webb
4. Fletcher
5. Dunn D
6. Bartlett (sub Toms, 70)
7. Maker
8. James A
9. Dunn G
10. Ford G
11.Weeks

Goals

Ford G (35, 80)

Man of the Match

James Webb

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