⚽️ Cornwall Football: December 19, 2022
Wendron are Christmas number one in SWPL; Truro City miss chance to go top; Saltash part ways with manager Shane Krac
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Good afternoon! 👋
The final weekend before Christmas didn’t quite see a full programme of fixtures as the cold weather continued, but we still had several big stories.
South West Peninsula League Premier West pacesetters Wendron United defeated nearest rivals Wadebridge Town to top the table at Christmas, but Truro City’s hopes of doing the same were dashed at Dorchester Town.
Elsewhere, St Austell Ladies earned an historic first three points in the FA Women’s National League as they defeated Portishead Town 3-2 on Sunday.
Enjoy, and Merry Christmas. 🎄 〓〓
Word count: 2,836 words (12 minutes)
🔝 Wendron beat Wadebridge to move clear at top
Arguably the biggest game of the weekend was thankfully one of the ones to survive the sub-zero temperatures as SWPL Premier West leaders Wendron United entertained second-placed Wadebridge Town at Underlane.
The victor would have the honour of topping the table at Christmas, and it went the way of the home side, who ran out 3-1 winners in west Cornwall…
⚽ Strong start: After a promising first quarter of an hour, Wendron get their noses in front when Russell May smashes home from a corner. 1-0 (17’)
🚫 No penalty: Wadebridge want a penalty when Jacob Rowe collides with Wendron custodian Ethan Fearn, but the referee waves play on. 1-0 (20’)
⚽ Breathing room: The home side double their advantage with Josh Wood showing great strength to turn a defender in the box before hammering the ball into the corner. 2-0 (30’)
⚽ Back in it: The Bridgers are within one again when Fearn’s goal kick is picked up and quickly fed to Rowe, who fires in from the edge of the box. 2-1 (38’)
😨 Golden chance: Huge opportunity for the hosts! Ryan Reeve is through and his shot is well saved by Rob Rosevear but falls for Charlie Young, who puts the ball wide with the goal at his mercy. 2-1 (49’)
⚽ Making amends: Young recovers from his earlier miss to effectively seal the win, stroking home the rebound after Wood’s shot is saved. 3-1 (71’)
❌ Missed opportunity: A massive chance for Wadebridge to reduce the arrears goes begging. Ryan Downing’s shot is saved by Fearn but the ball runs free, with Phil Lowry putting it wide. 3-1 (74’)
📋 Wendron: Fearn, Souch, Carroll, Palmer, May, Chapman, Reeve, Potts, Young, Stocker, Wood. Subs: Young, Scoffin, Wheat, Rundle, Cleverly.
📋 Wadebridge: Rosevear, Harris, Dilley, Strike, Sargent, Fallens, Reski, Shepherd, Rowe, Downing, Smale. Subs: Beare, Vallejo, Bowyer, Lowry, Flew.
“The table is largely irrelevant at the moment. We’re happy we’re there because it means we’re winning games. Seven wins in seven and 14 games in the league unbeaten. All the signs are positive and all the noises we’re making are at the right end of the table.”
Wendron manager Michael O’Neill
“I can’t fault my lads though because they have been fantastic over the past few weeks but the third goal was still a comical one to let in.
“We actually had a laugh in the changing rooms afterwards and said that it’s a good job all the Christmas blooper DVDs have been made because if they hadn’t, that goal would have been on there for sure.”
Wadebridge boss Paul Rowe
Elsewhere:
Mullion 3-4 Dobwalls
Colin Pritchard’s brace and goals from Kelvin Fyneboy and Brannon Roberts helped Dobwalls - who finished with nine men after Vincent Wright-Harper Inniss and Jordan Inwood were dismissed - win by the odd goal in seven in an entertaining game at Mullion.Penzance 1-3 Bude Town
Goals from Billy Hopcroft, Tornado Bello and Scott Piper helped Bude climb up to fourth with a 3-1 win at Penzance, who had levelled through a Mark Vercesi penalty.
📈 The SWPL at Christmas:
Wendron United, 47pts
Wadebridge Town, 43pts
St Blazey, 39pts
Bude Town, 39pts
Liskeard Athletic, 36pts
🐐 Wendron boss ‘content’ after fine season so far
Christmas came eight days early for Wendron United as they confirmed their status as South West Peninsula League Premier West leaders going into the festive season, writes Matt Friday.
With the Dron welcoming second-placed Wadebridge Town to their Underlane home on Saturday, only a defeat would have prevented them from topping the table on December 25, with Paul Rowe’s Bridgers sitting at the summit instead.
But goals from Russell May, Josh Wood and Charlie Young helped Michael O’Neill’s men to a 3-1 victory to extend their advantage over their nearest rivals to four points.
The result caps off a fine first half of the campaign that sees United claim pole position in both the race to finish in the top four - and earn promotion to the region’s new step five league next season - and the race for the title.
“With a loss, Wadebridge would have gone a point above us and obviously we’d still have another game in hand, but with the result the way it’s gone we now have a four-point buffer with that game in hand as well,” manager Michael O’Neill told Cornwall Sports Media.
“That’s really key in the wider picture to make sure that pressure stays firmly on those teams trying to chase us, but ultimately it’s December so there’s a long, long way to go yet.”
➡️ Read the full story on our website
🐯 City miss chance to reclaim top spot
Truro City couldn’t match Wendron’s feat of topping the tree at Christmas as Paul Wotton’s side suffered only their second defeat of the Southern League Premier South season.
Their trip to Dorchester Town was the only league game on Saturday due to weather-related postponements and FA Trophy fixtures and a win would have sent them back above Weston-super-Mare to the summit.
Dorchester Town were in no mood to hand the White Tigers an early Christmas present, however, with Charlie Gunson’s strike from distance condemning City to a rare defeat in Dorset…
😔 So unlucky: Dan Sullivan’s shot beats Magpies goalkeeper Ryan Hall but cannons off the post to the feet of Kyle Egan, whose attempt is blocked. 0-0 (21’)
⚽ Foot like a traction engine: Charlie Gunson hits a rocket from 30 yards which flies past City custodian James Hamon. There’s no stopping those. 1-0 (38’)
🧑🦲 Nodded wide: Nearly a second for the hosts as Shaquille Gwengwe heads over at the back post from Harvey Bradbury’s cross. 1-0 (39’)
❌ Gone begging: Two big chances for the Dorset outfit to extend their lead within a minute of each other as Bradbury heads over from Gunson’s free-kick before the same man shoots wide after beating the offside trap. 1-0 (65’)
⏱️ Late chance: City spurn a huge chance to nick an equaliser late on. Shane White’s header is knocked towards Rocky Neal but he sends his effort wide. 1-0 (90’)
📋 City: Hamon, Riley-Lowe, Adelsbury, Haste, Porter (Brett 75), Dean, Harvey, Sullivan (Oppong 70), White, Neal, Egan. Subs (unused): Okoh, Rice, Knowles.
The defeat means Truro are still one point behind leaders Weston-super-Mare with City now having played one more game than their Somerset rivals.
📈 The Southern League summit:
Weston-super-Mare, 47pts
Truro City, 46pts
Chesham United, 44pts
Poole Town, 34pts
Tiverton Town, 31pts
🚪 Shane Krac leaves Saltash United
Western League title hopefuls Saltash United have been rocked by the resignation of joint first team manager Shane Krac, writes Gareth Davies.
Former Truro City, Tiverton Town and Plymouth Parkway midfielder Krac leaves Kimberley after less than six months in charge.
Cornwall Sports Media sources revealed on Tuesday morning (December 13) that after a club committee meeting on Monday evening, Krac had left his post.
It is understood that Krac’s reasons for leaving centered on the club’s playing budget and plans should they win promotion to the Southern League.
➡️ Read the full story on our website
✅ Torpoint take the points in only Western game
The cold weather across the south west meant there was only one Western League game played, with Torpoint Athletic welcoming Ashton & Backwell United to east Cornwall.
The game looked in doubt right up until kick-off, but Dean Cardew’s side will be pleased it did go ahead as the Point recorded their fourth league win of the campaign to rise three places to 15th.
⚽ Up and running: Ryan Richards gets the hosts’ afternoon going when he nods in from Danny Zalick’s cross. 1-0 (30’)
🥅 Inches away: A dominant Torpoint are so close to a second with Kyle Marks striking the crossbar from 25 yards. 1-0 (38’)
⚽ Two up: Callum Thompson is brought down in the box and Richards slams the spot-kick into the bottom corner. 2-0 (63’)
⚽ Pulling away: The third arrives in style as Paul Heveran fires a free-kick past the visitors’ stand-in goalkeeper - with their regular no.1 having picked up an injury - from just under 25 yards. 3-0 (83’)
⚽ Consolation: It’s too little, too late for Ashton & Backwell but they’re on the board, with Point gloveman Tyler Coombes being beaten by a fine strike from just outside the box. 3-1 (85’)
📋 Torpoint: Coombes, Dyer, Hardcastle, Hicks, Hillson, Holder, Thompson, Heveran, Zalick, Richards, Marks. Subs: Damerell, Lucas, Foster, Bryan, Peters.
📈 The Western League at Christmas:
Saltash United, 50pts
Bridgwater United, 48pts
Shepton Mallet, 38pts
Mousehole, 36pts
Buckland Athletic, 32pts
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🟢 Feature: Ash confident of top-two finish
Mousehole manager Jake Ash has reiterated his side’s aim of a top-two finish as the Seagulls continue their steady climb up the Western League table, writes Matt Friday.
The Trungle Parc outfit began the year hoping to go one better than their third-place finish last term and clinch promotion, but a slow start to the season - that included their only league defeat of the campaign thus far at home to Millbrook - left them ten points behind Bridgwater United by mid-August.
But the most south westerly side in the National League System responded in the best way possible by thrashing Street 5-1 on the August bank holiday to kickstart a long 13-match unbeaten run that remains unbroken to this day.
“Although we’ve dropped points, I feel like we’re in a good position,” Ash said. “We’re actually a point ahead of the total we had this time last year, so we’re ahead of where we were last year after the same amount of games which is positive.
“We’ll see what Saltash and Bridgwater do, they’ve obviously got a nice little cushion with the games in hand as well, but I certainly feel ourselves and Shepton [Mallet] are the two that would look to try and reel them in.”
➡️ Read the full interview on our website
🎉 St Austell record landmark victory
It’s taken ten games but St Austell Ladies registered their first points in the FA Women’s National League Division 1 South West on Sunday as they defeated Portishead Town 3-2 at Poltair Park.
The Lillywhites, who have earned three successive promotions to become the highest-ranked Cornish side, have found life tough in their new division, which lies at step four of the English women’s football pyramid.
Town had lost all nine of their league games prior to Sunday’s match, but a brace from Isabel Scott and one from Kayleigh Brown secured a memorable and historic victory in atrocious conditions in mid-Cornwall.
⚽ Strike from distance: Kayleigh Brown opens the scoring with a fine effort from 35 yards the flies over the visiting goalkeeper. 1-0 (15’)
⚽ Up and running: St Austell double their advantage through Isabel Scott’s first of the afternoon. 2-0 (56’)
🥅 Hits the woodwork: Scott has a huge chance to make it 3-0 and game over but her strike cannons off the post! 2-0 (60’)
⚽ Deficit halved: That comes back to bite Town as Portishead reduce their arrears following a good ten-minute spell. 2-1 (65’)
⚽ All square again: The comeback is complete with the Somerset outfit getting a quickfire second. 2-2 (70’)
⚽ Late joy: But the last laugh goes to the Lillywhites with Scott running through and slotting past the ‘keeper from 15 yards. 3-2 (78’)
“Even though we lost to Bournemouth last weekend there has been a massive change in the girls' commitment and desire to compete and I asked them to do the same again [on Sunday], and it paid off.
“The girls were the better team and they deserved this victory. To be 2-0 up, then to concede two goals in a short period of time and then to have the desire and commitment to keep going and get the victory was massive.
“The girls have targets for this season and they are all realistic and achievable. This result just shows that we can compete at this level and we deserve to be in this league.”
St Austell manager Simon Parnell
League info:
⚽ The pick of this week’s grassroots action
Seagulls on top: Mousehole Development are back at the top of the St Piran League West after putting 13 goals past struggling Penryn Athletic. Previous leaders St Day also triumphed at the weekend, but hat-tricks for Cam Bidgood, Connor Hurrell and Toby Weeks helped the Seagulls to top spot on goal difference.
Semi-finalists: Foxhole Stars have completed the Cornwall Intermediate Cup semi-final line-up with a ten-goal hammering of Praze-an-Beeble. Benno Bould (3), Courtney Rowe (2), Aaron Beresford, Luke Damerell, Tim Peers and Aidan James netted for the Foxes, who also benefitted from an own goal.
Six-timer: Tristan Prowse plundered a rare six-timer as his Pendeen Rovers side put nine past basement dwellers Hayle reserves in the Combination League. Prowse’s goals take him to 13 for the season, with Danny Earl also notching twice for Rovers.
DC continue charge: There was no shortage of talking points as Falmouth DC thrashed Wendron United fourths 14-1 in the Trelawny League Division 2. Jack Blakeston and Brodie Kemp scored five goals apiece for the table toppers, with Will Mitchell and Nicolas Tomba’s red cards having made life even tougher for the Dron.
Odd goal in 11: Just two weeks after losing a 7-5 thriller, Trelawny League Division 4 outfit Storm were on the end of a 6-5 reverse at home to Dropship reserves on Saturday. Goals from Colin Manley (2), Jamie Kuxhaus, Mark Kavanagh and Thomas Ford were somehow not enough, with Taylor Hosking (2), Charlie Morgan (2), Tom Jones and Peter Norfolk netting for the visitors.
League info:
📸 The weekend in photos
WENDRON - Wendron United forward Josh Wood (left) was a key figure in the Dron’s crucial SWPL Premier West victory over Wadebridge Town on Saturday. Wood scored the second goal as the league leaders triumphed 3-1 at their Underlane home to give themselves a four-point cushion at Christmas.
PLYMOUTH - Members of the Plymouth Argyle team celebrate Niall Ennis’ opener in their League One clash at home to Morecambe on Saturday. The match finished 2-1 to Argyle at Home Park.
❓️ Trivia time ⏰️
Wendron United confirmed their status as SWPL Premier West table toppers at Christmas with their 3-1 win over Wadebridge Town on Saturday.
Can you name last season’s Western League Premier Division and SWPL Premier West Christmas table toppers?
Answer at the bottom.
💚 Argyle return to the summit
Plymouth Argyle’s time away from the League One summit lasted all of seven days after they returned to the top with a 2-1 victory over Morecambe on Saturday.
In a match that almost fell victim to the cold weather, it was Argyle who dominated for large spells with goals from Niall Ennis and Sam Cosgrove proving enough for a 14th league win of the season.
🧤 So unlucky: Argyle have a penalty as Joe Edwards goes down in the box. Morgan Whittaker steps up but his kick is saved by Connor Ripley. 0-0 (43’)
⚽ Deadlock broken: There it is! Substitute Ryan Hardie’s low cross is turned home by Niall Ennis at the near post. 1-0 (69’)
⚽ Breathing space: Danny Mayor plays in Edwards, whose cutback is stroked into the net by Sam Cosgrove. Relief! 2-0 (84’)
⚽ Late nerves: Former Pilgrim Anthony O'Connor takes advantage of a slip and rolls the ball in to add some late drama, but Argyle hold on. 2-1 (90+1’)
📋 Argyle: Cooper, Gillesphey, Scarr, Butcher (Hardie 62), Edwards, Mayor, Ennis (Cosgrove 74), Mumba, Whittaker, Randell (Houghton 66), Lonwijk (Wilson 74). Subs (unused): Burton, Craske, Roberts.
“I’m delighted that it is over. We’ve won a good game. It’s freezing cold. I’m sick. But we’re top of the league.”
Argyle boss Steven Schumacher to pafc.co.uk
A surprise 1-0 defeat for Ipswich Town at Wycombe Wanderers and Sheffield Wednesday’s goalless draw at home to Oxford United means Argyle are back on top in time for the festive season.
📈 Here’s how the top of the table looks now:
Plymouth Argyle, 47pts
Ipswich Town, 45pts
Sheffield Wednesday, 43pts
Barnsley, 36pts
Bolton Wanderers, 35pts
Elsewhere at Home Park:
👀 What’s on this week
⚽️Southern League Premier South: Tuesday, 7.45pm: Poole Town v Truro City. Boxing Day, 3pm: Plymouth Parkway v Truro City.
⚽️Western League: Boxing Day, 12pm: Millbrook v Torpoint Athletic; Mousehole v Helston Athletic; Saltash United v Falmouth Town.
⚽️South West Peninsula League Premier West: Boxing Day, 11am (unless stated): Camelford v Bude Town; Newquay v Godolphin Atlantic (12pm); St Blazey v St Austell; Sticker v St Dennis; Wadebridge Town v Bodmin Town. Tuesday, 11am (unless stated): Dobwalls v Liskeard Athletic; Launceston v Callington Town (2pm); Wendron United v Mullion.
⚽️St Piran League East: Boxing Day, 11am: Gunnislake v Altarnun.
⚽️St Piran League West: Boxing Day, 11am: Falmouth Town v Penryn Athletic; Helston Athletic v Porthleven; Illogan RBL v Redruth United; Truro City v St Day.
⚽️Combination League: Boxing Day, 11am: Pendeen Rovers v St Just.
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Have a great Christmas! 🎅
We’ll be back on Tuesday next week to allow us to cover the Boxing Day action. See you then!
Trivia answer: Tavistock (Western League Premier Division); Falmouth Town (SWPL Premier West).
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Visit our website: cornwallsportsmedia.co.uk
