⚽ Shepton Mallet draw 'is two points dropped', admit St Blazey bosses
Plus: Reaction from Falmouth Town manager Andrew Westgarth, Helston Athletic chief Matt Cusack, Saltash United boss Mackenzie Brown and Torpoint Athletic's Dean Cardew
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⬇️ In today’s newsletter ⬇️
🟢 St Blazey: Shepton Mallet draw ‘is two points dropped’
🔵 Helston: We weren’t good enough in both boxes — Cusack
📸 IN PICTURES: St Blazey 1-1 Shepton Mallet
🟡 Torpoint: Cardew delighted with opening-day win
🟡 Falmouth: Brixham draw ‘a missed opportunity’, admits Westgarth
📸 IN PICTURES: Helston Athletic 2-2 Wellington
🔴 Saltash: ‘We only had ourselves to blame’ — Brown rues opening-day loss
🟢 St Blazey: ‘Football was done for me’ — Giles
👀 What’s on this week
Enjoy. 〓〓
🟢 St Blazey: Shepton Mallet draw ‘is two points dropped’
By Tom Howe at Blaise Park
St Blazey 1 (Giles)
Shepton Mallet 1 (Rutty)
Western League Premier Division
Saturday, July 29, 2023
St Blazey’s joint-management team agreed their side ‘dropped two points’ in Saturday’s opening day Western League Premier Division draw against Shepton Mallet.
A crowd of more than 300 witnessed a first foray into step five football for Bradley Richardson and Andrew Moon’s side, one that entertained from the first whistle to the last and ultimately ended 1-1.
The competitive fixture boiled over after half hour when the former tussled with Shepton forward Jack Newman outside his dug-out, leading to both being shown a red card by referee Shaun Edge.
A high tackle saw home skipper Luke Cloke shown his own marching orders soon after, with he and Richardson watching from the sideline as Martin Giles traded second-half goals with Harry Rutty.
“I thought that it was a game of two halves,” Moon told Cornwall Sports Media at the final whistle. “[Shepton] were a little bit better than us in the first half. They settled quicker in the end.
“We changed our shape a bit and the biggest compliment I can pay is that they had to change theirs to combat what we were doing. We were direct and a lot more physical than them. That told as, on every set play, we looked dangerous.”
Picking up the conversation, Richardson added: “I am proud of the boys for the way that they dug in. They have done well and shown a bit of character but I must admit that it was two points dropped.
“It was a pre-season where you were never going to get everything going straight away. The influx of players has been [huge]. There has been a rebuild and you are never going to get it right for the first game of the season, although I think it was the same for Shepton as well.”
The South West Peninsula League Premier West champions called upon the archetypal blend of experience and youth for their curtain raiser, with a wise backline featuring Joe Cooper, Will Tinsley and Giles juxtaposed by the exuberance of the debuting Kieron Bishop, Jacob Bowker and Callum Merrin up top.
The teams exchanged only half-chances in the opening stanza, with the usual early season fare making way for more fluid and progressive play as the game progressed.
Merrin, who had looked relatively lively, was the unfortunate sacrifice after the flurry of red cards, replaced by Matt Lloyd, before the equally impressive Bowker made way for another new face in CJ Pritchard at the break.
Ironically, their change in shape gave them the edge and allowed the evergreen Giles to rise highest and head home a corner from Aaron Dilley — himself a summer signing — shortly after the hour mark. It came on the heels of his centre-half partner Cooper striking the crossbar with a nodded effort of his own.
Chances came and went for the buoyant hosts but none were taken, and they were eventually caught out when, 16 minutes from time, Rutty stroked the ball home to earn a share of the spoils after what Blazey were adamant was a foul on gloveman Shaun Semmens.
Despite this and Cloke’s impending three-match ban, there was still plenty to cheer for a Blazey side far from firing on all cylinders and without the influential Lewis Russell, Lewis Vooght, Jordan McCarthy, Jordan Dingle and Tom Strike on the day.
“I don’t think we are anywhere near [where we want to be],” revealed Moon. “Only because we haven’t got all of the players out there. We have got holidays, suspensions and loads of absentees. Until we get at least a month in, we are not going to be at full strength.
“I am going to come away thinking that it is two points dropped, especially after that second half. [Shepton] didn’t create as much as I thought they were going to. I believe it is a foul on Semmo before they have scored the tap-in too, which is tough to take.”
They will need to recover quickly, with a first Cornish derby of the season against Falmouth Town beckoning on Tuesday evening (7.45 pm) before a trip to Wendron United in the FA Cup extra preliminary round next Saturday (3pm).
🔵 Helston: We weren’t good enough in both boxes — Cusack
By Matt Friday at Kellaway Park
Helston Athletic 2 (Shepherd, Wilson)
Wellington 2 (OG, Bown-Porter pen)
Western League Premier Division
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Helston Athletic chief Matt Cusack bemoaned his side’s lack of quality in either box as the Blues faltered towards a 2-2 draw at home to Wellington.
Jack Bown-Porter’s late penalty denied Helston all three points at home to the Tangerines, with Cusack’s side squandering a two-goal lead at Kellaway Park.
Rikki Shepherd and Rubin Wilson gave the hosts a two-goal advantage during a dominant first 45 minutes from a Blues perspective.
But Helston defender Harrison Jewell scored an own goal on the hour before bringing down Rohan Poulsom inside the box in the 85th minute, with Bown-Porter converting from the spot to rescue a point for the Somerset side.
“I’m really disappointed, it feels like two points dropped,” Cusack told Cornwall Sports Media after the game. “When you go 2-0 up at home and are looking comfortable and creating chances in the double figures in the first half you’re thinking, get a third and get the three points, a clean sheet and maybe look to add to the tally for the goal difference.
“That’s where we were at at half-time, but goals change games and 2-0 is the dodgiest score in football for a reason: if you get another one the game is probably over, and if they get another one their tails go up and that is exactly what happened. The goals were really fortuitous but it is what it is.
“I know Harrison [Jewell] will be disappointed, he’s scored an own goal for the first one and given away a penalty for the second — it’s certainly not the standards that he’s set but we’ve got to own it as a collective. We just weren’t good enough in both boxes in the second half, that’s the difference and that's why we’re stood here taking one point instead of three.”
Helston began brightly at Kellaway Park with Jamie Simmonds and Tyler Elliott dragging shots wide, and their early endeavour paid off in the 23rd minute when Shepherd met a lofted pass and stroked it past Tangerines gloveman Michael Murphy.
That breakthrough lifted the Blues with Elliott then being denied by the feet of Murphy before Wilson doubled the lead, tapping in from close range after Jordan Copp’s low cross was miscued by a defender.
With their tails firmly up, Helston began to lay siege on the Wellington goal as they searched for a decisive third goal. Shepherd had one effort saved before rolling another wide, while debutant centre-back Callum O’Brien had a header cleared off the line.
The second half began as the first ended with Aaron Bentley twice coming close with headers, but the Tangerines were gifted a way back into the game on the hour when James Cottrill’s cross was turned past goalkeeper Kyle Moore by the unfortunate Jewell.
O’Brien did his best to restore the two-goal gap with two powerful headers on goal, but disaster struck in the 85th minute when Jewell tripped Poulsom inside the box. The referee immediately pointed to the spot and Bown-Porter duly sent his spot-kick past the outstretched right arm of Moore.
Staring an unlikely draw in the face, Helston very almost got out of jail in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Shepherd slipped substitute Kai Cornish through on goal, but the latter put his effort agonisingly wide of the far post.
“We weren’t clinical enough in the first half and because of that we’ve allowed them to get themselves back into the game,” Cusack said. “I’m not sure whether they earned that point or whether we gifted it to them, it was probably more of the latter.
“They will obviously be delighted with that. They had a chance at the end to go and win it but they took it into the corner which showed what it meant to them.
“Fair play to them, they’ve had a bit of turmoil this summer with players going out and new management coming in, so credit to them, they’ve come here with a game plan. At one stage it looked like it could be a case of how many for us, but they’ve managed to turn it around.”
He added: “We do have aspirations of being title challengers this year. Leagues aren’t won or lost on the opening day of the season – we’re one point better off than we were this time last year – but I think just the nature of the game and where we were, we were comfortable at 2-0, it just feels a bit like a defeat.
“I think the lads are a little bit disappointed, and so they should be, because they’ve certainly underperformed in the second half and allowed a team that weren’t in the game to come back and salvage a point.”
🟡 Torpoint: Cardew delighted with opening-day win
By Matt Friday
Torpoint Athletic 2 (Richards, Lorenz)
Nailsea & Tickenham 0
Western League Premier Division
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Boss Dean Cardew was delighted as his Torpoint Athletic side got their campaign off to an excellent start with victory over newly-promoted Nailsea & Tickenham at The Mill.
Torpoint had to wait until October 1 to pick up their first win at step five last season, but Cardew’s side have broken their duck at the first time of asking this term after running out 2-0 winners over last season’s Western League Division One runners-up.
Ryan Richards fired the hosts in front in east Cornwall after 11 minutes, before debutant James Lorenz opened his account for his new side midway through the second half.
The win means Torpoint were the only Cornish side to claim victory on the opening day.
“I’m delighted to get off to a winning start on Saturday and am particularly pleased with a clean sheet,” Cardew told Cornwall Sports Media. “It was also nice for both of our strikers to get on the scoresheet to keep confidence high.
“The new lads have settled in really well and it’s all been really positive up to now.”
A bright start to proceedings from the home side saw Richards and Sean Thomson go close, with the former opening the scoring after 11 minutes when he rifled Lorenz’s cross past visiting gloveman Jason Mellor.
Cardew’s men looked to capitalise on their fine start with Richards being denied by Mellor before Thomson’s attempted lob just cleared the crossbar, while debutant custodian Jordan Duffey had to be alert at the other end to thwart Nailsea forward Joe Berry shortly before the break.
A cagey start to the second half was broken when Point midfielder Lucas Vowles flashed an effort over the bar just after the hour, and the next big chance saw the hosts extend their advantage. After being set up by Lorenz for the opener, Richards returned the favour to flick the ball on for summer signing Lorenz to drill the ball past Mellor.
The hosts had chances to add to their tally late on with Jason Richards sending two efforts over the crossbar before Vowles nodded against the post, but Cardew was more than satisfied with his side’s opening-day result ahead of a tricky trip to Buckland Athletic on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.30pm).
“I’m looking forward to [tonight’s] game at Buckland to test ourselves at where we’re at against one of the favourites to win the league,” he said.
“It’s a no-pressure game as no-one will expect us to get anything there, but we can hopefully put in a good performance still.”
📸 IN PICTURES: St Blazey 1-1 Shepton Mallet
By Colin Bradbury
Check out our gallery from Saturday’s historic match at Blaise Park, which saw St Blazey make their Western League debut.
🟡 Falmouth: Brixham draw ‘a missed opportunity’, admits Westgarth
By Matt Friday
Brixham 0
Falmouth Town 0
Western League Premier Division
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Falmouth Town boss Andrew Westgarth felt his side’s stalemate at Brixham on the opening day of the Western League season was a ‘missed opportunity’.
Town had to settle for a point at Wall Park as they were held to a goalless draw at newly-promoted Brixham, with the hosts finishing with nine men while Town also ended up a man light.
A quiet first half took a turn in stoppage time when Brixham’s Charlie Johansen was shown a second yellow card, before Town’s Tom Annear saw his penalty saved by Grant Fisher with about 15 minutes left to play.
There was further late drama when Town substitute Olly Walker and Brixham’s Kieran Parkin both received their marching orders around the 90-minute mark, with Falmouth’s Jacob Grange passing up a golden chance to snatch a winner when his effort struck the upright with virtually the final kick of the game.
“The game definitely had opening-game nerves to it, from both sides I think,” Westgarth told Cornwall Sports Media. “It wasn’t a classic first half – there were very few chances. We kept them to very little and I can’t think of them even having a shot on target.
“I think we created the better chances of the whole game, and obviously them going down to ten men opened it up a bit for us, they’re obviously then going to bank up and defend but I still felt like we were the likelier ones to score.
“It was frustrating to go down to ten men ourselves, but then they went down to nine men and it felt like there was only going to be one winner. We got a penalty with 15-20 to go and Tom Annear, who is so reliable, it was a good penalty but it was a good save, and we’ve then hit the post in literally the last seconds of the game.
“We’ve played a lot worse and won but we know how difficult it is to get points in the Western League, especially away from home. Although it didn’t feel like it after the game, I think on reflection, considering they haven’t lost at home in a long time, I don’t think a point on the road and a clean sheet is the end of the world, but it was definitely a missed opportunity.”
Facing a side whose last league defeat at their Wall Park home came in October 2021, Town were the better side for large spells of the game. A quiet first 45 minutes sprang into life in stoppage time when Johansen received his second yellow card for a foul on Jack Webber.
Now a man up, Town began to turn the screw in their attempts to break the deadlock, with James Ward having a good effort saved by Fisher while Alex Wharton came close with a header.
Their best chance came late on when Webber was brought down in the box as he prepared to pull the trigger. The referee immediately pointed to the spot, but Annear’s kick was saved by Brixham custodian Fisher.
Town’s hopes of snatching all three points took a hit when Walker was shown a straight red, but a second yellow for Parkin from the same incident gave the visitors renewed hope, with substitute Grange striking the post with seconds left of the game.
“We played all right, we kept the ball well,” Westgarth added. “We can definitely play better, but you know what it’s like on opening day, it’s definitely a leveller: the excitement, the nerves.
“You look at the results [elsewhere on Saturday], there were some interesting results, so I suppose from our point of view we haven’t lost, we’ve got a point and we’ve got a clean sheet.”
📸 IN PICTURES: Helston Athletic 2-2 Wellington
By Matt Friday
Check out our gallery from Saturday’s game at Kellaway Park, which saw Helston Athletic surrender a two-goal lead to share the points with visitors Wellington.
🔴 Saltash: ‘We only had ourselves to blame’ — Brown rues opening-day loss
By Matt Friday
Oldland Abbotonians 3 (Saidy, Davis, Kyte)
Saltash United 2 (O’Melia 2)
Western League Premier Division
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Boss Mackenzie Brown said a ten-minute spell cost his side dearly after his first match in charge of Saltash United ended in a 3-2 defeat at Oldland Abbotonians.
Taking charge of the Ashes for the first time, Brown saw his side let a 2-1 lead slip at their newly-promoted hosts’ Aitchison Playing Fields home.
The hosts opened the scoring through Saikouba Saidy, only for a mix-up at the other end to allow Kieran O’Melia to tap in an equaliser on the stroke of half-time.
The Ashes turned the game on its head early in the second half when O’Melia’s cross was turned in by Oldland defender Jordan Greenwood, but strikes from Mason Davis and Harrison Kyte ultimately turned the match back towards the home side.
“I’m really frustrated that we didn’t bring anything home with us because we certainly deserved to, but we only had ourselves to blame,” Brown told Cornwall Sports Media. “I thought it was quite an even game and perhaps on reflection a draw may have been a fair result, but I still would have been disappointed with a draw and yet here we are with absolutely nothing.
“It’s a frustrating one. There were lots of positives but we really didn’t manage the moments very well, that’s what cost us.”
He continued: “We had four or five lads making their Western League debuts [on Saturday], but what they’ll have to learn quickly is when you go ahead in these games that isn’t the time to take your foot off the gas and think it’s going to be plain sailing, you almost have to dial up the intensity even more and we didn’t do that.
“We didn’t defend our box very well, in our half we needed to be more intense and put pressure on the ball and we didn’t — we invited long balls into the box and that’s basically what caught us out.”
The hosts opened the scoring on their Western League Premier Division debut midway through the first half when Ashes gloveman Jake Mead-Crebbin gave away a free kick 20 yards from goal. The effort was parried by Mead-Crebbin but only to Saidy, who made no mistake with the rebound.
But the Ashes improved from there on and got their reward shortly before the break when a long ball towards O’Melia caught out goalkeeper Mitchell Norman and a covering defender, with their mix-up allowing O’Melia to round Norman and slot into the empty net.
Although Oldland began the second half brightly with Davis and Kyte coming close, Saltash soon found themselves in front with O’Melia’s dangerous low cross being turned into his own net by defender Greenwood.
Their lead lasted all of three minutes, however, as Oldland struck back with their next meaningful attack, with Davis tucking Harry Pruett’s cross past Mead-Crebbin.
But Brown’s side dusted themselves down and missed a golden opportunity to quickly restore their lead. Jordan Ewing laid the ball on a plate for Josh Toulson with a cross from the right but the latter’s effort was somehow saved by Norman from point-blank range.
That save proved crucial as Oldland went on to score the winning goal only three minutes later. Aaron Mansfield’s fierce strike beat Mead-Crebbin but cannoned against the upright, with Kyte on hand to guide home the rebound and clinch victory.
“Football matches are won in both boxes and we didn’t necessarily show the desired quality in each box to make that happen for us,” Brown said. “The players are going to have to apply themselves very quickly because you have to earn every single point across the game, you can't have ten minutes off. We had ten minutes off on Saturday and it’s cost us.
“But there were lots of positives. We looked at it after the game and there were probably six chances which should have been goals for us, we’ve scored two goals away from home so we’re doing everything in that respect to win games, but we’ve conceded three.”
🟢 St Blazey: ‘Football was done for me’ — Giles
By Tom Howe at Blaise Park
Martin Giles is a commanding centre-half known for never shirking a challenge. Even he, though, admitted to some nerves before St Blazey’s historic Western League opener against Shepton Mallet.
The experienced former St Austell and Bodmin Town defender, 33, had all but drawn a line under a successful playing career after a change in work commitments with the Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service rendered him largely unavailable.
However, recognising his worth to the squad, Blazey’s joint-management team of Bradley Richardson and Andrew Moon persuaded the popular Giles to stay amongst the group and handed him a start in what was the club’s first foray into step five football.
Having played a key role in the Green and Blacks’ run to the South West Peninsula Premier West crown last term, Giles, without a pre-season behind him, picked up where he left off with a goalscoring man of the match performance in Saturday’s hard-fought 1-1 draw.
“I was unable to make the pre-season and initially said football was done for me,” he told Cornwall Sports Media at Blaise Park. “A change in work commitments means I will be missing for four or five weeks on the trot and be dipping in and out. Brad and Moons were adamant that they wanted to keep me part of the squad, though.
“They wanted to keep me interested and seeing all the lads, which obviously I am delighted to because they are all good as gold. It is a tough decision because, dipping in and out and with the long away games, I have obviously got to keep up my match fitness too… so today I was coming into it quite nervous actually.
“I was feeling quite unfit but it was a good game. We did well and built into it with our new squad. It was the first time in the Western League for us and there were a lot of positives for us to take from the game. There were a lot of learning points, too. It is a long old season and hopefully we will have an enjoyable one.
“Having missed pre-season, the last few months have been difficult with certain bits and pieces so to be involved today, to play and to score a goal too… there were a lot of emotions that took over. Moons and Brad put a lot of faith into me so I wanted to go and see them as soon as I saw the ball go in.”
Giles rose highest in a crowded penalty area to nod home Aaron Dilley’s inswinging corner shortly after the hour mark, cueing massive celebrations in the home dug-out. His partnership with centre-half partner Joe Cooper frustrated visiting Shepton Mallet for large spells, although Harry Rutty pulled one back late on to ensure a share of the points.
It was one of many twists in the tale on an entertaining afternoon at Blaise Park, one which brought about three red cards in a breathless first half, with both Blazey’s Richardson and Shepton’s Jack Newman sent off after tangling before home skipper Luke Cloke received his own marching orders for a high tackle.
“They were a good side and on top in the first half but, in the second, we came out with a bit of a different game plan,” explained Giles. “We were disappointed in conceding because we felt there was quite a soft decision which led to their goal but that happens. I said to the guys that we are going to get a lot of that this season so we need to be a little more streetwise.
“I was quite surprised with the sendings off. It all happened quite quickly and early in the game. I think maybe, if everything had been slowed down for five minutes, things would have been done differently. That changed the impact of the game quite a lot. You have got to feel for the guys that were sent off but it is done and that was the referee’s decision.”
👀 What’s on this week
⚽️Western League Premier Division: Tuesday, 7.45pm (unless stated): Buckland Athletic v Torpoint Athletic (7.30pm); Falmouth Town v St Blazey; Saltash United v Helston Athletic.
⚽️South West Peninsula League Premier West: Wednesday, 7.30pm: Liskeard Athletic v St Dennis.
We’re back on Thursday, see you then!
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