⚽ St Blazey ‘absolutely brilliant’ in FA Cup win, says co-chief Richardson
Plus: We hear from Falmouth Town, Helston Athletic and Mousehole on their FA Cup wins, plus words from Bude Town, Truro City and Plymouth Argyle, and our first Grassroots Review of the season...
Good morning, readers!
The season is well and truly under way now after an action-packed Saturday, and we’ve got another big newsletter for you today with more than 5,000 words dedicated to the weekend action. If you want to be able to receive it all, make sure you sign up to a paid subscription — only £5 per month (that’s less than 30p per newsletter) or £50 for a year.
Thank you to those of you who have already purchased a paid subscription, your support is vital in ensuring we can continue providing this coverage. We’re only at the start of this journey and need many more of you to sign up if we’re to still be doing this by the end of the season.
Why get a paid subscription? Read the below:
As a reminder, you can access all of our newsletters in three different ways: via your email inbox, via our Substack page here, or via the Substack app.
Email is the easiest and quickest way to view as all of our newsletters are emailed to you the moment they are published.
To take out a paid subscription and unlock all of our content, hit the button below:
⬇️ In today’s newsletter ⬇️
🟢 St Blazey: Team were ‘absolutely brilliant’ in FA Cup win, says co-chief Richardson
🟣 Wendron: O’Neill frustrated by ‘really disappointing’ display
🟢 Mousehole: Ash excited for rare Cornish away day in next round
📸 IN PICTURES: Wendron United 1-3 St Blazey
🔵 Helston: Cusack targets more FA Cup success this season
🟡 Falmouth: Cup success is great for the club, says Westgarth
⚽ Grassroots Review: St Mawgan and Illogan are early leaders
⚪ Truro: Wotton thrilled by ‘exhilarating’ performance in Welling rout
🔵 Bude: Seasiders chief ‘gutted but proud’ after draw at Bodmin
🟢 Argyle: Schumacher delighted with opening-day win at Home Park
Enjoy. 〓〓
🟢 St Blazey: Team were ‘absolutely brilliant’ in FA Cup win, says co-chief Richardson
By Matt Friday at Underlane
Wendron United 1 (Wood)
St Blazey 3 (Cloke 2, Kenny)
FA Cup extra preliminary round
Saturday, August 5, 2023
St Blazey co-manager Brad Richardson was thrilled with his team's ability to grind out a win amid the effects of Storm Antoni as the Blaise Park outfit defeated Wendron United in the FA Cup extra preliminary round.
The Green and Blacks marked their return to the FA Cup after ten years away with victory at South West Peninsula League Premier West outfit Wendron, who were making their debut in the competition.
A goal either side of the break from skipper Luke Cloke put St Blazey in control, and while the Underlane outfit pulled one back through Josh Wood, substitute Callum Kenny came off the bench to clinch progression for the visitors, who had Lewis Russell sent off late on.
The Green and Blacks will now welcome newly-promoted Southern League side Mousehole to Blaise Park in the next round.
“I’m very pleased," Richardson told Cornwall Sports Media after the final whistle. “I’ve got a smile on my face which I didn’t quite have on Tuesday night [after losing to Falmouth]. If you come down here in the first half like it was with the wind, you’ve got to dig in and you’ve got to grind it out and I thought we were good value for it today, I thought we were really good.”
He added: “At the minute we’re patching the squad together because we’ve got players out. Today we've played Lewis Russell, who is a 34-year-old who has never played a game in centre-midfield in his life and he played in centre-midfield today. Aaron Dilley’s had norovirus for 14 days, lost two stone in weight and he’s played today, so we’re literally a patched-up side, but they were absolutely brilliant to a man today.”
There was little in the way of goalmouth action early on as both sides struggled to adapt to the howling wind that dogged most of the county's games on Saturday, with Isaac McCue teeing up Cloke for the first effort of the day which was well saved by Wendron custodian Ethan Fearn.
St Blazey began to settle as the half wore on with McCue and Cloke having two efforts apiece while Kieron Bishop shot into the side netting. At the other end, Charlie Young sliced a shot wide of Shaun Semmens’ goal.
The breakthrough came in the final minute of the first half and it was nothing the visitors didn't deserve for their first-half efforts. Matt Lloyd threaded a pass through to Cloke, who strode into the box before drilling the ball past Fearn.
If that was the proverbial ‘good time to score’, things got even better for the visitors three minutes after the turnaround when Cloke doubled the advantage, arrowing the ball into the bottom corner of Fearn's net from the edge of the box.
That woke up the hosts and they promptly enjoyed their best spell of the game, with Ryan Reeve having a penalty appeal waved away before Jacob Cleverly drilled a shot over the bar.
And Wendron found their way back into the game with just over 30 minutes left to play. A lofted ball over the top of the defence led to a foot-race between Semmens and Wood that was won by the latter, who lifted the ball over the 'keeper before stroking it into the empty net.
Back came St Blazey, however, and they scored the goal that would ultimately secure progression in the 69th minute. Not long after Kenny blazed a good opportunity over the bar, the substitute made amends as he lashed a fierce effort past Fearn.
With time running out, Wendron needed a bit of help if they were to get back into the game and they had it when Russell received a second yellow card. O'Neill's side couldn't capitalise, though, with Wood putting Reece Carroll's cross agonisingly wide from six yards out as the visitors saw out the game.
“I thought we were good value for it, if I’m being honest,” Richardson said. “Especially in the first half where that wind was howling where our ‘keeper is taking goal kicks and it’s going just to the edge of the box.
“Clokey came off injured and was struggling a bit before the game and I said, ‘Give me everything you’ve got,’ and he did that and Cal Kenny has come on and wrapped the game up to a certain degree.
“But to a man today we were absolutely brilliant, and Isaac McCue was absolutely outstanding. He played in the pocket, got us on the half-turn, got us playing and got us passing the ball where I want us to play and I thought he was absolutely outstanding for a young kid, he was a manager’s dream.”
On the prospect of facing last year’s Western League Premier Division champions Mousehole in the next round, Richardson added: “[It'll be] a tough test. I don’t think we’ve been in this competition for ten years and it’s a nice little money-spinner for the club, and let’s see what we can do against Mousehole.”
🟣 Wendron: O’Neill frustrated by ‘really disappointing’ display
In contrast, Wendron boss O'Neill cut a frustrated figure at full-time, with the Dron chief blaming a lack of team cohesion for his side's early exit from the FA Cup.
Playing their first match of the season — in contrast to it being St Blazey's third — Wendron were second best for much of the game as they came up short against the side that pipped them to the SWPL Premier West title last term.
“Really disappointing,” O'Neill replied when asked to sum up his thoughts on the game. “I felt we never got going at any point, nothing that we really looked at and worked on during pre-season paid off at all today.
“I felt there was lots of individualism and not enough team cohesion to try and do what we wanted and what we expect of ourselves and I was really, really disappointed actually.
“I don’t like conceding at any time to be honest, but the manner and the timing, both of those, we’ve absolutely killed ourselves in the worst possible way and at the worst possible times and if you do that then you're going to lose games and that was obviously the case today.
“You train all the time to play in a certain way and then you go out there and you don’t do any of it, that’s the biggest frustration.”
It was a result that did not match the occasion as Wendron made their debut in the FA Cup, with the Dron one of only three SWPL clubs and only seven step six sides throughout the country to play in the competition this season.
It is another marker of progress for one of the county's most progressive clubs, and while O'Neill acknowledged the significance of the day, he admitted the performance was not befitting of the occasion.
“Being in the FA Cup is a fantastic achievement for the club as a whole and I’m incredibly proud that I get the opportunity to manage them in it,” he said, “but you deserve to be in it based on your efforts and your performances and we’ve just been really flat today.
“Whether that’s the occasion, whether that’s whatever other reason I’m slightly unsure, but we’ve come unstuck today, well and truly, and I think it’s time for everyone to take a couple of days for a bit of self-reflection.”
🟢 Mousehole: Ash excited for rare Cornish away day in next round
By Matt Friday
Mousehole 4 (Bray-Evans 2, Sousa, Goldsworthy)
Ilfracombe Town 1 (Beck)
FA Cup extra preliminary round
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Mousehole chief Jake Ash is relishing a rare chance to visit another Cornish team after the Seagulls set up an FA Cup preliminary round trip to St Blazey following a fine victory over Ilfracombe Town at Trungle Parc.
The newly-promoted Southern League side led at the break through Jack Bray-Evans and Paulo Sousa before Ollie Beck pulled one back for the Bluebirds, but Mark Goldsworthy and Bray-Evans were on hand to clinch victory for Ash’s men.
The Seagulls will now head to Cornish rivals St Blazey in the next round for what will be a rare away game in the Duchy this season due to Mousehole’s promotion precluding them from entering the Cornwall Senior Cup – a rule that Ash feels should be changed.
“This will be our only Cornwall away game because obviously we’ve got no Senior Cup, which I think is a disappointment,” he told Cornwall Sports Media. “I think it’s something for the county FA to look at really because once we’re out of the cups by Christmas, unless we have a great run in either the FA Cup or FA Trophy, that’s us out of cup competitions.
“There’s six Cornish teams in the Western League now, they’re only a league below us and they were the hardest games for us last season, so it’s not like if we’re in the Senior Cup we’re going to smash our way through, it just doesn’t make sense to me.
“That will be our only Cornish away game so we’ll look forward to it, it’s a lovely, big surface which really suits us. I spoke to Laffs [St Blazey’s Phil Lafferty] briefly [on Saturday night] and we’ve been in contact quite a bit over pre-season, so we’ll really look forward to going down there, but we’ve obviously got two league games before then so we won’t think about it too much until we’ve got through those two.”
The Seagulls didn’t need long to get their 2023-24 campaign up and running and got their noses in front in only the fourth minute. Bray-Evans cut inside from the left and his wind-assisted effort flew past Bluebirds gloveman Jimmy Thorne and into the top corner.
Ash’s side then spurned a series of good chances to extend their lead but they eventually did so seven minutes before the interval. Jack Calver won the ball in midfield and laid it off to Sousa, who unleashed an excellent strike into the top corner from distance.
Clem Bennellick’s visitors responded after the turnaround with Ollie Chenoweth forced into a save before the Bluebirds did halve the deficit from the spot, with Beck scoring the rebound after the initial effort was saved by Chenoweth.
A second yellow card for Lee Rundle effectively spelled the end for Ilfracombe’s chances, with Goldsworthy adding a third 15 minutes from time when he rifled a loose ball into the far corner from close range after a free-kick fell his way.
There was time for a fourth goal with Bray-Evans capping off a superb team move in the 87th minute, with debutant Morgan Lewis cutting the ball back for Bray-Evans, who made no mistake with the rebound after his initial effort was blocked.
“Jack [Bray-Evans] will be pleased with his two goals and I think he’ll be even more pleased because he hadn’t actually completed 90 minutes in a Mousehole shirt yet,” Ash said. “He managed to do that on Saturday and he’ll be really pleased, he’s worked really hard in pre-season and been good in front of goal.
“It was good for him to start with a couple and equally it was good for Goldy to get one and get through to the next round.
“[Goldsworthy’s goal] was a lovely one because his little boy was there and I think it was only the second time he’s come to watch, and it was a lovely moment when he ran over and celebrated the goal with his boy and his dad.
“[Sousa’s goal] was an absolute stunner, there won’t have been many better long-distance goals scored in the FA Cup on Saturday. It was an absolute screamer and put us two up and deservedly so because we were good in the first half, we managed the wind well and we knew there was no point trying to play extravagant passes.
“It wasn’t beautiful, but it was never going to be in that wind, but we’ve achieved it and we’ve set ourselves up for a local derby of an away game, which we don’t get many of these days!
“All in all, it was a good day, a good result and a decent crowd as well – I think there was about 230 there on a pretty wild day. Ilfracombe are a fantastic club and I’ve got a lot of time for their manager Clem [Bennellick] and their chairman.”
📸 IN PICTURES: Wendron United 1-3 St Blazey
By Matt Friday
Check out our gallery from Saturday’s FA Cup extra preliminary round tie at Underlane, which saw St Blazey end their ten-year absence from the competition with a victory at debutants Wendron United.
🔵 Helston: Cusack targets more FA Cup success this season
By Matt Friday
Helston Athletic 3 (A Bentley, Simmonds, Damerell)
Willand Rovers 1 (Camilo)
FA Cup extra preliminary round
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Boss Matt Cusack is hungry for more cup success after his Helston Athletic dispatched Southern League opponents Willand Rovers at Kellaway Park.
Aaron Bentley nodded the hosts in front just before the break and although they were soon pegged back by Doug Camilo’s effort, goals from Jamie Simmonds and Curtis Damerell secured progression for Matt Cusack’s side.
The Blues enjoyed a club record run to the third qualifying round last season before lifting the Cornwall Senior Cup and Les Phillips Cup, and they will face Southern League opposition again in the next round, with a trip to Bideford — who defeated the Blues 5-0 in pre-season — up next.
“I said to the boys before the game that performances are nice but ultimately in the cups it’s all about finding a way to win the game,” Cusack said. “That’s something that we were used to with our two cup successes last year and doing so well in this competition last year, it’s a special competition for us, the FA Cup.
“Last year we got to the third qualifying round and we were delighted with that and setting the club record, and this year the aspiration is to try and at least match it if not go one further again, but obviously the first hurdle was going to be difficult, playing Willand Rovers who are a step above.
“It was our third competitive game and it was their first and I think that helped us. Conditions were tricky with the adverse weather conditions and it was a bit of a spoiler if I’m honest, but we did manage it as best as we could and felt that we scored at decisive moments in the game.”
In an intriguing encounter on paper that was billed the Cornish tie of the round by Cusack beforehand, it was Helston who settled first when an early interchange between Damerell and Simmonds resulted in the latter striking the post.
The Blues, who have tasted defeat just once in 2023, eventually made the breakthrough shortly before the interval, with Jordan Copp’s corner being nodded home by Aaron Bentley for his first of the season.
Eager to extend their lead when play resumed, Helston were dealt a blow early in the second half when Rovers equalised, with Camilo firing the ball past home stopper Kyle Moore and into the roof of the net.
Parity lasted roughly ten minutes before the Blues restored their lead, with Damerell and Simmonds once again combining for the latter to find the far corner.
Cusack’s side had to wait until deep into stoppage time to be sure of victory when Steve Colwell nodded Sam Carter’s cross against the post, with Damerell on hand to slam home the rebound.
“I’m delighted with the win and we felt that the result was the right one and now we’ve got a chance to go to Bideford in the next round,” Cusack said. “It was one of our pre-season games where we really underperformed so we’re really looking forward to that one.
“I think we’re now unbeaten in 26 competitive games when you go back to last season, so we’re in a good place right now, we’ve just got to keep working hard and take each game as it comes. It was great to get personnel back in the squad on Saturday as well. We were missing a few, as most sides probably are at this time of year, and we’ll look to get them back in next week for the Bridgwater game.”
🟡 Falmouth: Cup success is great for the club, says Westgarth
By Matt Friday
Falmouth Town 2 (Annear, Brabyn)
Exmouth Town 1 (Slater)
FA Cup extra preliminary round
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Falmouth Town manager Andrew Westgarth expressed his delight after his side beat Exmouth Town in their FA Cup extra preliminary round tie on Saturday.
Town came from behind to eliminate higher-division opposition as they defeated Southern League outfit Exmouth 2-1 at Bickland Park.
Ethan Slater put the Devonians in front inside two minutes, but a super strike from Tom Annear levelled the tie before Luke Brabyn’s 100th goal for the club clinched a famous comeback win.
Town will entertain Exmouth’s Southern League Division One South colleagues Frome Town in the next round.
Westgarth was absent from the game as he, along with skipper James Ward, was attending the wedding of former player Ryan Barnes, and learned of the result during the reception.
“I’m delighted, it was brilliant. When I heard we were 1-0 down I thought it was going to be a long day,” Westgarth told Cornwall Sports Media, “and then I was just tucking into the food when my phone started going nuts!
“It’s great for the club. Historically, we love cup runs and they can do wonders for your season. We’ve had a solid start, we had a good pre-season and now it’s my first time as manager that we’ve beaten a Southern League side.
“Two clean sheets, four points in the league and then to beat a higher-division side in Exmouth, I’m delighted.”
Falmouth's afternoon got off to the worst possible start when Slater put the Devonians in front in only the second minute, with the Exmouth man tucking home Callum Shipton's cross.
Intent on finding a quick second, both Aarron Denny and Ben Steer were denied by home custodian Morgan Coxhead before Annear and Jacob Grange had efforts at the other end.
Exmouth failed to capitalise on a bright start to the second half with Coxhead blocking Denny's fierce effort before Mike Landricombe struggled to test the home gloveman with his strike.
That failure to add to their tally proved costly when Falmouth equalised with 15 minutes to play, and in some style. Annear, who was skipper for the day in the absence of Ward, received the ball outside the box and proceeded to drive it into the top corner, leaving Exmouth stopper Andrew Sowden with no chance.
And the hosts only had to wait another eight minutes to turn the tie on its head with Brabyn bagging his 100th goal for the club. After being denied by Sowden a few minutes earlier, Brabyn made no mistake this time when he turned a cross past the visiting 'keeper to clinch a memorable victory.
“[Brabyn’s] had to be patient,” Westgarth said. “He didn’t have many chances at Brixham [last weekend] and against Blazey [on Tuesday] he was unlucky not to score, but to actually get [his 100th goal] as the winning goal in the FA Cup, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“He doesn’t score many tap-ins, does Tom! He seems to score great goals and even he said it was the best and most significant goal of his time at Falmouth: FA Cup, against a Southern League, top bins, 15 minutes to go — you can’t ask for more, really.”
After defeating one Southern League side at Bickland Park, Town are now faced with the prospect of having to do it again with Frome Town the visitors to west Cornwall in two weeks' time.
And with one in the bag already, Westgarth is relishing the thought of taking another scalp.
“It’s what cup football is all about, it’s about testing yourself and seeing what happens, it’s the unknown,” he said. “You know your league form, that’s your bread and butter, but your cup football is a welcome distraction.
“You’ve only got to look at Helston last year and how well they did in the cups, it can definitely springboard your season. They had a great FA Cup run and went on to win the Senior Cup and League Cup.
“We know how important cup football is for the club, and financially it’s really great as well and it’s great to test yourself against higher opposition. For us to be facing teams like Exmouth and now we’re facing Frome, it’s brilliant — it’s why you want to be in these competitions.”
Westgarth also reserved a word for club legend Tommy Matthews, who stepped in to lead the team on Saturday in his absence.
“He’s an invaluable asset to have at the football club,” he said. “He’s been supportive ever since I took the job [in 2015], he’s always been there for advice and helped me out, I can’t speak highly enough of the man.
“He’s always on the end of the phone and on Saturday he was more than happy to step in. The boys have got massive respect for him and it was a great day for everyone involved.”
⚽ Grassroots Review: St Mawgan and Illogan are early leaders
By Matt Friday
The new-look St Piran League made its debut at the weekend with a handful of opening-day fixtures across the eight divisions. Here, we round up what happened across the county…
East divisions
Tom Barnett, Ash Bicknell, Kieran Buckley and Brett Prentice were all on the scoresheet at St Mawgan surged to the top of the SPL Premier East standings with an opening-day 5-2 win at Sticker reserves, for whom Liam Knowles and James Moore found the net.
Peter Styring (2), Francis Pengelly and John Styring found the net as last year’s runners-up St Dominick enjoyed a 4-1 win at North Petherwin, who replied through Owen Pennington, while Ethan Powell and Anthony Harman netted for Polperro in their 2-2 draw with St Austell reserves at Killigarth.
A quiet opening weekend meant there were just two matches elsewhere in the east, with Karl Whitehead and Taylor Woodhall netting for Saltash United thirds in their 2-2 draw at home to St Dennis Development in Division 2.
North Hill triumphed over Indian Queens by the odd goal in five in the day’s other match in Division 4, with Jason Ridgment, Nathan Rigby and Daniel Otter scoring for the victorious hosts while Callum Hennessy and Scott Hill replied for the visitors.
West divisions
Illogan RBL are the very early leaders of the SPL Premier West after a Jordan Knuckey hat-trick and an Evan Tresidder brace helped the Oxland Park outfit to a 5-2 win over Mullion reserves, for whom Tom Bryant and Thomas Lake netted.
A Jude Tripconey brace and strikes from Ross Dunstan and Sam Pallett helped Helston Athletic Development to a 4-2 triumph over Penryn Athletic, while Fraser Paterson’s brace and a Louis Bell effort clinched a 3-2 win for Porthleven at home to Falmouth Town reserves.
⚪ Truro: Wotton thrilled by ‘exhilarating’ performance in Welling rout
By Matt Friday
Truro City 5 (Porter 2, Neal, Palmer, Harvey)
Welling United 1 (Papadopoulos pen)
National League South
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Boss Paul Wotton hailed an ‘exhilarating’ first half that saw his Truro City side put five goals past Welling United on their return to the National League South.
Rocky Neal opened the scoring after five minutes at Bolitho Park before a quickfire double from Ed Palmer and Adam Porter, making his debut as a permanent signing, put City three goals up after 20 minutes.
Cameron Green pulled one back for the Wings but Porter’s second and a Tyler Harvey effort gave Wotton’s side a remarkable 5-1 lead at the break, with Antony Papadopoulos replying from the spot late on.
The margin of victory puts City at the National League South summit after the opening round of fixtures.
“I thought in the first half we were exhilarating,” Wotton said. “Every time we went forward I thought we were going to score. [There were some] great finishes, our play was quick, we were front-footed and they did everything that I asked of them. A couple of things that we’d worked on in training came off so that was lovely.
“The second half was always going to be [a quieter affair]. Welling have got some good football players and they keep the ball well and we just had to stay disciplined in our shape.
“It’s a really good start for us. There’s 45 games to go but it’s a great start. I liked our front-footed approach to the game.”
City enjoyed the best possible start to their first National League South game since April 2019 when Neal put the White Tigers in front after four minutes with a delightful chip over Wings gloveman Ben Winterbottom.
The Welling custodian then thwarted Harvey but he was beaten again in the 18th minute. Will Dean's free-kick delivery was inch-perfect for Palmer, who guided the ball home at the back post.
Winterbottom was picking the ball out of his net again barely two minutes later, with Porter finishing inside the box after good work from Harvey to mark his debut as a permanent signing with a goal.
With the game running away from them, Welling woke from their slumber and pulled one back shortly before the half-hour mark when a one-two with Will Wood allowed Green to drill the ball into the bottom corner.
But a fine first half got even better six minutes before the interval when Porter, who spent last season at Bolitho Park on loan from Salford City, produced a smart finish from Connor Riley-Lowe’s cross.
And it didn't stop there, either, with Harvey getting in on the act in the final minute of the half with a fine finish into the bottom corner from the edge of the box to round off a quite remarkable opening 45 minutes.
With the match well and truly over by the break, a less eventful second half followed. Papadopoulos was at least able to grab another consolation from the spot after TJ Bramble was felled in the box, but it didn't dampen what was a sensational opening day for City.
“Obviously, [the first half] was a dream half of football,” Wotton said, “but you don’t plan out for the game to be like that, ever, but the boys did well and took their opportunities at the right time. We looked a threat every time we went forward so there were lots and lots of pleasing aspects to the game.
“But we’re just humble, we’ve come here, we’ve had a great start and we don’t blast music out [after we win], we just go about work quietly and today’s a good day for us.”
🔵 Bude: Seasiders chief ‘gutted but proud’ after draw at Bodmin
By Tom Howe at Priory Park
Bodmin Town 1 (Spear)
Bude Town 1 (Hopcroft)
South West Peninsula League Premier West
Saturday, August 5, 2023
A lack of conviction in front of goal cost ten-man Bude Town the win at Bodmin, who scored a last-minute equaliser to escape with a 1-1 draw.
That was the verdict of visiting joint-manager Ben Potter, who watched his side burst into a seventh-minute lead thanks to a typically fine finish from star striker Billy Hopcroft.
Moments later, however, Bude goalkeeper Liam Hill was handed an early bath after rushing off his line and bringing down Bodmin attacker Ben Waters.
It resulted in midfielder Harry Hopcroft, brother of Billy, donning the gloves for more than 70 minutes. Miraculously, he looked to have kept a clean sheet until substitute Connor Spear struck a last-gasp leveller.
“It was a good result considering we were down to ten men after 20 minutes, playing against Bodmin, to keep the ball and create good chances the way that we did,” Potter told Cornwall Sports Media at full-time.
“On another day we should have been putting more away, really. The boys have done well and it was harsh [on them] to come away with a last-minute equaliser, there.
“I felt a bit gutted but also proud about the work rate that they put in for the whole 90 minutes and while down to ten players. It is a good point away from home and a good start to the season.
“The only thing I can say about pre-season is that we haven’t been taking our chances. In bigger games, like today’s, we have had three or four chances on top of our goal and [Bodmin] have had one at the other end in the second half and scored it.”
The game, coming on the opening week of a new SWPL Premier West season, began in dramatic fashion with Bodmin’s Ryan Knight shooting wide when one-on-one with Hill.
Billy Hopcroft wasn’t about to pass up a similar opportunity at the other end of the field, netting the first of what Potter’s side will hope is another prolific campaign for the mercurial marksman.
The balance was expected to tip the other way when Hill was shown a straight red card by referee Tom Roper, but Bude showed immense resilience and character to keep their opposition at bay.
It took some courageous defending with a sprinkling of luck but, as the minutes ticked by, it seemed as though it just wasn’t going to be Bodmin’s day, despite their man advantage.
That was until Spear was introduced from the bench close to the end of the 90. He warmed up with a rather miscued shot but buried the second chance presented to him, arrowing across Harry Hopcroft and into the far corner.
Chaos ensued as the hosts pressed for a late winner, with Knight turning home Spear’s cross only to be presented with the linesman’s flag upon wheeling away in celebration.
His protestations led to a sin bin which levelled the playing field in terms of numbers. There was one final moment of controversy though, with Bodmin’s Sam Clifton shown a second yellow and subsequent red that meant his side ended proceedings with nine men.
“I thought [the refereeing] wasn’t very good overall for both sides [but] I have no complaints,” said Potter. “He wasn’t biased towards one side or the other, it was the same the whole way through.
“You have just got to play through it. You are going to get that with officials sometimes and you have to keep playing your football, letting that do the talking.”
Following their trip to Bodmin, Potter and Bude can look forward to back-to-back home fixtures against Callington Town (Tuesday) and Wendron United (Saturday).
After his heroics, will we see Hopcroft continue deputising between the sticks?
“Harry has gone in goal a couple of times in training just messing around,” smiled Potter. “I know he has got good hands and a good kick on him.
“We do have a reserve goalkeeper that comes in when he needs to and we might now need him on Tuesday night if Liam’s suspended.
“Hopefully Tornado Bello will be back for Tuesday and Luke Potter too, who we rested today.
“He has had ligament damage for six weeks. [With him fit], hopefully we will have a full 20-man squad.”
🟢 Argyle: Schumacher delighted with opening-day win at Home Park
By Colin Bradbury at Home Park
Plymouth Argyle 3 (Whittaker, Mumba, Hardie)
Huddersfield Town 1 (Helik)
EFL Championship
Saturday, August 5, 2023
Manager Steven Schumacher was delighted to see his Plymouth Argyle team take all three points from a “hard fought and intense” Championship season opener against Huddersfield Town.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Schumacher said he expected close, tough games to be a feature of Argyle’s return to the second tier.
‘Schuey’, who has been in charge at Home Park for just 20 months, admitted to some butterflies in the stomach walking out for his Championship debut. Especially as he was facing Neil Warnock, one of the most experienced managers in the game. Emphasising the gulf between the two, Schumacher pointed out that, “It’s his 44th season in management, his 44th ‘first day of the season’. It’s my second.”
So it was a huge relief when Argyle went ahead after just six minutes. After a game of football ping-pong in the penalty area, not helped by the strong gale swirling around Home Park, the returning Morgan Whittaker bundled the ball in from close-range to send the capacity crowd wild.
Schumacher was full of praise for the club’s joint-record signing: “Morgan was in the right place. It’s the kind of goal you expect him to score — in the 18-yard box where you need the wide players. Morgan’s carried on where he left off after leaving in January. He scored in the last game before he left and now in his first one back. He’s a critical player.”
Argyle’s resilience was tested by a Huddersfield equaliser right on the stroke of half-time, but Schumacher said that he told the players in the dressing room that, “they’d played as they’d been expected to in the first half” and just “needed to get the ball to the forwards and use their energy” in the second.
Bali Mumba was obviously paying attention, and on the 74th minute scored what must have been one of the best goals of the opening day. Schumacher described his jinking run from near the halfway line as a “brilliant individual goal… when he gets his moment and gets in a one-on-one situation, he trusts himself to do something.”
Within two minutes, Whittaker put Ryan Hardie through to score his 50th Argyle goal and put the result beyond doubt. “It was a brilliant goal,” Schumacher said. “Ryan’s always playing on the shoulder and running at the opposition goal. He’s got players behind him like Azaz, Mumba, Randell and Butcher who are always looking for those through balls to put him in on goal. I’m so pleased for him.”
Schumacher feels that the second-half goals exemplify the kind of football Argyle are looking to play this season. “We want to play out from the back, try and play through the lines.”
Hardie’s goal was the product of a Whittaker intervention in midfield, winning the ball before sliding a pass between the lines for Hardie. As Schumacher said, “If we can turn the ball over and play forward quickly in transition we’ve got the speed at the top end of the pitch so we must use it. We don’t always have to build slowly to create a chance.”
The manager’s choice to play four at the back on Saturday contrasted with the back three that prevailed for the majority of last season. He confirmed that there is likely to be more variation in starting formations this term: “We felt we wanted to adjust this season. It gives us more flexibility, you can get more people higher up the pitch, you can try and pin people back with three wide players and get an overload at times. But we won’t play that every week. There will be times when we need to go to a back three so whatever system the opposition play we can decide what’s best for us.”
The continued emphasis on playing out from the back puts the focus firmly on the ‘keeper, and Schumacher surprised some by handing a debut to new arrival Conor Hazard. “I thought he did brilliantly,” he said. “He had the courage to play the way we want to play. He made one or two errors, but he also made two brilliant saves. Of course he’s going to need to get better with his feet — it’s not easy to play this way — but it takes bravery to do it. He can only get better, and I was really pleased with his performance.”
Also at the back, Schumacher was very happy with the pairing of Lewis Gibson and Dan Scarr against a “very direct” Huddersfield team. On the absent Julio Pleguezuelo, suspended because of yellow cards carried over from last season’s Europa Conference League campaign with FC Twente, Schumacher indicated that the Spaniard would make his home debut in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup clash with Leyton Orient after a “very good pre-season”.
Overall then a very pleasing start to the season, and Schumacher, as usual, was full of praise for the Green Army: “To get an opening day win was huge. It wasn’t free flowing, it was a battle, but those are the kind of games you’re going to get. Huddersfield pushed us all the way, and the crowd played their part.”
We’re back on Thursday, see you then!
Follow us on Twitter: @sportscornwall
Follow us on Facebook: @cornwallsportsmedia
Follow us on Instagram: @cornwallsportsmedia
Visit our website: cornwallsportsmedia.co.uk
