⚪️ Worthing defeat 'a reality check', says Truro chief Wotton
Plus, Argyle Women bow out of FA Cup, Falmouth Town dream of Wembley after FA Vase fourth round win, and Helston Athletic regain control of Western League title race.
⬇️ In today’s newsletter ⬇️
⚪ Truro: Worthing defeat 'a reality check', says City chief Wotton
🟢 Argyle: Women put on spirited display as they bow out of FA Cup
🟢 Mousehole: Ash hails Seagulls’ ‘resilience’ after Bideford draw
🟡 Falmouth: Town continue march to Wembley with Westgarth’s men into Last 16
🔴 Western: Stoppage-time winner hands Helston advantage in title race
🔵 SWPL: Liskeard’s rare draw opens door for St Austell
🟠 Women’s: St Austell earn crucial win while Saltash go top
Enjoy. 〓〓
⚪️ Truro: Worthing defeat 'a reality check', says City chief Wotton
By Matt Friday at Bolitho Park
Boss Paul Wotton admitted his Truro City side were given a ‘reality check’ after they went down to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Worthing at Bolitho Park on Saturday.
City came into the game on a fantastic run of six wins in their past seven outings, and took the lead on the half-hour mark via Tyler Harvey’s excellent header, only for Danny Cashman to nod in a leveller on the stroke of half-time.
Buoyed by that timely equaliser, the West Sussex outfit raced out of the blocks after the turnaround with Oliver Pearce and Cashman finding the net for the Rebels within two minutes of each other.
Adam Hinshelwood’s side wrapped up the points in the 78th minute when the division’s leading goalscorer Pearce volleyed home to condemn City to a first home defeat since the end of October.
"There were two shots in the first half – we scored a really good goal and then we conceded a really poor goal right on the stroke of half-time," Wotton said. "It’s a reality check, really. We’ve been on a good run [but] Worthing were sharper, quicker, moved the ball better and won more second balls. All in all, we’ve been beaten by a better team today.
“The goal on the stroke of half-time was a blow and the second goal is poor again from us and the third goal is just suicidal defending, literally 90 seconds after you concede the second one and it’s game over.
“We then got raggedy and started chasing the ball and that played into Worthing’s hands because they’re an excellent team. They moved the ball better than us, they were fitter and sharper. I’ve got no qualms about the result, I think Worthing were excellent in the second half and I thought we were poor, so the gulf was huge.
“There’s no screaming and shouting, there’s no finger pointing in the changing room, we know we’ve been poor. It was disappointing especially after going 1-0 up because we’ve been good at defending leads lately, but it wasn’t our day and, in the second half especially, Worthing were better than us in all departments.”
The defeat brought an abrupt end to City’s best winning run of the season, which stood at four matches, but there is little time to dwell on it with the team back in action on Tuesday night for the visit of Dartford.
This is set to be a busy period for City with four matches in the next 13 days, so Wotton’s side will need to quickly brush off any disappointment and focus minds on making amends on Tuesday.
“Before today we’d won six out of seven and now we’ve won six out of eight, it’s a return you would have taken before that run of games started,” Wotton said. “But we’re under no illusion that we’ve got a tough game on Tuesday night.
“Dartford are an experienced team and we haven’t come up against them yet this season. They’ve changed their manager which is always a tricky situation, but we’ll recover properly and go again on Tuesday and hopefully put in a better performance than we did today.”
He added: “I just said [in the dressing room], ‘Let this one sting for a couple of hours but don’t let it ruin your weekend.’ We’ve been on a good run and we’re a good team. When we do what we’re good at we’re a good team and when we don’t we struggle, I’ve said that all along.”
🟢 Argyle: Women put on spirited display as they bow out of FA Cup
By Colin Bradbury
Plymouth Argyle’s women put in a gutsy performance on the big Home Park stage on Sunday but were eliminated from the Adobe Women’s FA Cup by a very strong Nottingham Forest side.
Argyle were bidding to reach the fifth round of the competition for the first time after defeating Oxford United on penalties in the third round. They defended resolutely in the first half and looked to be heading into the break trailing by just one until a Forest goal in the third minute of added time doubled the visitors’ advantage.
As Argyle Women’s coach Ryan Perks acknowledged after the game, Forest’s fitness levels — helped by the presence in the side of six full-time professionals — told as the game wore on. The visitors scored four more in the second half before a lovely Jade Berrow header from an Argyle free kick right at the death gave the home side a richly deserved consolation goal.
The Argyle women were backed by a vocal crowd almost 2,000 strong with the younger supporters very much in evidence. As always, the players showed their appreciation, signing autographs and posing for selfies long after the final whistle.
Argyle: 1 Jasmine Read, 2 Katie Dickson, 4 Jemma Rose, 5 Panagiota Papaioannou (capt), 6 Lucy Hack (11 Fern Orchard, 55), 7 Charlotte Whitmore (19 Erin O'Shea, 88), 8 Imy Crawford (15 Georgie Knott, 76), 9 Ellie Sara (11 Jade Berrow, 55), 10 Rebecca Dandridge, 18 Taya Pomfret, 29 Mia Endacott. Substitutes (not used): 21 Maddi Curno (gk), 13 Grace Smith, 22 Emily Elliot, 23 Katelyn Bell, 24 Grace Perrins.
🟢 Mousehole: Ash hails Seagulls’ ‘resilience’ after Bideford draw
By Pablo Woolls-Blanco at The Sports Ground
Mousehole manager Jake Ash praised his side’s ‘resilience’ after the Seagulls picked up a well-earned 1-1 draw away to Bideford.
In the Seagulls’ third straight away game in the Southern League Division One South, a superb second-half equaliser from Tallan Mitchell ended Bideford’s six-game winning streak.
After a first half void of many clear-cut chances, it was the home side who found themselves ahead, after Josh Webber pounced upon another Mousehole error at the back before emphatically lashing a left-footed effort into the far corner, just after the half-hour mark.
Mousehole showed their quality in the second period and got their equaliser in the 64th minute through Tallan Mitchell, after some tricky footwork in the penalty area and after an impressive, lengthy passing move.
Bideford were reduced to ten men in the 80th minute as Archie Reay was given his marching orders for violent conduct, but after several second-half opportunities to find their first away win since the end of September, the Seagulls settled for a point.
"I felt like we really nullified them (Bideford) today.” Ash said. “Other than the goal which was a little bit disappointing, I didn’t really feel like there were many moments when we were under threat and I think we created the better chances. It’s a very difficult place to come. In terms of away games you put it right in the top bracket, so it’s a good point.
“We’ve really put a bit of resilience together. It would be really nice if we didn’t have to come in at half-time down, and that’s a common theme. But the decision making was really good, as was the intensity to play forward.
“I’m really pleased — it’s a slight tinge that it’s another game that we’ve drawn and another game that I thought we could go on and win.”
🟡 Falmouth: Town continue march to Wembley with Westgarth’s men into Last 16
By Matt Friday
What a fantastic season it is turning out to be for Falmouth Town.
Andrew Westgarth’s side are in the midst of a surprise title race in the Western League, have booked their place in yet another Cornwall Senior Cup semi-final, and are now through to the last 16 of the FA Vase for the first time since 1995.
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