SWPL U21 FLOODLIT CUP

[RAPPO]

GROUP B.

WADEBRIDGE  2 - 3  LAUNCESTON

Entertaining game at Bodieve tonight between these two teams. Great effort from an understrength Bridgers who played with a bare 11 and no recognised keeper, and also had to play from the 44th minute with ten men. The hosts got off to a great start in the 3rd minute when Jack Rapsey curled a 25 yard right foot shot into the bottom corner inches inside the post. Launceston who were made up from their own SWL side and a couple from Millbrook and a few Plymouth lads I recognised had most of the possession but Wadebridge looked the more dangerous in the final third. The referee was pretty quick to flash the cards about although there was a couple of gobby chaps on the away team chipping away at every decision. The game was physical without ever getting dirty between the two sets of players but I think the ref was antagonising a few of them for some reason but he awarded the visitors a penalty right on half time for handball which was definitely the correct decision but he sent off the wrong player for it!!! Poor Adam Paterson got his marching orders but it was actually the hand of full back Dan Ohara that deflected the ball on to the bar. Easily done you might say but Dan is the blondest lad in the team and Pats the darkest!!! Anyway the pen was scored to draw the sides level at the break and home manager Johnny May reorganised his team into a 4-3-1-1 formation and they had a great start to the second half when the hard working Kyle Flew closed down the left back and the ball broke to fellow striker Rapsey who turned inside his marker and struck a great left foot shot across the keeper into the far corner from the edge of the area for his second of the game. The second half was much the same as the first with Launceston shading the ball retention but Wadebridge looking livelier going forward. The half was littered with yellow cards and I think the away team ended up with 5 yellows and a red and the hosts 2 and 1. The County FA must love this ref!! The match was level when the otherwise very competent stand in keeper Joe Ahearne spilled a shot for a tap in equaliser and 15 minutes from time the visitors scored from a corner after a bit of pinball in the area. Not one to criticise but it wasn't a corner either!! You just knew they would score from it. The Bridgers never gave up and almost grabbed an 89th minute equaliser when the excellent Flew flicked on for Rapsey and his 25 yard strike was beaten away from the top corner by the keeper. The ref added on 6 minutes of stoppage time (probably for all the cards!!?? ) and in the fourth of these he levelled it up at 10 a side dishing out another red although probably deserved this time when the C word is shouted at you in a Plymouth accent from five feet away!! Thought the Bridgers defence were excellent especially with numerical disadvantage second half with Harry Hambley and Dan Ohara catching the eye along with the composed Matt Periera. Craig Jackson and Callum Bertrand ran all day in midfield and the front two Kyle Flew and Jack Rapsey ran their socks off still managing to link up all game despite playing against four or five defenders. Might have even got an equaliser if the Lino come subs flag wasn't on a spring second half with some rotten decisions. Four out the five he gave were onside quite clearly. Anyway decent 90 minutes entertainment played at a cracking pace all game. 

MOM - Kyle Flew. Outstanding, winning almost every flick on and showed intelligence for a young player dropping in behind lone striker Rapsey second half and still causing the visiting defence problems and also helping out in midfield to make the extra man when defending. 

WADEBRIDGE

1) Joe Ahearne

2) Dan Ohara

3) Matt Periera

4) Jordan Stone

5) Harry Hambley

6) Craig Jackson

7) Ozzie Beesley

8) Adam Paterson  44' sent off

9) Kyle Flew

10) Jack Rapsey   3'  48' goals

11) Callum Bertrand

Launceston goals)  44 (pen), 68, 75