RESULTS - Friday & Saturday 24 & 25 November 2023

[Dave Deacon]

WESTERN LEAGUE, PREMIER DIVISION

FRIDAY 24/11/23

Nailsea & Tickenham       0-1    Bridgwater United

               

SATURDAY 25/11/23

Brixham             1-1              Welton Rovers

Clevedon Town     2-1              Street

Falmouth Town     3-1              Barnstaple Town

Helston Athletic     5-0              St Blazey

Ilfracombe Town       1-0         Oldland Abbotonians

Saltash United   0-2             Buckland Athletic

Shepton Mallet     6-0              Millbrook

Wellington          2-2              Torpoint Athletic

[Golden Balls]

Falmouth Town 3-1 Barnstaple. Went behind after a couple of mins, then proceeded to starve Barnstaple of possession. Aggressive defensive and midfield play to keep getting the ball back along with the back line consistently turning defense into attack. Young Falmouth team are starting to get more streetwise and do the things necessary to get results. A deserved win against a strong, previously unbeaten opposition. Barnstaple didn’t give up and kept trying, showing why they have the record they have this season. 

[sportsman10]

That quite some statement from Helston .  Gulf in class between the 2 Cornish clubs a bit further apart then we thought. Still my tip to win the league. 

[Mike Odgers]

5 hours ago, Golden Balls said:

Falmouth Town 3-1 Barnstaple. Went behind after a couple of mins, then proceeded to starve Barnstaple of possession. Aggressive defensive and midfield play to keep getting the ball back along with the back line consistently turning defense into attack. Young Falmouth team are starting to get more streetwise and do the things necessary to get results. A deserved win against a strong, previously unbeaten opposition. Barnstaple didn’t give up and kept trying, showing why they have the record they have this season. 

Falmouth Town Bradley Leivers, Jacob Grange and Rubin Wilson scoring on his debut sending Barum' to their first WLP defeat of the season, After a 0-0 draw at Mill Road in October. Falmouth now return to Barnstaple  next Saturday for a F A Vase 3rd.Rd. clash.Attendance at Bickland tofday 399

Scorer within the first minute for Barnstaple  Chris Shephard.

[Tavi Fan]

Great result for Falmouth fair play! 👏 

[Yourhavingalaugh]

8 hours ago, Mike Odgers said:

Falmouth Town Bradley Leivers, Jacob Grange and Rubin Wilson scoring on his debut sending Barum' to their first WLP defeat of the season, After a 0-0 draw at Mill Road in October. Falmouth now return to Barnstaple  next Saturday for a F A Vase 3rd.Rd. clash.Attendance at Bickland tofday 399

Scorer within the first minute for Barnstaple  Chris Shephard.

Excellent attendance, considering Wendron and Helston were playing Liskeard and St Blazey just down the road. 

[mattelot]

18 minutes ago, Yourhavingalaugh said:

Excellent attendance, considering Wendron and Helston were playing Liskeard and St Blazey just down the road. 

There's  no place like bickland on a match day .

[Ian Pethick]

19 minutes ago, mattelot said:

There's  no place like bickland on a match day .

Know it's looking way ahead, and counting many chickens, but not many sides would fancy going to Bickland for a promotion play off match.

[le boss]

27 minutes ago, Way Of The Park said:

Know it's looking way ahead, and counting many chickens, but not many sides would fancy going to Bickland for a promotion play off match.

Are they played on neutral grounds?🤣🤣

[Town Fan]

28 minutes ago, le boss said:

Are they played on neutral grounds?🤣🤣

Only the final I think.  As I understand it, the teams who finish second and third get the home advantage in the first game.  So it's 2 v 5 and 3 v 4, with the winners playing off at a neutral ground.

[RAPPO]

Almost spot on Town Fan but the final will be at the highest placed team, no neutral ground in play offs. So could well see a play off final at Bickland!? Be some occasion that wouldn’t it!!! 🧡🖤👍⚽️

[Ian Pethick]

1 hour ago, Town Fan said:

Only the final I think.  As I understand it, the teams who finish second and third get the home advantage in the first game.  So it's 2 v 5 and 3 v 4, with the winners playing off at a neutral ground.

If it's along the same lines as the Southern League, highest ranked team plays the final at home.

[RAPPO]

It is 👍⚽️

[The Town Man]

Falmouth Town 3. Barnstaple Town 1.

 

Falmouth Town inflicted the first league defeat of the season on a strong Barnstaple Town side at Bickland Park on Saturday in front of another healthy crowd of 399. Falmouth were missing Olly Walker again having unluckily sustained an injury in the week playing 5-a-side in London.  Jack Webber was still unavailable through injury, Kaiden Gordon-Dunn is injured also and Luke Barner was serving the first game of his suspension following the sending off in the last Vase game 2 weeks ago.  Town gave striker Rubin Wilson his debut following his recent move from Helston. Barnstaple opted to start star striker Oscar Massey on the bench with player manager Stuart Bowker and new signing Chris Shephard, ex-Exeter City and Tiverton, selected instead.

 

Bowker and Shephard it was that made an immediate impact on the game within about 20 seconds, when Bowker bundled James Ward out of the way and the ball broke to Shephard, who expertly carried the ball forward, sat a defender down and dragged the ball past Coxhead in the Falmouth goal to open the scoring. A great start for Barnstaple albeit a questionable decision to allow the Bowker challenge on Ward. A pattern that was to continue for the majority of the game as Barnstaple seemed to consistently leave a foot in during tackles and made lots of fouls, not all of them picked up by the referee according to the Town supporters.

 

Falmouth then started to dominate possession as they now so often do, although Barnstaple looked a real threat going forward, with Bowker putting in his usual hard-working performance and challenging the Town defence physically whenever possible. Billy Tucker, Tor Swann and Shepard also showing their quality when they had the ball.

 

On 10 minutes, Falmouth equalised. A free-kick was won down the left and Tom Annear swung a cross in which beat the Barnstaple defence and found Bradley Leivers running through. Leivers brought the ball down and expertly lashed it past Kingston in the Barnstaple goal.

 

Falmouth had a penalty claim midway through the half with Tom Annear seemingly being fouled, but instead the referee booked Annear for simulation.

 

Barnstaple’s fortunes were to change after 43 minutes with Bowker, who had gone down injured on a couple of occasions already, having to make way for Oscar Massey.  His physical presence was missed for the rest of the game and the Town defence looked much more comfortable.

 

The first half finished at 1-1. A fair score-line with Falmouth mainly on top and Barnstaple looking dangerous in attacking areas.

 

13 minutes into the 2^nd half and Jacob Grange made it 2-1 after steering the ball past the keeper from inside the area, finding the net just inside the far post.  Falmouth now seemed in control and a 3^rd goal was looking likely.

 

Rubin Wilson, on his debut for Town was providing a real physical presence up-front and was making some great runs which the Town midfield will surely capitalise on after a bit more game-time together.  He also provides a great threat on crosses and this was to be proven on 31 minutes, when some great work down the left from Alex Wharton, who ran tirelessly at his full-back all game, ended with a short pass back to Bradley Leivers who drilled a cross in to the 6 yard area finding Rubin Wilson, who had found space between the two centre-halves. He made no mistake and headed the ball powerfully past Kingston to make it 3-1.

 

Barnstaple then started to get a bit more time on the ball but could not really trouble the Falmouth defence and the game finished at 3-1.  This was a very important win for Falmouth as most of the sides around them picked up points and Barnstaple themselves could have caught Town with their games in hand.  Falmouth remain in 6^th place.

 

The two sides meet again next Saturday in the FA Vase, this time at Barnstaple, but Falmouth manager Andy Westgarth may have some selection headaches with Webber and Walker looking doubtful, Barner still suspended and Wilson cup-tied.

 

Falmouth Town: Morgan Coxhead, James Swann, Bradley Leivers, James Ward, Tom Annear, Jacob Grange, Jared Sims, Andreas Caleja-Stayne, Cam Hutchison, Alex Wharton, Ruben Wilson. Subs: Max Everall, Luke Brabyn, Jayden Gilbert.

 

Barnstaple Town: Liam Kingston, Joe Belsten, Myles Perkins, George Russell, Brodie Montague, Joseph Grigg. Matthew Andrew, Chris Shephard, Stuart Bowker, Tor Swann, Billy Tucker ©.  Subs: Harvey Dennis, Jack Arthur, Oscar Massey, Nathan Colley, Charlie Prentice.

[Triggs60]

RAPPO says maybe a playoff final at Bickland, why not a charge at the title? Defensively they're the best team in the league!

[Dave Deacon]

9 minutes ago, Triggs60 said:

RAPPO says maybe a playoff final at Bickland, why not a charge at the title? Defensively they're the best team in the league!

I think he was more clarifying the play-off process rather than suggesting who will finish where! 

[Jeremy Wade]

On 26/11/2023 at 07:57, Yourhavingalaugh said:

Excellent attendance, considering Wendron and Helston were playing Liskeard and St Blazey just down the road. 

I am sure Helston would still have had a healthy 50+

JW

[mattelot]

4 hours ago, Jeremy Wade said:

I am sure Helston would still have had a healthy 50+

JW

120 att, less than a third than what was at bickland.Blazey probably took quite a following with them.

[le boss]

24 minutes ago, mattelot said:

120 att, less than a third than what was at bickland.Blazey probably took quite a following with them.

Ha ha nige! You would think with them massive crowds at the Mecca of football that your club finances would be sorted🤔💶🤔💶🤔💶🤔

[mattelot]

1 hour ago, le boss said:

Ha ha nige! You would think with them massive crowds at the Mecca of football that your club finances would be sorted🤔💶🤔💶🤔💶🤔

Nothing wrong with the self sufficient finances bash. Just the technology.But thanks for your concern.

[le boss]

7 minutes ago, mattelot said:

Nothing wrong with the self sufficient finances bash. Just the technology.But thanks for your concern.

Perhaps you’re not fully in the picture then lol. 

[Jeff Chambers]

Falmouth Town attract more fans every home game than Helston & Mousehole combined. Unreal when you consider how much money is pumped into Helston and Mousehole keep touting themselves as the flag bearers of Cornish football with 1 senior trophy (last years Western league) in their entire history ... Bickland Park has never looked better and Falmouth Towns finances are in great shape. 

[le boss]

10 minutes ago, Jeff Chambers said:

Falmouth Town attract more fans every home game than Helston & Mousehole combined. Unreal when you consider how much money is pumped into Helston and Mousehole keep touting themselves as the flag bearers of Cornish football with 1 senior trophy (last years Western league) in their entire history ... Bickland Park has never looked better and Falmouth Towns finances are in great shape. 

So how much money exactly is pumped into both clubs then Einstein?? You lot are the only ones who trot out your role of honour at every opportunity. We all know your history but you are now playing catch up to Mousehole so get over yourselves. Westy is doing a great job by the way as is Matt and Jake. 

[Jeff Chambers]

2 minutes ago, le boss said:

So how much money exactly is pumped into both clubs then Einstein?? You lot are the only ones who trot out your role of honour at every opportunity. We all know your history but you are now playing catch up to Mousehole so get over yourselves. Westy is doing a great job by the way as is Matt and Jake. 

Brilliant Le baby is biting.  I never said money is being pumped into Mousehole, i said they tout themselves as the flag bearers of Cornish football which i find a little overboard. I did said money must be being pumped into Helston because with most gates under 100 you certainly ain't generating much of an income to pay all those Plymouth based players. I also said Town get bigger attendances than both of those clubs combined, which they do. No one said Jake or Matt are not doing a great job as they are. So Einstein... stick that where the sun don't shine.  

[silly billy]

1 hour ago, Jeff Chambers said:

Falmouth Town attract more fans every home game than Helston & Mousehole combined. Unreal when you consider how much money is pumped into Helston and Mousehole keep touting themselves as the flag bearers of Cornish football with 1 senior trophy (last years Western league) in their entire history ... Bickland Park has never looked better and Falmouth Towns finances are in great shape. 

Population of Mousehole is approximately 700, Helston is approximately 11000 . Falmouth's population is up around 24000 so it would be bit worrying if your attendance's weren't higher than both combined.

[Jeff Chambers]

8 hours ago, silly billy said:

Population of Mousehole is approximately 700, Helston is approximately 11000 . Falmouth's population is up around 24000 so it would be bit worrying if your attendance's weren't higher than both combined.

Ahhh got it silly billy, so the population of Mousehole is 700 and they average gates of just over 200 and the population of Helston is 11000 and they average gates around 100... makes perfect sense that  ... UTMT.