Penzance v Ludgvan Report

[cornishteddyboy]

Cornwall Combination League

10th January 2009

Penzance Reserves 6-0 Ludgvan

Some brilliant goal keeping and last ditch defending by a make-shift Ludgvan team kept the Magpies at bay for fifty-three minutes in this league match but once Penzance had scored their first another five goals followed in a frantic twenty minute spell.

Due to the resignation of their manager and coach, and with a few players walking out last weekend Ludgvan had a team made up of current loyal players, ex-players and reserve team players as they fulfilled their league fixture. To keep Penzance at bay they played with ten behind the ball for most of the game and not once did they have a chance or half-chance during the ninety minutes.

Within moments of the kick-off Penzance are awarded a free kick 7yds out as the ref indicates Ludgvan had passed back to the keeper. Ludgvan put seven players on the line plus their keeper, Colin Eustace. Ross Badcock steps up and fires the ball strait into the keeper’s arms.

For the next few minutes the game is fairly even as both teams sound each other out. Then on 10mins Eustace makes a brilliant one handed high diving save at the near post to clear the ball from a Steve Hancock turning shot from a Gary Matthews cross after Penzance had cleverly worked the ball down their right.

On 15mins Badcock fires another shot in but it is deflected past the upright. From now on there is almost constant pressure on the Ludgvan back line but they frustrate Penzance by having ten men behind the ball and when under real pressure an extra couple on the line. Some challenges are going in, but nothing malicious just clumsy.

Penzance work the ball right, cross into the box, the keeper punches clear and a Badcock header just skims the bar.

Then Penzance get roughly six chances in a minute but deflections, clearances off the line and a couple of punches clear thwart them. They are lining up on the edge of the box to take pot-shots. The game goes on in this vane for the next few minutes.

A free kick on the right taken by Ashley Thomas floats in but a Bradley Wills header flies high and wide. Then another Wills header is punched clear, the ball is fired in again but is cleared off the line. Then the Ludgvan keeper makes a great diving grab to clutch the ball from a Thomas shot.

The final 5-10mins of the half sees Penzance run out of steam and ideas apart from shoot on sight but it is all wayward.

H-T

The 2nd half starts with Penzance trying out some passing moves to run Ludgvan round the park but they soon give that up and start pressing. A low shot from Wills is grabbed by the keeper when one on one.

Then on 53mins the floodgates open and Penzance score six in 20mins. At last the players seem to listen to the crowd who have spent most of the match shouting “Run at them.” A through ball to Matthews sees him run into the box on the right, beat three players and then beat the keeper low at the near post. 1-0 after 53mins.

Wills still wants to take pot-shots and he tries from 40yds but is just high and wide. Thomas gets in close, shooting just wide, and a minute later seeing a shot cleared off the line. Penzance take off Hancock and bring on Wade Brown.

Then a couple of minutes later we get the rarest of rare treats, a Darren Holsey goal. A Penzance corner on the left is floated in, but the ball bounces round the box eventually coming out to Holsey, who fires in a screamer from all of 45yds to go through fifteen players and almost break the back of the net, it was that powerful. There is almost total silence and disbelieve from the Magpies before the cheers start. 2-0 after 61mins.

Ludgvan make a substitution taking off a forward for a defender.

A shot from Wills is pushed away for a corner with a good diving save by the keeper. Penzance are now camped in the Ludgvan half with everyone but their keeper Craig Nicholls over the half-way line.

Ryan Holland gets his second goal of the season with a clever high chip over the keepers head from 40yds out on the left bye-line. The ball drops over the line with the keeper beaten. 3-0 after 64mins.

Penzance bring Steve Burt on and take off Charlie Penny and he helps set up the fourth. He sends a through ball to Matthews who jinks past two defenders but is polaxed by a third. Half the players stop expecting a whistle for a penalty but Brown nips in to fire low past the keeper from 6yds. We think the ref would have given the spot kick if Penzance hadn’t scored. 4-0 after 69mins.

Then three minutes after coming on Burt grabs a goal from a through ball. On the edge of the box he flicks the ball up and fires it past the diving keeper. 5-0 after 71mins.

Then two minutes later Penzance score again when they break down the left. A Holland cross is met at the near post by Thomas who shoots into the net from 10yds out. 6-0 after 73mins.

Penzance substitute Tom Withecombe for Matthews.

By now Ludgvan have regrouped with the hard working John Matthews at the back ordering and organising his defence.

A Badcock curler from 25yds just squeezes past the outside of the post. Ludgvan make another substitution.

The final action of the match sees Badcock cross from the left to Brown who heads into the keepers arms.

Penzance Man of the Match goes to Bradley Wills. He controlled the centre of the park spraying the ball around and working well with his wide players. Mention must also go to Ross Badcock for his work just behind the forward two. Once again his passing to the wings plus his through balls set up several chances.

Penzance – Craig Nicholls, Steve Hancock, Ashley Thomas, Gary Matthews, Ryan Holland, Ross Badcock, Bradley Wills, Tom Hosking, Darren Holsey, Liam Bennett, Charlie Penny

Subs – Wade Brown (Hancock 59), Steve Burt (Penny 68), Tom Withecombe (Matthews 73), James England

Ludgvan from Colin Eustace, Chris Wallace, Alistair Thomas, John Lawday, Lee Bennett, Paul Nicholls, Mark Davis, Garath Ashton, John Matthews, Mark Lilltcrap, Bradley Ashton, Walid Abouelhana.

Corner count Penzance 10-0 Ludgvan (5-0 1st half)

Crowd - 106