Portreath v Penzance 2/5/09

[cornishteddyboy]

Cornwall Combination League

2nd May 2009

Portreath 1-2 Penzance Reserves

Penzance beat Portreath on their postage sized ground at Clijah Croft. Penzance had difficulty playing their passing game due to the small pitch and Portreath were much the more physical side but skill won out in the end.

The game kicked off with just 9 people watching, and 8 of them were from Penzance, but during the half a few more drifted in to swell the number of spectators at half time to 17.

Penzance are the first to show, when they break down the left with Gary Matthews. He crosses to Wade Brown who goes in 1-on-1 with the keeper who gets down quickly and blocks the shot. A couple of minutes later Penzance have a penalty shout declined by the ref as Ross Badcock goes tumbling in the box. He would have probably got it if his dive didn’t look so spectacular!

After 10mins Portreath start to get into the game and have a couple of chances of their own. A break on the right results in a low cross that just beats the runners, followed by a corner on the right. The ball is flipped over, it ping-pongs around the area until a powerful Duane Britton shot is cleared off the line.

For the next few minutes the game quietens down to that end of season feeling, where the game doesn’t have much meaning to either side, perhaps because both teams are missing players, but just after the half hour Portreath take the lead. They work the ball down the right, cross into the box to Britton who evades a tackle to shoot low under the keeper from 15yds. 1-0 after 34mins.

Two minutes later Penzance are back on level terms when they break right with Ashley Thomas who takes the ball to the bye line, draws the players, crosses to the back post where Tom Hosking has a simple knock in from 8yds out. 1-1 after 36mins.

The last real chance of the half falls to Portreath who break right into the box, shoot low but the shot is parried by the keeper Dexter King for a corner.

H-T

If the first half was quiet the second was even worse with a lot a mid-field work by both teams, but few clear cut chances. Penzance’s passing was countered by Portreath muscle.

Thomas seeing the keeper off his line tries a spectacular dipping lob from 35yds that goes just over the Portreath cross bar.

Just over the hour mark Penzance get their winner. They are passing the ball round the mid-field until it makes it’s way out to the left to Matthews who gets down to the bye line. He then knocks in a pin point cross to Hosking who fires in mid goal from 12yds out. 1-2 after 63mins.

Another Penzance break sees a cross goal shot from Thomas grabbed under pressure by the keeper.

Both teams make substitutions before Portreath have the last chance of the game. A long ball from the back beats the Penzance back four. Adam Nuciforo is 1-on-1 with the keeper who goes down but the resulting shot into an empty net goes well over the top.

Even though Tom Hosking scored both goals our Penzance Man of the Match goes to Gary Matthews. For the whole game he had two players onto him, rough tackling, swearing at him, winding him up, but he got on with his game, leaving them in his wake.

Penzance – Dexter King, Ross Badcock, Wade Brown, Darren Holsey, Tom Hosking, Charlie Penny, Tom Withecombe, Ryan Andrew, Ashley Thomas, Steve Burt, Gary Matthews

Subs – Jimmy England (Matthews 86), Alan Spencer-Smith (Penny 90)

Corners – Portreath 4-5 Penzance (2-4 1st half)

Crowd – 17 (10 from Penzance)

[sammo 66]

no bias in that report then . :D