Falmouth Town in third Cornwall Senior Cup Final after win

Falmouth Town booked themselves in to their third Cornwall Senior Cup Final in five seasons after a convincing second half display, which resulted in a 4-2 win over their South-West Peninsula League rivals Newquay.

Newquay were missing influential dead-ball specialist Cam Turner and centre-back Matt Saunders, in addition to ex-Falmouth Town player Tom Moxham who was cup-tied.

Falmouth were unable to play strikers Oscar Massey and Rubin Wilson, who were cup-tied having represented Penzance and Helston respectively in previous rounds before their moves to the Bickland Park outfit.

The game started with Newquay slightly having the edge and competing well in the centre of midfield. However, it was Falmouth who opened the scoring after nine minutes.

Some good interplay down the left-hand side between Jacob Grange and Bradley Leivers resulted in a low-hard cross from Leivers. Luke Barner, who had already looked dangerous, managed to get in front of his defender and flicked the ball past Brodie Cole in the Newquay goal.

The game continued though in the same vein with Newquay’s Louis Price providing a real test throughout the game for Leivers, and indeed Newquay’s first real chance of the game came from a Price header from a free kick which Morgan Coxhead did well to save low to his right.

The next chance fell to Barner in the 23rd minute as he ran on to a ball and beat the keeper to his right but could only find the foot of the post and it rebounded to safety.

The game was end to end and in the 26th minute, Price picked the ball up just inside the Falmouth half. He cut inside and played a one-two with a Newquay midfielder, then unleashed a powerful shot from about five yard outside of the area which beat Coxhead to make it 1-1. A fair score-line at that point of the game.

A few minutes later and Newquay nearly added to their score after a break from a Falmouth corner. Alex Cole ran in on goal showing great pace but his effort was saved well by Coxhead.

The final score was 4-2 in Falmouth's favour (Image: Will Hedgecock)

There were no more goals until Falmouth made it 2-1 at a crucial stage of the game in the fourth minute of stoppage time. Again the threat came down the left with Grange tormenting the Newquay full back before crossing low and hard to find Barner again at the near post who scored from a back-heel.

That late goal proved to have a big effect on the proceedings, with Falmouth coming out for the second half playing at an increased tempo, with particularly Barner creating chances from wide on the right.

It was from a right-sided corner that Falmouth scored their thid goal. It was cleared out to Andreas Calleja-Stayne, who again had a great game disrupting the Newquay midfield, and he played in Barner who found Grange in the six-yard box. Grange then converted from another flick past Cole

 Three very similar goals resulting from the Town attack consistently making good runs to the near post area and beating their defenders to the ball.

Despite Famouth’s dominance, the game was not yet over. Another powerful run down the right by Price resulted in him pulling the ball back to Alex Cole on the edge of the box and he converted past Coxhead to make it 3-2.

In the end, the game was won for Falmouth by an effort that was well worthy of the occasion. Substitute Kian Thomas ran at the defence down the left and rode three challenges, finding himself at the corner of the area, the ball bobbled invitingly up and he hit a powerful half-volley right into the top far corner. A spectacular effort.

The remaining seven minutes of normal time and a further six minutes of injury time were played out with Newquay looking like they had finally accepted their fate, and Falmouth were into the Cornwall Senior Cup final.

So Falmouth continue their remarkable season, having secured another cup final day out for their large band of supporters, as well as the famous run to the FA Vase quarter-finals and finishing second in the Toolstation Western League.

The next in a series of challenges was the completion of their league campaign with a home tie against Oldland Abbottonians on Saturday, which Town won 1-0.

This was followed by the first play-off match in their bid to gain promotion to the Southern League Div. 1 South, which took place at Bickland Park last night (Tuesday, April 30.) Victory would result in a play-off final again at Bickland on the following Saturday.

A great opportunity awaits for Falmouth to play next season at the highest ever level in the history of the club. Another massive week of football awaits!

Falmouth Town: Morgan Coxhead, James Swan©, Bradley Leivers, James Ward, Tom Annear, Andreas Calleja-Stayne, Jared Sims, Andy Elcock, Luke Barner, Luke Brabyn, Jacob Grange. Subs: Cam Hutchinson, Max Everall, Charlie Edney, Tom Fisher, Kian Thomas, Jack Webber.

Newquay AFC: 1 Cole, 2 Edlin, 3 Evans, 12 Flanningan, 5 Downing, 6 Sharp, 7 Shepard, 17 Fallens, 10 Lowrey, 11 Price, 18 Cole. Subs: Tilston, Beer, Preston, Davie, Briggs.