SHAFTESBURY 0 - FALMOUTH TOWN 2

Falmouth Town’s third away game of the season saw them return to Dorset and the home of the famous Hovis TV advert, Shaftesbury, for this bread and butter league meeting, writes Nigel Wilkes.

Both sides have gained promotion to the Southern league this season as promotion play off winners, with Shaftesbury moving up from the Wessex league. This was Town’s first visit to the revamped Cockrams Stadium - a modern facility incorporating a 3G pitch.

Falmouth Town, buoyed by last week's excellent win over Exmouth Town, had to make a change in defence with Andreas Calleja-Stayne dropping back in place of the suspended Harrison Jewell.

The game started with Town playing into the wind and Shaftesbury, obviously buoyed by their 1-1 draw away at Helston last week, were pinging the ball around confidently on the fast plastic pitch, and competing well for every tackle.

However one 50/50 challenge on 20 minutes saw Shaftesbury’s Liam Farrugia come off worst and he had to be replaced by the diminutive Harry Bunce, who was to be a real handful with his runs down the left wing for the rest of the game.

It was nip and tuck for most of the first half with any promising build up play being nullified by the midfields. One run by Luke Barner after 15 minutes resulted in him being dragged to the floor by Jack Hoey, which resulted in a yellow card for the man in red and white. The free kick from Tom Annear was comfortably saved by the keeper.

The second half was only two minutes old when Town's midfield dynamo Jack Webber suffered an injury and had to be replaced by Cam Hutchison.

Forty-nine minutes and good build up play by Shaftesbury saw their pacey right winger cut into towards the 18 yard box, but the ever reliable Bradley Leivers put in a superb block tackle to stop the shot and come away with the ball, to send Cam Hutchison on his way evading several tackles, with his shot being cleared off the line.

The 55-minute mark saw Rubin Wilson replace Luke Brabyn and within a minute he was in the thick of the action with a shot saved by the keeper low down at the near post. 

Two minutes later and it was Cam Hutchison who was causing all sorts of problems with his close control, found Oscar Massey on the left wing. Twisting and turning Massey forced his way between two defenders and into the box, before hitting a shot past the keeper for his tenth goal of the season.

On the hour mark Rubin Wilson, closing down the keeper, was given a harsh booking for a 50/50 challenge that the keeper made a meal of. 

At 71 minutes Oscar Massey scored a carbon copy of his first goal, this time inside the near post - his eleventh of the season and his 32nd goal from 35 appearances.

The second goal seemed to wake Shaftesbury up and there followed a period of pressure on the Town goal, forcing several corners and shots, but Town keeper Morgan Coxhead was equal to them, pulling off several saves and blocks.

On 80 minutes, Olly Walker replaced man of the match, Oscar Massey, and six minutes later Bradley Leivers received a yellow card for a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge halfway between the sideline and 18 yard box.

Shaftesbury kept going but were thwarted by some inspired defending by Freddie Walter, Andreas Caleja-Stayne, captain Tom Annear and Brad Leivers.

At the final whistle the team were clapped off the pitch by the 38 travelling supporters out of an official attendance of 124.