Falmouth Town 0 - Bashley 3

Falmouth Town could not maintain their excellent unbeaten home record in this their first season in the Southern League, with a defeat against visitors Bashley - having already suffered a 2-1 loss away to them earlier in the season, writes Scott McCormack. 

The home side were still without influential defender Harrison Jewell who was serving the second game of his suspension, and had to name Jack Webber on the bench after he picked up a knock in the last game at Shaftsbury.

The game started with some early Falmouth pressure but in the third minute Bashley won a free kick wide on the right. The ball was lofted high to the back post where Bashley captain Stephen Walker rose and headed it low to Morgan Coxhead's left and just inside the post to make it one-nil.

The game settled down with Bashley just shading it on possession and attacking play, punctuated by a couple of half-chances for the dangerous Oscar Massey for Town.

On 28 minutes, Falmouth conceded a corner on the left-hand side. In a similar fashion to the first goal, the corner was struck deep to the far post, where again Walker leapt high above the Falmouth defence and headed the ball powerfully past Coxhead.

Walker was marshalling his defence well at the other end and Falmouth struggled to create any further chances for the rest of the half. Meanwhile, visiting centre-forward Speechley-Price was effective with his physical approach ruffling the feathers of the Falmouth defence.

Falmouth were missing the combative presence of Andreas Calleja-Stayne in midfield as he stepped back to central defence to replace Jewell, so Bashley were winning the midfield as well.

It looked like the half was going to end at 2-0 and give Falmouth manager Andy Westgarth the chance to go in at the break and reorganise, only for Bashley to score again in the third minute of injury time. Wagstaffe pouncing on a misplaced pass from the Falmouth defence and steering the ball past Coxhead to make it 3-0 at half-time and put the game seemingly beyond Falmouth.

The game continued in the second half with Bashley still looking more effective until a much-needed double substitution from Town manager Andy Westgarth. Cameron Hutchison and Andy Elcock were replaced by Luke Brabyn and Max Everall.

With Everall slotting in at right back, Freddie Walter moved to centre back which enabled Calleja-Stayne to revert to his preferred midfield role. Falmouth immediately looked more effective without really creating any chances of note.

Bashley seemed to respond to the more physical challenge posed by Calleja-Stayne by upping that side of their own game. As a result, they went down to ten men after 28 minutes of the second half, with Connor Whitely being punished after a strike to the head of Town captain Tom Annear.

A further red card was brandished in added time with Wagstaffe felling Annear with a late challenge, resulting in a further head injury, but the score remained at 3-0 and Bashley became the first team to defeat Falmouth at Bickland Park in the league this season.

Falmouth won’t have to wait long to try to get back to winning ways as they entertain old rivals Bideford on Tuesday night, and they will be hoping for good weather and hence a good turn-out from the Falmouth faithful, under the lights, as they push to get into contention for the play-offs.

Falmouth Town: Morgan Coxhead, Fred Walters, Bradley Leivers, Andreas Caleja-Stayne, Tom Annear, Luke Barner, Jared Sims, Cam Hutchison, Andy Elcock, Rubin Wilson, Oscar Massey. Subs: Jack Webber, Max Everall, Luke Brabyn, Andy Westgarth, Kian Thomas

Bashley: Hayden McGhan, Harvey Joe-Bertrand, Samuel Gadsby, Jamie Arnold, Stephen Walker, Charlie Wooding, Addwell Chipingura, Lewis Waterfield, Mitchell Carlton-Speechley-Price. Connor Whiteley, Lewis Ross, Luke Holmes, C. Wagstaffe, Daniel Walster, Lucas Gord, Sam Bradford