Falmouth Town will face off against St Dennis this weekend knowing they could be 90 minutes away from being crowned South West Peninsula League Premier West champions.
After six successive away matches, Town return to Bickland Park on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) for their first game on home soil since the end of February, and it could well be one that lives long in the memory.
Town, who beat St Dennis 4-1 in the reverse league fixture only two and a half weeks ago, only require a maximum of six points to secure the league title, and can wrap it up this weekend if they win and Liskeard Athletic lose at Wadebridge Town.
“It’s nice to be back [at Bickland Park],” said manager Andrew Westgarth. “We had a training session on Bickland on Tuesday and it was nice to get back on there. We’re really looking forward to it – it’s an exciting period coming up.
“Everyone is fully aware of the situation we’re in and we’re just trying not to focus too much on games too far ahead of us and we’ve just got to go out there and get the three points.”
He added: “Without repeating ourselves it’s down to us. It’d be great if Wadebridge did us a favour, but we’re aware that it’s down to us and if we just win our games, we win the league. The boys are fully focused on that and the buzz around the squad at the minute is brilliant.”
St Dennis come to Bickland Park in their richest vein of form so far this season. It has been a tough campaign for Brian Banfield’s side, who lost their first 19 games of 2021/22 in all competitions and have been rooted to the foot of the SWPL Premier West for virtually the entire campaign.
But the Saints have enjoyed something of a revival in recent weeks. They picked up their first win of the season at the 25th attempt at home to fellow strugglers Penzance last month, with Scott Brown and Jacob Rowe securing the landmark 2-1 win at their Boscawen Park home.
Defeats at home to Falmouth and St Blazey followed before drawing 3-3 at home to Bodmin last weekend, with a brace from Rowe and a third from Aaron Beresford securing the Saints’ second win of the campaign at home to Newquay on Wednesday night.
“St Dennis are rejuvenated,” Westgarth said. “They’ve got more points in their last three or four games than they have in the whole season. I think they beat Penzance, drew with Bodmin and beat Newquay so I’m sure they’ll be coming into Saturday full of confidence.
“Football’s a game of habits and winning becomes a habit, so once you get into that groove of winning everyone’s got an extra spring in their step and it all seems a bit easier.”
He added: “I’m a big admirer of Jaffa [Jacob Rowe], he’s an old school centre-forward and always seems to do well against us and always grabs his goal against us so it’s definitely something we’re mindful of and he is a real danger for them.”
Last five games: Falmouth Town
Apr 2: St Blazey 0-2 Falmouth Town (SWPL)
Mar 26: Sticker 1-3 Falmouth Town (SWPL)
Mar 22: St Dennis 1-4 Falmouth Town (SWPL)
Mar 19: St Austell 1-4 Falmouth Town (SWPL)
Mar 15: Falmouth Town 4-1 Dobwalls (Cornwall Senior Cup)
Last five games: St Dennis
Apr 5: St Dennis 3-1 Newquay (SWPL)
Apr 2: St Dennis 3-3 Bodmin Town (SWPL)
Mar 26: St Dennis 0-4 St Blazey (SWPL)
Mar 22: St Dennis 1-4 Falmouth Town (SWPL)
Mar 5: St Dennis 2-1 Penzance (SWPL)