FALMOUTH TOWN 5-3 NEWQUAY

FALMOUTH TOWN 5-3 NEWQUAY

Falmouth Town came through a difficult challenge in the Cornwall Senior Cup from their Cornish rivals Newquay on Wednesday night under the lights at Bickland Park, recording what looked like a fairly convincing win.  The reality in fact was very much different with Falmouth going 1-0 up and then conceding, then going 3-1 up, only for Newquay to set up a nervy last 25 minutes by getting level again.
Falmouth made a few changes as they enter a busy period of the season with the midweek games now starting. Rubin Wilson came back into the starting line-up alongside Andy Elcock, with Tom Annear and Jared Sims being rested.  This allowed Andreas Calleja-Stayne to be handed the captain’s arm band which has been much-deserved after a great start to the season.
Newquay included ex-Falmouth players Jacob Grange and Tom Moxham in their starting line-up along with the ominous presence of the talented ex-Falmouth, Mousehole and Plymouth Parkway striker Jack Bray-Evans on the bench.
 
The game started with a few minutes of possession being given up cheaply by both sides but within 4 minutes Falmouth took the lead. Oscar Massey took a corner from the left and the ball was cleared out to Harrison Jewell on the edge of the area. He beat two players and hit a great right foot shot low to keepers left to make it 1-0.

Newquay were coming into the game more and more as the game progressed and predictably it was an ex-Falmouth player who was to open Newquay’s account. On 14 minutes Jacob Grange, who had an excellent game with his pace and trickery down the left, picked the ball up on the edge of the area, jinked past two players, cut in and hit powerful shot inside Falmouth keeper Morgan Coxhead’s far post.
In a game where neither defence looked comfortable, Falmouth took the lead again after 20 minutes. Fred Walter played a long ball down the left flank to Rubin Wilson. He shrugged off a defender and ran through to beat the keeper with a shot from the corner of area. It was a real centre-forward’s goal and must have given a boost to his confidence after having started from the bench for the last few games.
The half finished at 2-1 to Falmouth but it was clear to the 323 strong crowd that the game was far from over. 

Within 10 minutes of the start, Falmouth extended their lead. Luke Barner broke down the right and squared to the on-rushing Andreas Calleja-Stayne who swept the ball past Brodie Cole in the Newquay goal. It looked like Falmouth could now relax, but 10 minutes later, Tom Moxham got to the by-line and pulled a good cross back to the prolific Louis Price to bundle in. With 5 minutes, Newquay had drawn level. A lofted ball over the top found Price again who lashed the ball past Coxhead with a great half-volley.

The Falmouth crowd started to fear the worst, but their team responded with another classic centre-forward strike from Rubin Wilson on 71’ minutes. Bradley Leivers delivering a cross at pace from the left which Wilson met with a powerful header.  This triggered the introduction of Bray-Evans as Newquay looked to get back into the game.  His physicality unsettled the Town defence but they ultimately held firm.

Falmouth finally started to control the proceedings and the game was made safe in the 5th minute of injury time when Oscar Massey converted with a powerful shot from the edge of box. 

Falmouth next resume their Southern League campaign with a home game on Saturday against bottom of the table Cinderford Town. No game is easy in the Southern League though as Mousehole found out last week when Cinderford held them to a 2-2 draw. Falmouth will hope that a big crowd and home advantage will spur them on to a first league win in 5 games to keep them away from the relegation places, and instead propel them towards the play-offs.  Such is the close nature of the league this season.

Falmouth Town: Morgan Coxhead, Bradley Leivers, Harrison Jewell, Fred Walter, Andreas Calleja-Stayne©, Jack Webber, Andy Elcock, Luke Barner, Rubin Wilson, Luke Brabyn, Oscar Massey. Subs: Tom Annear, Cam Hutchinson, Jared Sims, Ned Symons, Jak Davies.

Newquay: Brodie Cole, Jamie Edlin, Tom Moxham, Josh Evans, Harry Downing, Lucas Potts, Tom Shephard, Cam Turner, Jacob Grange, Louis Price, Ross Fallens.  Subs: Jack Bray-Evans, Phil Lowry, Coen Briggs, Alex Coles, Daniel Carne.