Falmouth Town 2;                                   Larkhall Athletic 1
Jack Webber   44’                                      Milo Murgatroyd 36’
Oscar Massey 86’
Att: 310
 
Falmouth Town came from behind in this close-fought contest to win by the odd goal in three and rise into the play-off places after late goals in both the first and second halves from Jack Webber and Oscar Massey respectively.
Falmouth were unable to name Bradley Leivers through injury but welcomed back Luke Brabyn who was amongst the substitutes alongside promising young midfielder Levi Hilling.
Larkhall started the day having won only two of their eight games and lost the rest, so Falmouth had similar expectations to the previous week’s game versus Slimbridge, which ended in a defeat.  Ironically, Larkhall had just beaten Slimbridge in midweek.
It was Larkhall who created the first chance of the game after eight minutes. Big striker Ben Cleary being played through, but he could only hit an unconvincing and underpowered shot which Falmouth keeper Morgan Jones comfortably saved.
Falmouth again were playing some fine possession football, which was being helped by the improving surface after the recruitment of a new head groundsperson in recent weeks.  As has been the case often so far this season, a quality final ball was proving elusive though and as they pushed on for the breakthrough they were looking susceptible on the break, with Larkhall carrying a threat through the clever play of Milo Murgatroyd and Seb Scott on the flanks and the pace of Cleary up-front.
Larkhall had the better of the second part of the half and Jones had to make an 18th minute stop from a header to keep the scores level. On 36 minutes, Seb Scott gained possession on the halfway line on the right touch-line. After some clever footwork he crafted a sweeping crossfield ball finding Murgatroyd on the opposite side. In what was to become a feature of the game, his mesmerising footwork bamboozled the Falmouth defence and he carried the ball well into the area before lashing a powerful shot into the roof of the net to put Larkhall one-up.
As the half ended, Falmouth were struggling to reply and it looked like they were going into the break a goal down, but with virtually the last kick of the half they scored the crucial equaliser. Oscar Massey and Luke Barner had been making runs consistently but were not being picked out. This time though, Massey was found and he cut in and hit a powerful effort which Larkhall keeper Liam Armstrong could only parry into the heart of the area.  There was Jack Webber on hand to find the net from just outside the 6-yard box.  It was no more than Webber deserved as his tireless work-rate was a major plus on the day, and 1-1 was a fair score-line given the quality of Falmouth’s overall play.
The late goal seemed to have subdued Larkhall and they never quite reached the standards of their first half display, despite some further fine close control on a couple of occasions from Murgatroyd who looked a real quality player.
The game was changed in the 66th minute when Falmouth manager John Fabby made a double substitution bringing on Andy Elcock and Olly Evans. Oscar Massey played down the middle and Evans went to wide on the left. Jack Webber moved forward to the 10 role and Elcock took up his customary role in front of the back four.  Immediately, Elcock started to find the front men with some quality long passes.  Evans was proving a tricky customer for his right-back and Massey’s pace presented the Larkhall centre-backs with a new challenge.
Falmouth won two identical free-kicks in the space of five minutes, both struck well by Elcock and the second one reared up at Webber who could only improvise and chest it wide with only Armstrong to beat.
Massey was then played through on 36 minutes after further good approach play, but his shot with the outside of his boot went wide with the keeper beaten
Five minutes later, Max Cook and Barner combined well down the right and put through Massey again, who this time hit a powerful shot through Armstrongs legs and into the net to make 2 -1 to the home side.  It was no more than Falmouth deserved after what ended up as a dominant second-half display.
Larkhall could not muster any rear-guard action and after three minutes of stoppage time, Falmouth emerged triumphant.  They now lie 7th place in the league and hence in the play-off positions, the highest placing the club has ever held since the non-league pyramid was established.  They face a tough task on Saturday as they travel to Hungerford Town who lie in 5th place, two places above Falmouth on the same points but having played a game less.  Falmouth have lost only one league game since their defeat at Weymouth so will be hoping to get something from the game and maintain their league position.
 
Falmouth Town:  Morgan Jones, Malachi Davy, Harrison Jewell, Tom Annear, Max Cook, Jared Sims©, Jack Webber, Jack Symons, Luke Barner, Oscar Massey, Liam Prynn. Subs: Olly Evans, Aaron Ibbotsen, Andy Elcock, Levi Hilling, Luke Brabyn, Ned Symons.

Larkhall Athletic: Liam Armstrong, Charlie Sidhu, Jeff Foorkuo, Sam Boulton©, Lewis Graham, Will Banks, Milo Murgatroyd, Jack Camm, Ben Cleary, Josh Morgan, Seb Scott.  Subs: Jeff Barimah, Stan Wyatt, Alex Camm, Rhys Simmonds, Harvey Pritchard.

Ref: Mark King.