FITTING FINALE

Wadebridge Town v Mousehole

Mousehole, winners of the 2017-18 Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup.

IT HAS BEEN, AS MOST PEOPLE INVOLVED IN FOOTBALL seem to be fond of saying at this time of year, a very long season. For me, it began on Saturday, July 29, with a pre-season tournament game between Porthleven and Falmouth Town, and it finished, 36 cup games later, on Friday, May 25, with the Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup final.

And, happily for me, it ended at Penryn Athletic’s Kernick Road ground which is just a 20-minute walk from my home and that made a nice change, having travelled hundreds of miles across Cornwall and bits of Devon to watch football over the past ten months. (I am a bit of an anorak and I thought about actually adding up the miles I had covered – but then I decided I wasn’t that big of an anorak so “hundreds of miles” will have to suffice).

Well, I say happily for me.

It is one of those truisms in life that, whoever lives closest to an event, whoever has the shortest journey, tends to arrive the latest. I used to rent a flat which was basically in the back garden of an office building. The lad in the flat upstairs worked there and he literally just had to walk down a flight of steps to get to work. Apparently, he was late every day.

For me, the problem wasn’t heading downwards, though, it was heading upwards. Kernick Road might be just a mile away, if that, but the first 90% of the journey is uphill. Properly uphill. It would even make Chris Froome break into a sweat.

But, being so close, I inevitably left it late before leaving the house. This meant that, instead of a leisurely stroll up the road, punctuated by numerous short stops to enjoy the view and catch my breath, I had to walk quickly and determinedly. Now, at this stage of the season, we are all a bit leggy and I really thought that I might miss kick-off, especially as two of the finals I had been to recently had started early for no apparent reason.

Luckily for me, there were a number of presentations before the start of this cup final and it kicked off four minutes late, giving me the chance to recover my equilibrium.

I was glad I made it for the presentations, though, as the main one was really the whole reason this cup exists – to raise money for a local good cause. This year, the cash raised went to The Invictus Trust, a local Cornish charity which aims to help and support teenagers with mental health issues. It is a properly good cause.

Wadebridge, in red, and Mousehole, in green, line up before the Cornwall FA’s Durning Lawrence Charity Cup final, my final final of the cup season, as a cheque is handed over to The Invictus Trust, this year’s competition beneficiary.

The football itself is a good cause too. It might only be a invitation tournament for 16 sides playing at Step 7 or below, but it is still a coveted piece of silverware and, even in a season beset with a myriad of postponements, everyone playing in it really wanted to win it. This was no end-of-season knockabout, this was a proper cup final.

As I have said before, it was also this cup competition which finally spurred me to start writing this blog. Four seasons ago now, I saw St Dennis beat Penryn in the final and the reactions of the players afterwards – the joy and the despair – helped to crystallise my thoughts about cup football, made me realise that nearly all of my favourite memories from watching football for five decades were from cup occasions. It made me understand how much I loved knockout football, it’s winner takes it all nature, the simplicity of the situation, the immediacy of the emotions involved. There is nothing better.

So what a great way to end my season, with the final of a cup competition which is important to me, played at my hometown team’s ground. Perfect.

It was also fitting that one of the cup final protagonists would be Mousehole FC. Every year, a team emerges as the big cup fighters, the knockout kings, and this year it was The Seagulls from down west. Just by the nature of things, I have seen them quite a lot this season and it seemed fitting that they would be there at the end of my latest cup odyssey. I had seen them in the first round and semi-finals of this competition this season, beating Ludgvan and Liskeard, and I had also seen them give Saltash, who play a division higher, an almighty fright in the final of the Cornwall Senior Cup before being edged out 3-2.

Mousehole also made it to the semi-finals of the greatest cup of them all, the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup! Yep, they really have been Cornwall’s cup team of the year this campaign.

A nice setting for a cup final – Penryn Athletic’s Kernick Road ground.

Conversely, this would be the first time I would see Wadebridge in action, for the whole three seasons I have been writing this blog I think. I have been to their Bodieve Park ground numerous times, as it is a favoured venue for Cornwall FA to stage finals and semi-finals and, this year, the South West Peninsula League used it for the final of the Walter C Parson Cup. Falmouth Town beat Tavistock 4-2 after extra time in that encounter in what was the best cup tie I saw all season. It was a cracker.

So the question was, could Wadebridge the team live up to the standard of Wadebridge the ground and put on a real show in this final cup final of my season? They were definite underdogs going into this clash, having finished ninth in the SWPL Division One West while Mousehole had ended up in fourth – and it was the favourites who started the final at a breakneck pace.

Kernick Road looked stunning and well-presented in the spring evening sunshine, almost sedate even, but there was nothing sedate about The Seagulls’ opening salvos and they came close to taking the lead twice in the first few minutes while I was still recovering from my perambulatory exertions and getting myself organised.

The Bridgers looked like they were still trying to get themselves organised, too, as they struggled to contain a green-shirted wave of attacks. Mousehole had come close to silverware on three fronts this season – the league, the league cup and the Senior Cup – and they looked thoroughly determined to make it fourth time lucky.

The opening goal, which had looked inevitable from the kick-off, finally arrived on 24 minutes when winger Luke Johnson broke down the left after a rare Wadebridge attack, cut inside, and lashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner. As cup final goals go, it was a stunner but it was also the only one in the first half. The Bridgers had mostly weathered the storm, could they now turn the tide, to mix my metaphors magnificently?

While we waited for the answer to that question, the other poser on everyone’s lips was: “Who would win the half-time 50-50 draw?” The prize was more than £60 so it would be worth having. Well, dear reader, I can exclusively reveal that, whoever won it, it wasn’t me. I had now gone a whole season without winning any half-time cash anywhere. Gutted.

A red and green traffic jam in the goalmouth.

Sadly for Wadebridge, they were soon feeling pretty gutted once the second half action began. On 50 minutes, Kevin Lawrence cracked home a super curled strike to make it 2-0 and begin another discussion in the crowd. Was that goal even better than Johnson’s opener? Twelve minutes later, Lawrence made that argument even more complicated by sweetly striking home his second and Mousehole’s third. That could be the best goal yet.

For Wadebridge now, the game was up. What had been a big occasion for them threatened to turn sour as they were simply outplayed in every department. You couldn’t fault their commitment but this was one cup Mousehole were not going to let slip away. The only question now was how many would they win by?

I am a bit of a soft-hearted old soul and, much as I was enjoying watching the delightful passing football of Mousehole, I hoped they didn’t score too many more. A one-sided cup final is no fun for anyone – unless you are the ones winning it, of course.

The fourth goal came with 12 minutes left. Even though the game had gone a bit scrappy, The Seagulls were still able to find their rhythm one more time to produce a lovely flowing move which was beautifully finished by Jake Andrew. It was another cracker – Mousehole were having their own Goal of the Match competition, never mind Goal of the Month.

Andrew was on hand again to roll home the fifth in injury time – a scruffy effort this time – and Mousehole’s triumph was sealed, Wadebridge’s misery was complete and my cup football season was over.

A long old season? Yes. Am I looking forward to a break? Yes I am. Will I be yearning for a game in about a fortnight? Definitely.

Bring it on!

PICTURES EXTRA

This long-range Wadebridge effort went fizzing over the bar.

Wadebridge scramble away another Mousehole attack.

The main stand at Kernick Road, Penryn, during the Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup final between Mousehole and Wadebridge.

Mousehole’s players applaud as team-mate Josh Otto is awarded his Cornwall Under-18 cap in a surprise presentation before the Charity Cup final. Well done, Cornwall FA, that was a nice touch.

A rare Wadebridge attack in the Cornwall Charity Cup final v Mousehole, played at Penryn Athletic’s tidy Kernick Road ground.

A slightly concerned cup football blogger poses for his latest Swaz Teamwear selfie. I will get the hang of them eventually.

Mousehole, in green, on the attack v Wadebridge in the Cornwall Charity Cup final. They spent most of the match on the front foot.

Action from the Cornwall Charity Cup final between Mousehole and Wadebridge, looking towards the clubhouse end of Penryn Athletic’s Kernick Road ground.

Runners-up medals for Wadebridge.

STATISTICS

Wadebridge Town 0 Mousehole 5

(Half-time 0-1)

Played at Kernick Road, Penryn, on Friday, May 25, 2018

Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup Final

Cup matches watched this season: 36

Home wins: 18

Away wins: 6

Draws: 3

Games at neutral venues: 9

Number of competitions watched: 13

Home goals: 73

Away goals: 38

Goals at neutral venues: 41

Total goals: 152

CONTACT

If you have any thoughts or comments about this blog, email me at thecupfootballblogger@hotmail.com; find me on Twitter via @cupfootballblog; or find me on Facebook at Peter Harlow (the cup football blogger)

 

MORE THE MERRIER

Carharrack v St Agnes

That winning feeling. Carharrack celebrate victory in the final of the LWC Drinks Cornwall Combination League Supplementary Cup.

I QUITE LIKE THE SUPPLEMENTARY CUP.

Run by the LWC Drinks Cornwall Combination League, it is disparaged by some as “the cup for losers” as it is for those teams who have failed to make it through the Preliminary and First Rounds of the organisation’s own League Cup.

I prefer to think of it as “the cup for people who love football and want to play as much as they can”. Although, to be fair, after Sunday’s final, both these teams still had four league matches to squeeze in before the end of May and so they might be feeling that you can have too much of a good thing!

And at least one of these sides might have expected not to be in this competition at all. Carharrack have been a very impressive outfit since their return to the Combination three seasons back. In their first season after promotion they finished second in the table and beat St Agnes 3-2 in the actual League Cup final. Then, last season, they were crowned Combination champions, losing just twice in the league all campaign and reaching the semi-finals of the cup.

This season, with three games still to go at the time of writing, they are in fourth and could still finish as high as second. The team that has taken their league crown, Perranporth, also sent Carharrack into the Supplementary Cup for the first time ever this season, beating them 1-0 in the First Round.

So Supp Cup action was a novelty for Carharrack but offered them the chance of adding to their collection of silverware.

St Agnes, however, are no strangers to this competition and were appearing in the final for the ninth time! They found their way into the competition this season after losing 4-0 to St Just in the League Cup Preliminary Round – and then found their way to the Supp Cup final by beating the same opponents 4-2 in the semi-final. St Just had lost in the First Round of the League Cup (5-3 after extra time to Helston Athletic Reserves) and so moved into the Supp Cup.

Can you tell that not only was the excellent cup final programme full of fascinating stats – or Some Facts To Bore Your Friends, as it called it – but I have also found a top website full of anoraky information? (www.cornwallcomboleague.co.uk, since you ask).

Carharrack, in red, v St Agnes in the final of the LWC Drinks Combination Supplementary Cup, played at the Kellaway Park home of Helston Athletic FC.

And while I am talking about the programme, there was a superb message from the league to its clubs, saying: “The League would like to thank all clubs for their efforts during the latter part of the season. It has been a struggle, with many clubs playing three games a week for the past a month or so. Let us hope we don’t have another winter like we have just had.”

So often you read and hear of discord between leagues, clubs and the players themselves that you wonder whether they will ever find common ground. So it was fitting that, in the final of a competition which is all about the love of football, the league and its constituent parts were in harmony and accord. Ahh!

OK, fluffy emotional moment over, let’s get back to the football.

Well, after many years of reporting on football matches, I struggled to find ways to describe the action of the first half. The only word that really came to mind was “strange”.

At times, it felt like quite a low-key affair, with players on both sides exhorting their team-mates to “Remember this is a cup final” as they tried to gee themselves up and get going. And lots of the crowd were distracted by the fact that they had turned up in shorts and T-shirts after a lovely spring morning only to find the temperature plunging alarmingly just before the game kicked off. There was lots of shivering and scrambling for extra layers and generally not concentrating on the football as people tried to get warm. An experienced football follower like me wasn’t caught out, though. I was in full coat mode from the start.

The football itself was generally scrappy and untidy and the whole thing felt as if it needed a bit of a lift.

However, by half-time, we had seen four goals, the lead changing hands, a penalty and goalmouth action galore. This cup final had accidentally turned into a bit of a thriller.

Goal! St Agnes celebrate taking the lead in the LWC Drinks Cornwall Combination Supplementary Cup final.

The goal action started early, mid-table St Agnes taking the lead after just nine minutes. Carharrack were the clear favourites to lift the trophy, and had not conceded a goal in their Supp Cup games so far, but ruined their record with a horrible mix-up at the back. A defender’s header back to his own keeper wasn’t strong enough and The Aggies forward was able to nip in for an easy opener.

A minute later, the favourites were level, thanks to a neat close-range finish.

That should have been enough to get my attention firmly on the football again but I got distracted by a car alarm going off. At first, I wondered if it was mine and then I wondered if my car even had an alarm. I do like to worry about things sometimes.

Thankfully, the alarm finally ceased and the flavour of the football got spicier, bringing my wandering mind back to the action. Carharrack took the lead on 30 minutes. The St Agnes keeper made two great saves to keep Carharrack at bay but, as the third rebound was struck goalwards yet again, the ref ruled it was a defender’s hand which had blocked the shot this time and pointed to the spot. Carharrack were certain it was a pen, Aggies were incredulous and this observer would, as they say, liked to have seen it again.

Goal! Carharrack score from the penalty spot to take a 2-1 lead in the Supplementary Cup final.

The spot-kick was duly rolled home to give Carharrack the lead – but that lasted just nine minutes as St Agnes levelled matters again with a superb strike from outside the box. It was the best goal of the game and led to a spontaneous round of applause from this neutral spectator. Absolute corker.

Even that, though, failed to get my 100% concentration back on the game and I nearly missed the start of the second half as I was busy taking selfies. How modern am I? (Anyone who sees the picture will know that the answer to that is “not very at all”).

Carharrack, though, did fully have their minds on the game and took the lead again seven minutes after the break. The attacker just beat the keeper to a bouncing ball and got just enough on it for it to roll over the line. The two players collided and the goalie was left in a heap; play was delayed for several minutes before he was on his feet again.

St Agnes should have levelled on the hour but failed to convert after their best move of the match and, almost immediately, Carharrack should have made it 4-2 but shot wide from a good position. However, on 78 minutes, they did make it 4-2 with a nice little lobbed finish – and that more or less sealed the destination of the Supp Cup.

It was properly sealed in injury time when Carharrack broke away to make it 5-2, which meant that the final scoreline wasn’t really a fair reflection on brave and battling St Agnes.

But that’s the thing about cup football – it really is a case of the winner takes it all.

And for lovers of the beautiful game, we were all winners. We had got to see another match, after all, which had been graced by drama, at least one cracking goal, and the presentation of medals and silverware. What more could you ask for? The cup for losers? I don’t think so.

PICTURES EXTRA

Carharrack, in red, clear a dangerous St Agnes attack in the final of the LWC Drinks Cornwall Combination Supplementary Cup.

Carharrack, in red, v St Agnes in the final of the LWC Drinks Combination Supplementary Cup, played at the Kellaway Park home of Helston Athletic FC.

The St Agnes keeper claims the ball from a Carharrack corner in the Supplementary Cup final.

The benches watch on as the teams play “spot the ball” in the Cornwall Combination’s Supplementary Cup final, played at Helston.

Runners-up medals for a battling St Agnes side.

A hatless and hairless, but not coatless, Swaz Teamwear selfie from the cup football blogger.

STATISTICS

Carharrack 5 St Agnes 2

(Half-time 2-2)

Played at Kellaway Park, Helston, on Sunday, May 20, 2018

LWC Drinks Cornwall Combination League Supplementary Cup Final

Cup matches watched this season: 35

Home wins: 18

Away wins: 6

Draws: 3

Games at neutral venues: 8

Number of competitions watched: 13

Home goals: 73

Away goals: 38

Goals at neutral venues: 36

Total goals: 147

CONTACT

If you have any thoughts or comments about this blog, email me at thecupfootballblogger@hotmail.com; find me on Twitter via @cupfootballblog; or find me on Facebook at Peter Harlow (the cup football blogger)

 

 

 

THAT FRIDAY FEELING … ON A WEDNESDAY

Liskeard Athletic v Mousehole

Liskeard, in blue, on the attack v Mousehole in the Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final played at Newquay’s Mount Wise ground.

MUCH AS, IN THE BEMUSING WORLD OF HIGH FASHION, blue was once said to be the new black, in the mind of this blogger, Wednesday is the new Friday.

This is because, in my day job (which I have been told many times never to give up) I work to weekly deadlines, which all come to a horological head on a Wednesday afternoon. It can be a bit frantic in the hours leading up to them but, once they have passed and we have probably hit them (!) the pace of the working week drops away quickly.

Yes, I still work on a Thursday and Friday but the pressure is off. It means that Wednesday feels like the natural full point to my working week and it definitely feels like a Friday to me. Indeed, a former barmaid at my local pub always used to greet me on a Wednesday night with a cry of “Happy Friday!” I liked her.

Now, many of you may be fond of a raucous Friday night, perhaps enjoying a few beers, eating a takeaway and looking forward to the delights of the weekend ahead. What normally happens to me, though, is that I go out for a quick pint on a Wednesday and then come home and fall asleep on the sofa. I never was much of a party animal so that feels like a Friday to me!

However, on Wednesday, May 16, I decided to stay awake and haul myself to another cup tie, my third in five days. It turned out to be a good decision – and I managed to stay awake throughout the match.

This was a semi-final between Mousehole and Liskeard in the Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup, an invitation tournament for 16 teams in Cornwall who play at Step 7 or below and this clash would decide who would face Wadebridge in the final.

But I travelled to the game in some trepidation, as I wasn’t sure it was a game that either side really wanted. Both these teams ply their footballing trade in Division One West of the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League and both had ambitions of promotion this season. Both of them failed to realise those aims, finishing fourth and fifth in the table. So would they be really up for this clash?

Also, just three days before this match, Mousehole had played in, and lost, their first ever Cornwall Senior Cup. That must have been a draining experience. Would they be able to lift themselves for this semi-final?

Well, if the worst did come to the worst and the game was a half-hearted stinker, at least it would be taking place at one of my favourite Cornish grounds.

Not much doubt where this cup semi-final was being played!

Although this was only my second visit to it, I like Mount Wise, the home of Newquay AFC. A bit like St Blazey’s Blaise Park home, which hosted Sunday’s Senior Cup final, it has the feel of a “proper” football ground. Maybe it was growing up watching football at The Den, the former home of Millwall, that made me fond of what you might call “working class” grounds in less than affluent parts of the world, but they do have a real sense of footballing history and heritage about them.

Mind you, finding the loo for my pre-match, er, preparations was interesting, Having paid to get into the ground, the sign for the toilets then directed me back out of it again, through a gate, past a fence and into the clubhouse. I felt like I was breaking in to the ground when I returned pitchside again and kept a firm hold of my programme to prove that I had already paid!

But that was the only minor downside to being here. Not only did I find the ground first time this time, having got hopelessly lost and confused on my first visit, but I also found somewhere nearby to park for free. I was a winner before the game even kicked off!

And the microphone moment of the match (this has become a bit of a theme over the past few games) also came before a ball had been kicked in anger. Mousehole have a player called William Vouama over whose name the very Cornish-sounding announcer stumbled and mumbled. He then moaned about difficult names and was greeted by a chorus of “Get on with it” by the assembled masses. “Alright, alright,” he shouted, and then proceeded to mumble a few more names. His announcement wasn’t very informative but it was very entertaining.

All I needed now was for a decent game of football to break out and my evening’s fun would be complete. Well, it started brightly, with both sides looking lively enough and creating and missing several chances. My pre-match misgivings were fading – this was going to be OK after all.

Things looked even brighter in the 24th minute when the first proper defensive clearance of the game went on to and then bounced over the roof of the main stand. No mucking about there. As an old-fashioned, non-passing, centre-half, I thoroughly approved. Not that that really reflects the football culture of either of these two sides, who both like to play good football, but a proper clearance is a proper clearance and needs to be applauded.

Mousehole, in white and green, on the attack v Liskeard in the Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final at Mount Wise, Newquay.

What also needs to be applauded is the attitude of the small group of fans who spent almost the whole game standing on a grass bank by a sign saying “This is not a spectator viewing area.” I like rules but I also like rebelling against them in minor ways sometimes. So, for the second time on the evening, I thoroughly approved.

What I didn’t approve of, though, was the fact this game was goalless at half-time. Now, I have a very, very good record of seeing loads of goals in the cup games I cover, including 11 in the past two matches I had watched, so 0-0 at half-time left me feeling a bit twitchy.

It has to be said that this was a hard-fought, watchable cup tie, but it did lack the zip and sense of theatre of the two cup finals I saw at the weekend. There was lots of endeavour but not much actually coming off.

Mind you, it was still a major enough occasion to not only have a fourth official but one with a fancy electric number board. That’s always the sign of a big game at this level.

And so to the second half, and Mousehole began to turn the screw. Their passing game found some of the fluidity it lacked before the break and they pushed the battling blues of Liskeard deeper and deeper. Athletic still looked dangerous on the break but The Seagulls were dominant – but they still could not find a way through.

In the end, there was no goal glut for this strike-hungry blogger but there was one moment of brilliance which settled this tie without the need for extra time.

It came in the 85th minute when the aforementioned Mr Vouama hit an absolute pearler from outside the box into the top corner. It was a cracker, worthy of winning any cup tie. And, despite the redoubled efforts of Liskeard, and five minutes of injury time, it was enough to win this one.

It left Liskeard feeling like it was a miserable Monday morning and Mousehole like it was a fun-filled Friday night. Which, as it was a Wednesday, was exactly how it should be.

PICTURES EXTRA

Goalmouth action from the Cornwall Charity Cup semi between Mousehole, in white, and Liskeard.

Mousehole appeal for a penalty in their Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final v Liskeard but the ref was having none of it.

The main stand at Mount Wise, Newquay.

Action from the Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final between Liskeard, in blue, and Mousehole. The game was played at Newquay FC.

The cup football blogger’s Swaz Teamwear selfie at Newquay’s Mount Wise ground during the Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final between Mousehole and Liskeard.

Time for a discussion as a Liskeard player is treated for an injury.

What appears to have become my obligatory crowd shot, this time at the Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final between Mousehole and Liskeard at Newquay AFC.

STATISTICS

Liskeard Athletic 0 Mousehole 1

(Half-time 0-0)

Played at Mount Wise, Newquay, on Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup semi-final

Cup matches watched this season: 34

Home wins: 18

Away wins: 6

Draws: 3

Games at neutral venues: 7

Number of competitions watched: 13

Home goals: 73

Away goals: 38

Goals at neutral venues: 29

Total goals: 140

CONTACT

If you have any thoughts or comments about this blog, email me at thecupfootballblogger@hotmail.com; find me on Twitter via @cupfootballblog; or find me on Facebook at Peter Harlow (the cup football blogger)

 

 

HAVING MY CAKE AND EATING IT

Saltash United v Mousehole

GOOALLL!!! Saltash United take the lead in the RGB Building Supplies Cornwall Senior Cup final against Mousehole after just 65 seconds.

WHEN YOU ARE A CHILD it is the role of your parents, generally speaking, to keep you on the straight and narrow, to discipline you and give you borders. It is also the role of your grandparents to spoil you rotten. Well, I feel like a young lad who has spent all weekend at his Nan’s where I have eaten a whole packet of Jammie Dodgers and still been allowed a large slice of chocolate cake.

In footballing terms, the cup final weekend of May 12 and 13 has spoilt me rotten.

I have already blogged about Saturday’s storming Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final, in which Falmouth Town beat Tavistock 4-2 after extra time (see Fabulous Final Destination, which is at the bottom of this article).

It left Saltash United and Mousehole with a lot to live up too when they clashed in Sunday’s RGB Building Supplies Cornwall Senior Cup final – but this proved to be almost as sensational. It was certainly well worth the wait.

Wait, what wait? Well this, the big day in the Cornish football calendar, is traditionally played on Easter Monday. That was six weeks ago but, such has been the relentless rain this season, this final was pushed back further and further as the Cornwall FA struggled to get all the earlier rounds played. In the end we had to wait from April 2 to May 13 for this occasion to be staged.

For Mousehole, the wait was even longer. The first Cornwall Senior Cup final was back in 1893, when Penzance beat Launceston 5-0. The Seagulls of Mousehole weren’t formed until 1923 and, in the 95 years since, they have never once troubled the Senior Cup final history books. So waiting another few weeks wasn’t going to dampen the raucous ardour of their vociferous fans.

Saltash, on the other hand, are old hands at this Senior Cup malarkey. They have been in five finals since 2004 – and have lost the lot, including last season. This, though, was expected to be their best chance of ending that cup hoodoo. After all, they had just finished fourth in the CSWPL Premier Division, the same position occupied by Mousehole at one step lower in Division One West. So, would the trophy glory go according to the formbook and these standings, or would we all witness a cup final shock? Not of Wigan v Manchester City proportions, but a cup final shock nonetheless. Well, 392 paying souls rocked up to St Blazey’s excellent Blaise Park ground on Sunday to find out.

The crowd enjoying the RGB Cornwall Senior Cup final between Mousehole and Saltash United at St Blazey.

Blaise Park is one of my favourite grounds in Cornwall, perhaps the favourite. It is not set in the prettiest settlement in the Duchy but is always well-presented, has a neat and aesthetically pleasing main stand, elevated grass banks from which to watch the action and the general air of being a proper football ground. I have been here for several finals and semi-finals but I don’t think I have ever been there to actually see St Blazey play in a cup tie. That is an omission which is on my list to correct next season.

Blazey will again be playing Division One West football next season as, not only did they fail to reach promotion standard on the pitch, the ground also failed the grading process off it. I am not sure which criteria it failed on but they certainly weren’t ones to bother the football fan. It is a super ground.

It also had a working PA system, or at least a man with a working mobile microphone. I know this because, as I was organising my pre-match cup of tea, I was deafened by the first of his pre-match announcements. It turns out he was standing right next to me but I missed him as I carefully measured how much milk to put in my cuppa.

On Saturday, the match announcements had begun in positive style, with even the first goalscorer and time being revealed over the Tannoy system. These then dried up completely and I complained about it in my blog from the match. Afterwards, SWPL secretary Phil Hiscox answered my moans in a Tweet, saying: “The microphone got pinched off me by the half-time raffle announcer!”

Sorry Phil!

Well, there were no such sound system dramas on Sunday, as far as I am aware. In fact, the most dramatic mic moments came with the announcement of the winning 50/50 tickets at half-time. The woman in charge announced the results almost as soon as the half-time whistle went and became more and more insistent, even a bit cross, as the lucky ticket holders were slow to make themselves known. Three minutes into the second half she was still badgering on about it. It was a relief to all of us when the £50 winner finally owned up.

What? The football? Oh the football. Well, that was simply sensational, with action and excitement from start to finish and two teams who never, ever, stopped playing. It was the second cup final classic I had witnessed in two days.

It didn’t feel like that at first, though.

The teams line up to meet the dignitaries before the RGB Building Supplies Cornwall Senior Cup final.

Saltash, the clear favourites, took the lead after just 65 seconds with a lovely dipping strike into the top corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. In the absence of any goalscoring announcements (maybe they had learned lessons from the day before) I shall have to rely on Twitter to tell you that the scorer was Sam Farrant.

I also have to tell you that any punctual people would have missed it. According to the clock on my phone, the match kicked off four minutes early, for no apparent reason, and The Ashes were already ahead before the scheduled 2pm kick-off. I would have been very grumpy if I had missed a goal despite arriving on time.

Anyway, that setback momentarily silenced the Seagulls fans, but not for long. They were determined to enjoy their first Senior Cup final and were making a lovely excited noise every time something went right for their side. And there was a bit more of a family-oriented feel to their cheering than the entertainingly liquid-fuelled chanting of the Falmouth “ultras” in Saturday’s final.

On 11 minutes, though, it was the fans of The Ashes who were raising the roof once again as they swept into a 2-0 lead. Sam Hughes was credited with the goal – and I don’t want to upset anyone by trying to take it away from him – but it looked to me as if it was going wide until a defender got the final touch. (Ducks under hail of abuse and cries of disbelief).

At this point, it looked as if it might be a stroll in the Blaise Park for the Saltash boys but that all changed two minutes later when the Seagulls pulled a goal back, with a neat header from Jake Andrew (no dispute from me about that one).

From that point on, the pattern of the match was settled, Mousehole, with their early nerves easing, found their passing rhythm and began to dominate possession while Saltash, who had clearly done their homework, battled hard to disrupt them and were always threatening and powerful when they surged forwards.

It was a proper game of ebb and flow and, for the neutral at least, was an absolute joy to watch. For the committed fans, though, it must have been fingernail-bitingly nervy, a real case of squeaky bum time at both ends, so to speak. Both sides had chances and Mousehole almost levelled early in the second half but couldn’t find a way through in two proper goalmouth scrambles. With 15 minutes to go, nerves were still jangling all around the ground.

Action from the RGB Building Supplies Cornwall Senior Cup final between Saltash United (in stripes) and Mousehole, at the Blaise Park home of St Blazey FC.

Then, on 77 minutes, it looked like Saltash had finally made sure of victory, Ryan Richards smashing home a superb third for the Premier Division side. Mousehole, though, weren’t having any of it. They kept playing their passing football and, as they cranked up the pressure, The Ashes became more and more anxious. Would their cup final jinx strike again?

With three minutes to go, it looked like it might.

A Mousehole attack seemed to have broken down as the forward lost the ball in the box but his momentum took him ahead and he was caught by a late, mistimed challenge, and the ref pointed to the spot. More drama!

Steven Ziboth made no mistake from the spot and that was the cue for another spell of madness and mayhem as Mousehole poured forward in search of a late, late equaliser and Saltash desperately clung on to their hard-won advantage.

When the final whistle finally went, there was Saltash joy and relief, Mousehole pride and sadness, and a fantastic reception from everyone in the ground for the storming efforts of both teams. What a cracking cup final – the second super showdown in two days. How spoilt am I?

Right, I am off to find some cake. Got to make the most of things when it’s going this well…

PICTURES EXTRA

Championes!! The celebrations begin as Saltash United lift the Cornwall Senior Cup after a hard-fought and dramatic 3-2 over Mousehole in the final at St Blazey.

Impressive Mousehole, from Division One West of the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League, line up to collect their runners-up medals after the club’s first appearance in the Cornwall Senior Cup final. They came close to pulling off a shock against Premier Division opponents Saltash United.

Action from the RGB Building Supplies Cornwall Senior Cup final between Saltash United (in stripes) and Mousehole, at the Blaise Park home of St Blazey FC.

In the background is a chapel of rest, perfect for the Walter C Parson Funeral Directors Cup. Oh, hang on, that’s the wrong cup. And the wrong funeral director. As you were.

A cup football blogger enjoying the Cornwall Senior Cup final.

Action from the RGB Building Supplies Cornwall Senior Cup final between Saltash United (in stripes) and Mousehole, at the Blaise Park home of St Blazey FC.

It’s a family affair as Saltash United prepare to lift the Cornwall Senior Cup.

THE STATISTICS BIT 

Saltash United 3 Mousehole 2

(Half-time 2-1)

Played at Blaise Park, St Blazey, on Sunday, May 13, 2018

RGB Building Supplies Cornwall Senior Cup Final

Cup matches watched this season: 33

Home wins: 18

Away wins: 6

Draws: 3

Games at neutral venues: 6

Number of competitions watched: 13

Home goals: 73

Away goals: 38

Goals at neutral venues: 28

Total goals: 139

CONTACT

If you have any thoughts or comments about this blog, email me at thecupfootballblogger@hotmail.com; find me on Twitter via @cupfootballblog; or find me on Facebook at Peter Harlow (the cup football blogger)

 

FABULOUS FINAL DESTINATION

Falmouth Town v Tavistock AFC

Falmouth Town, winners of the 2018 Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup.

FOR A MAN WHO IS MORE THAN SLIGHTLY OBSESSED with cup football I have a bit of a strange relationship with cup finals. Much as I love the sense of occasion and the ultimate drama of the winners lifting the cup, I sometimes prefer the earlier rounds.

Standing in the cold and rain at a basic park ground hidden away from the tourist gems of Cornwall, watching a game between two battling sides in the first or second tie of a competition, with all their hopes and dreams of a special season still alive, thrills my cup football blogging soul. The sporting potential for just about anything to happen is vast. Who knows where this cup football journey will end?

But, by the time you get to the final, virtually all of those hopes have died. By the final whistle, only one set of joyful dreams will have been realised and, for everyone, it will be the end of the cup road for another season.

Many years ago, I walked the entire 177-mile length of the Offa’s Dyke Path, finishing by dipping my toes in the sea at Prestatyn after ten days of hiking. “Yes, I have done it,” I thought loudly to myself, “What a great thing to have done.”

“Er, right, what happens next?”

That’s the feeling I sometimes get about cup finals. Maybe I just don’t like endings.

But the truth is that, despite this being the final of the competition with the best name in the world – the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup – I wasn’t entirely looking forward to it, I didn’t want my cup journey to be over.

Boy, am I glad I went, though.

Falmouth Town on the attack v Tavistock in the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final, held at Wadebridge.

This was an absolute humdinger of a cup final. We had some cracking goals, the lead changing hands, extra time, a 20-player flare-up, missed chances, goalmouth incidents galore and a stunning hat-trick to cap it all. What a game, probably the best cup tie I have seen all season. The action just never stopped.

So, instead of my normal waffling about everything and anything, I am going to let the football do the talking in this blog. But first, let me set the scene.

Tavistock were champions of the SWPL last season and have finished as runners-up this time around, behind runaway winners Plymouth Parkway. Falmouth Town, meanwhile, a “sleeping giant” of the Cornish soccer scene, have had their best season for many a long year, finishing third in the Premier Division table, albeit ten points behind Tavvy. These were two quality sides and their meeting in this final promised much.

The venue was also pretty impressive, with Wadebridge Town’s Bodieve Park looking simply superb in the spring sunshine. It’s a ground I have been to on several occasions but I have never seen it looking better than this. The fact that 405 fans rocked up added to the power of the setting, while the atmosphere and sense of occasion was only bolstered by the chanting from both sets of fans, especially the loud and lairy Falmouth contingent. They were great fun but, to be fair, I wasn’t standing next to them!

And so to the football and, as a soon as the whistle went, it was clear to see that both sides were fully up for it, fully committed and fully determined to get their hands on the silverware. The early signs promised a great game and it turned into an absolute classic.

Tavvy started the brighter but Falmouth soon hit back and were definitely on top – right up until the 24th minute when The Lambs from Devon took the lead. They were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box and tried a training ground move, which didn’t come off. However, the ref decided he wasn’t ready and ordered it to be retaken. So Tavistock tried again, pulled another routine out of the hat, made it work better this time and Josh Grant swept in the opener. It was a cracking goal, and turned out to be the first of many on an afternoon of quality strikes.

There was a bumper crowd of 405 at the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final between Tavistock and Falmouth Town, held at the Bodieve Park home of Wadebridge Town.

Now, I know it was Josh Grant in the 24th minute because, not only was I timing the game as normal, but there was an actual announcer telling you what was going on. Now, that’s definitely big time! (Sadly, the PA system struggled from this point on and no more goalscorers or times were announced. That’s Non-League for you).

The Cornish side were not phased though and proceeded to dominate the rest of the first half, at least in terms of chances and possession, but Tavvy always looked dangerous going forward, their neat and tidy play just lacking that all-important final touch at times.

Fal almost levelled just before half-time but were denied by a super save. However, a real moment of magic on 51 minutes saw them get the equaliser. Town came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second half and were rewarded when Jordan Annear smashed home a flying volley/bicycle kick. It was a real top-class strike – and it wasn’t to be his last major contribution to the game.

Four minutes later came only the real flashpoint of the game when a terrible Tavvy tackle led to virtually everyone getting involved in a melee that saw another Fal player left on the deck. Now, I have been watching Tavistock for more than a decade now – they were the closest ground with floodlights to where I used to live – and they have always had a tendency to hit the self-destruct button where they overdo the aggression bit. They almost always have a player sent off when I watch them – and I thought this incident would lead to that happening again. However, after a long deliberation with his fellow officials, the ref decided to just yellow card two Tavvy players and kept the red in his pocket. The Falmouth fans were not impressed.

On 68 minutes, though, the Cornish contingent were dancing again as Falmouth took the lead, Luke Brabyn getting the final touch as the ball bounced about the penalty box. Cue mayhem and mania among the Cornish contingent. Hands almost on the cup? Nah, Tavistock were having none of it. The Devon side just got stronger and stronger as they pushed forward in search of an equaliser, which came in some style on 79 minutes when Dan Sullivan thumped home a spectacular 25-yarder into the top corner. It was another moment of real quality in this top quality cup final.

However, the Devon side, who were well on top at this stage, could not force a winner and so the tie headed into extra time. Good. Another 30 minutes of this would be a real treat.

Cup final headgear comes in all shapes and sizes. The head injury that led to this natty bandage work caused a five-minute delay.

In fact, we got a bit more than that as the first half of extra time lasted 20 minutes rather than 15 as the game was delayed for a good five minutes after a nasty clash of heads. And Falmouth made good use of the injury time in extra time, Annear forcing his way through four minutes into the added five to net his second and Falmouth’s third. Could Tavistock hit back again?

That question was, more or less, answered midway through the second half of extra time, when Annear took advantage of a mix-up in the Tavvy defence to roll his third and Falmouth’s fourth just inside the post. Cue another Cornish celebration.

But Tavistock weren’t done yet. They had the ball in the net almost immediately but it was correctly ruled out for offside. There followed a couple of really good saves from the Town keeper, a couple of proper old-fashioned goalmouth scrambles in the Falmouth box, and a couple of near-misses. Cornish nerves were definitely jangling.

However, those nerves turned to jubilation and Tavvy’s hopes turned to tears when the ref eventually blew the final whistle after more than two hours of non-stop cup thrills and spills. It sparked some of the most joyous scenes I have witnessed in three seasons of writing this blog as the Falmouth players and fans noisily celebrated together while the Tavistock players slumped to the ground in dismay.

What a game, what a cup final. I am so glad my Walter C Parson cup road led me to this glorious conclusion.

Let’s do it all again soon.

THE STATISTICS BIT AND MORE PICTURES

Falmouth Town 4 Tavistock AFC 2 (after extra time)

(Half-time 0-1. Half-time in extra-time 3-2)

Played at Bodieve Park, Wadebridge, on Saturday, May 12, 2018

Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup Final

Cup matches watched this season: 32

Home wins: 18

Away wins: 6

Draws: 3

Games at neutral venues: 5

Number of competitions watched: 13

Home goals: 73

Away goals: 38

Goals at neutral venues: 23

Total goals: 134

PICTURES EXTRA (lots of them)

Falmouth Town’s players and vocal fans celebrate their Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final victory.

Despair for this Tavistock duo after the final whistle.

Action from the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final between Tavistock, in red, and Falmouth Town.

Tavistock clear a Falmouth attack in the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final.

Action from the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final between Tavistock, in red, and Falmouth Town.

Tempers flared after a poor tackle, which led to some pushing and shoving during the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final between Tavistock, in red, and Falmouth Town.

Goalmouth action from the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League Walter C Parson Funeral Directors League Cup final between Tavistock, in red, and Falmouth Town.

Heading into extra time and it’s time for a teamtalk for the players of Falmouth Town and Tavistock – and a kickabout for the ball boys.

CONTACT

If you have any thoughts or comments about this blog, email me at thecupfootballblogger@hotmail.com; find me on Twitter via @cupfootballblog; or find me on Facebook at Peter Harlow (the cup football blogger)