A story of two penalties – and much more

FA Vase, fourth round

Bodmin Town 1 Ipswich Wanderers 3

FIRST and foremost, let’s get one thing straight: Ipswich Wanderers deserved to win this Vase tie played on a pudding of a Priory Park pitch.

The Eastern Counties League premier division side were good value for their passage into the last 16 of this prestigious national competition against the South West Peninsula League’s premier division leaders.

But, as in many a cup tie, there were key moments which swung the game the Sufflok side’s way . . .  and the two big ones in this match involved the penalty spots.

Ipswich were holding a 2-1 lead as the hour approached with a lacklustre Bodmin looking unlikely to force their way back into the match.

Then suddenly lively wing back Nick Hurst burst into the left side of the penalty area at the clubhouse end of the ground and he knocked the ball past Craig Stuart, who appeared to send him crashing to the ground with his outstretched leg.

The vast majority in the crowd of 282 immediately shouted ‘penalty’ but referee Lee Roberts from Plymouth rejected the home side’s strong appeals and instead brandished a yellow card under Hurst’s nose.

It looked a stone-waller from the grandstand. I am told by somebody who said he was standing ten yards away from the challenge that it was a clear pen.

Had that been given, and had Bodmin scored it, the tie would have been level at 2-2 with half an hour to play.

As it was, the home side were left deflated – and were then kicked in the proverbials when Mr Roberts showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot at the other end in the 75th minute when Ben Deacon appeared to be tripped just outside the box by Steve Simmonds.

Tom Bradlaugh sent Kevin Miller the wrong way from the spot, and that was virtually game over, though Bodmin showed more urgency in the last ten minutes than they had done in the previous 80.

Goal machine Andrew ‘Rocky’ Neal had given the home side a great start by sweeping home a 14th minute shot from close range after good work by Hurst and Glynn Hobbs, and for long periods of the first half Bodmin looked the better side.

But they never looked comfortable playing a 3-4-3 formation with new signing Ed Palmer playing alongside Simmonds and Tom Chambers at the back, with Hurst and Sam Matthews pushed forward as wing backs.

Which left Lance Bailey, normally a defender or midfield stopper, operating wide on the right of a front three which, mysteriously, did not include the influential Adam Carter, who didn’t look best pleased from his position on the bench.

And Bodmin were caught out in the 34th minute when Palmer, looking well off the pace of the game, allowed Ben Deacon free access to run to the edge of the penalty area on the right, before the Ipswich man’s pace took him clear to cross for Jack Severy to equalise.

Hobbs was then fortunate to only see yellow for a wild lunge on Daniel Tredray before the visitors swept ahead two minutes before the break.

Bodmin’s strength has, for so many seasons, been their defence but they looked at sixes and sevens too often for comfort and were caught out again as Ross Myhill was left unmarked ten yards out to volley home Bradlaugh’s cross from the left side of the penalty area.

Manager Darren Gilbert sent out an unchanged line-up for the second half but it took him only nine minutes to make his first change, as Sam Hillson replaced Bailey, who had been ineffective in an unaccustomed role.

And Carter was introduced in the 65th minute, to put Palmer out of his misery after a torrid debut, as Bodmin tried to lift the tempo.

They huffed and puffed but rarely troubled Ipswich keeper Callum Deacon . . . and then came the Bradlaugh penalty to secure victory.

Bodmin did have chances in a strong last ten minutes, but to underline it wasn’t their day, a goal-bound shot from Hobbs in injury time was stopped from hitting the net by one of his team-mates, Hillson, standing inside the six yard box.

Good luck to Ipswich – both for the long trip home and for further progress in the Vase. In central defenders, skipper David Head and Mark Goldfinch, they possessed the best two players on the pitch.

But they also looked brighter than Bodmin all over the pitch.

Bodmin: K Miller, N Hurst, S Matthews, T Chambers, S Simmonds, E Palmer (A Carter 65), J Dingle, S Krac, G Hobbs, A Neal, L Bailey (S Hillson 54).

Subs not used: L Bevan, S Jewell, L Rundle.

Goal: A Neal (14).

Yellow cards: G Hobbs (36), Hurst (58).

Ipswich Wanderers: C Deacon, D Tredray, S Wardley, S Duzgun, D Head, M Goldfinch, R Myhill (N Speed 67), C Stuart, B Deacon (C Corrick 85), T Bradlaugh, J Severy (M Mackenzie 64).

Subs not used: D Laws, J Buckle.

Goals: J Severy (34), R Myhill (43), T Bradlaugh (75 pen).

Yellow card: J Severy (55).

Referee: Lee Roberts (Plymouth).

Attendance: 282.

Marriott Man of the Match: David Head – a superb leader.

Match Rating (out of 5): 3.