CARLSBERG SOUTH WEST PENINSULA LEAGUE
WALTER C PARSON FUNERAL DIRECTORS CUP FINAL
Bodmin Town 4 Godolphin Atlantic 1 (after extra time)
Striker Andrew ‘Rocky’ Neal scored his 59th and 60th goals of a remarkable individual campaign to round off Bodmin’s season of success, adding the league cup to the league championship and the Cornwall Senior Cup.
But this latest success – and none of the trophies have come easy – was only clinched in the late stages of extra time after cup holders Godolphin had pushed their more illustrious opponents all the way at Launceston’s Pennygillam ground.
Indeed Andy Savage’s team had Bodmin on the ropes in the second half of normal time, and had Ross Fallens been able to convert an 85th minute penalty, the trophy would probably have been staying at The Godolphin pub for another year.
Unless you were among the crowd of 306, you will probably take one look at the scoreline and think this was another of those Bodmin strolls in the park. After all, they beat the same club 7-0 in the Senior Cup final on Easter Monday.
But this time, two of Bodmin’s goals came in the last three minutes of extra time, giving the final score an unbalanced and unfair appearance.
And for long periods of the second half, Darren Gilbert’s players looked dead on their feet, often second best in the tackle and rarely able to keep the ball.
It was all in stark contrast to the first half where a 19th minute goal from Steve Bowker, who finished off from close range after Lee Bevan’s left foot corner from the right caused confusion in the six yard box between Godolphin players, gave Bodmin the advantage.
And for the most part of the opening 45 minutes, they were the side who looked more likely to score, with Neal and the lively Nick Hurst spurning good opportunities.
The next goal was going to be crucial and it came from Godolphin eight minutes into the second half as skipper Phil Lowry drilled a low right foot shot past Bodmin keeper Scott Corderoy into the net from 15 yards.
Bodmin suffered another blow when Bowker was forced off with a hamstring strain – Sky Sports would probably say he is out for the season – and they had to push midfield man Lance Bailey further upfield to support Neal.
Steadily, however, Godolphin took a grip on the game and it took a fantastic close range save from Corderoy to deny Lowry a second goal in the 65th minute.
Corderoy’s save brought loud acclaim on the sidelines from Kevin Miller, the keeper he had stepped in for after the veteran failed a fitness test on an ankle injury.
Corderoy came to Bodmin’s rescue again in the 81st minute when his outstretched right arm diverted a Fallens shot away from goal.
But the keeper was in trouble five minutes from time when he raced to the edge of his penalty area to try to get a challenge in on Lowry but succeeded only in sending him sprawling to the ground and the referee pointed to the spot.
Many thought the offence merited a straight red card – but official Derek Fox indicated that Lowry was running away from goal, therefore he considered it only a yellow.
That decision was to prove pivotal, as Corderoy recovered his composure to dive low to his right to keep out Fallens’ resulting spot kick.
Neither side was able to force a winner in the time remaining, and the prospect of another 30 minutes of play at the end of a long and hard season wasn’t greeted with joy by any of the players as the whistle went for the end of normal time.
The closest anyone came of breaking the deadlock in the first half of extra time was when Bodmin left back Shane Jewell lashed a thunderous volley wide in the 100th minute.
So who had it in them to produce something special to prevent a penalty shoot-out? It turned out to be the league’s runaway top scorer, Neal, who finished off from close range to put Bodmin 2-1 ahead in the second minute of the second half.
Semmens was then fortunate to stay on the pitch with a late late challenge out near the touchline as he raced out of his penalty area to stop River Allen’s breakaway towards goal. The distance away from goal probably saved him – though it was a crude intervention.
But the keeper got himself in all sorts of trouble in the 117th minute as Bodmin substitute Jack Podmore nipped in to make the game safe at 3-1.
Neal’s last minute goal was just the icing on the cake – and Bodmin’s players knew a marathon effort was finally over.
But it’s much easier to forget your tiredness for a while if you have three trophies to celebrate with.
For Godolphin, this has been a very good season too. Finalists in the Senior Cup and League Cup, they also finished fifth in the league – a tremendous effort by a club who don’t pay their players, most of which are local boys.
They will come again – on this occasion, however, it simply wasn’t their day.
Bodmin: Corderoy, Hurst, Jewell, Chambers, Simmonds, Bevan, Hillson (Allen 77), Krac, Bowker (Podmore 54), Neal, Bailey (Gilbert 118). Subs not used: Dingle, Miller (gk).
Goals: Bowker (19), Neal (107, 120), Podmore (117).
Yellow cards: Hurst (38), Bailey (58), Hillson (75), Corderoy (84).
Godolphin Atlantic: Semmens, Flannigan, Tilston (Bradshaw 46), Dilley, J Shepherd, Brown, P Lowry, Fallens, Paxton (Cole 61), Rigby, Martin (T Shepherd 87).
Goal: Lowry (53).
Yellow cards: Martin (31), Brown (83), Semmens (112).
Referee: Derek Fox.
Attendance: 306.
Marriott Man of the Match: Scott Corderoy – the Bodmin keeper made some excellent saves, the best of which denied Lowry at a crucial stage in the match.
KJM SPORTS 