ST MINVER 1-3 FOXHOLE STARS: THE INDEPENDENT, HONEST & LIGHTHEARTED MATCH REPORT...

 Bould Foxhole Star Shocks St Minver…

St Minver 1-3 Foxhole Stars

The Mowdog’s thoughts… 

This game produced a bit of a surprise result, for Stars shocked league leaders Saints with a strong first-half display and managed the second 45 up the Trewint Lane slope rather well. The visitors won this East Cornwall Premier League Cup Semi-final tie with some gusto. However, all four goals were a bit weird to witness in truth and Stars’ number 9 Benno Bould must have been surprised at how his hat-trick of strikes actually found the net. A glanced header after beating home goalie Ben Hurst to the ball came first, then a bobbling 25 yarder somehow beat the ‘keeper for 0-2 and finally a falling backwards looping header dropped into goal in slow motion for goal three…

Saints’ consolation goal was strange too, for Ed Green slipped as he shot a penalty, completely fooling Foxhole’s goalie Stewart May who dived right in vain as the ball rolled into the centre of the net. Hilarious…

ED GREEN, RIGHT, AFTER SCORING...

St Minver really weren’t at it for much of the tie in all honesty and will rue their performance, although they did create several chances to score, especially when chasing the game late on. Foxhole though were superbly marshalled in defence by Angel Coates who was uncontrollably happy when the final whistle blew. His height and obdurate defending led the way for his team, ably assisted in the trenches by Josh Andrews in particular and when he was called upon, ‘keeper May made important saves. 

Saints’ defence really did look out of sorts at times but credit to Bould, who, along with midfielder Jack Boardman, caused problems for Ed Green, Joe Combellack and of course gloveman Hurst…

Getting the team lists… 

There were no team sheets… Hmm, what to do? Luckily someone from St Minver kindly wrote down a team list for me to use in my commentary but getting Foxhole’s was traumatic… One guy from Foxhole stood outside the changing area with me after the warm-up and asked a few players which numbers they would be wearing. Others were identified as they emerged to start the match… Thanks to both clubs therefore, despite the last moment rush for me… And I’m sorry for any errors made during commentary or in this report. A mum arrived too with her sons in the car: all three Boardman brothers, who all started for the visitors and all of them played strong games… 

Benno Bould… 

A dream game for the striker who not only turned up a little late (maybe…) but parked his vehicle right in front of the facilities too, showing his cool registration plate to the decent crowd… Impressed we, er, maybe were…

BENNO BOULD: A REAL PRESENCE...

However, a deep, floated free-kick from half-way by Stars appeared to be one which ‘keeper Hurst would get to as he advanced from goal but Bould jumped in front of him, back to goal and nudged it on with his head. The ball bounced into the right corner of the net…

His second goal stemmed from the mugging of home left-back Christian Cleave by a combination of Bould and Harry Boardman but it was Bould who made a strong run towards the 18 yard box. However, the 25 yard shot by the forward wasn’t powerfully struck on the hard and uneven surface and although Hurst appeared to have it covered, the ball took a slightly awkward bounce and I think entered the net off the custodian’s arm as he crouched to attempt a save… 

His hat-trick goal was an unusual one, for the angle of his header, possibly due to the prevailing wind was ludicrous… Jack Boardman clipped in a smart left-side centre with his right boot and I had just said on commentary that Bould could be a danger with his head, meaning because of his height. However, he tumbled backwards as the ball arrived and somehow as he fell the ball bounced off his forehead and looped towards the left upright. It came as a shock to all present (surely Benno too?) as the trajectory veered just inside the vertical pole… Hurst was crestfallen and St Minver were three goals down before the interval for pasties and pints of Doom Bar… 

JACK BOARDMAN: INVENTIVE...

More Foxhole offense…

Jack Boardman shot wide before the break and one of his deliveries from the left nearly evaded Hurst at the far post. He drove too high from a free-kick after the interval from downtown too, whilst the often tricky Jowan Dingle drove one fine centre across the face of goal, before Hurst denied the winger on the byeline near the right stick. Bould nudged a right-side corner past the near post and after half-time he made a fine run but shot too high. That would have been a splendid goal to remember…

Although his final choice wasn’t always what he would have been pleased with, Tyler Cheshire caused the home defence problems with several left-flank rushes. He was denied a brace of goals too, first by Ed Green, who cleared his flick past Hurst off the goal-line, then later on Hurst advanced to save well at Cheshire’s feet.

JOWAN DINGLE CAUTIONED...

St Minver…

Clearly the hosts didn’t play well, although striker Josh Caddy impressed with his contribution to the tie. He could get no purchase on the ball with his one goal attempt though and May saved easily. But he did win his team a spot-kick late on when he was challenged by Stars’ Dan Olver. Before the recess, Steve Wootton shot off target and also headed wide from Ed Green’s centre, whilst Ed himself shot two free-kicks at May. The first was an easy save for the goaltender but May plunged right to shovel the second effort away.

The best first period shot for Saints though was CallumWilson’s right-booted volley which I reckon May got a touch to before it cannoned downwards off the crossbeam… It didn’t cross the goal-line, however. 

WORDS FOR MIKE KEMPTHORNE...

When the Saints went marching forward…  

The busy and involved Mike Kempthorne shot into the side-netting and also wide, Cleave cut into the 18 yard box but also fired into the side-netting, whilst replacement Jon May didn’t strike one shot hard enough to worry Stewart May, who then blocked the same player’s rebound after the ‘keeper had pushed aside a shot from the enterprising home substitute Rob Green.

Perhaps the best chance for the Saints fell to Jordan Stone who helped Wilson’s low shot goalwards, only for the quietly efficient Lee Rickard to clear the ball from his goal-line with extra help from Tom Boardman, who completed the clearance. 

Stewart May also pushed away a neat cross by Kempthorne but subsequently, the spasmodic home attacks in an untidy second period failed to produce more than a penalty goal. The second 45 was too interrupted by substitutions, injuries and a couple of lengthy discussions between some players and the referee to have pattern or rhythm. 

TOBY EDDISON v THE ADVERTISING HOARDING...

The final words…

Dingle, under constant hassle from some children, er, youths on the sideline, was the only player cautioned I believe, possibly for diving, which he vehemently denied at the time… 

A hard fought contest was won by the more efficient team on the day. Yes, Bould netted the goals but Coates won the glory. He was well hyped up in the closing stages but that’s hardly surprising, for I met his dad too…   

ANGEL COATES: FINE GAME...

Foxhole thus move onto the Cup Final and after this, St Minver will certainly knuckle down and concentrate on remaining in contention for the league title…

THE INEVITABLE OUTCOME...

TEAMS:

ST MINVER SQUAD:

BEN HURST, JOE COMBELLACK, CHRISTIAN CLEAVE, DAYLL BEESLEY, ED GREEN, JORDAN STONE, JON MAY, CALLUM WILSON, JOSH CADDY, ROB GREEN, STEVE WOOTTON (CAPT), JAMES HEYWOOD, TOBY EDDISON, ADAM SLEEP, MIKE KEMPTHORNE, JASON KEATLEY.

FOXHOLE STARS SQUAD:

STEWART MAY, RYAN WILKINS, NATHAN ALLEN, ANGEL COATES, JOWAN DINGLE, LEE RICKARD, BENNO BOULD, JACK BOARDMAN, HARRY BOARDMAN, TOM BOARDMAN, TYLER CHESHIRE, JOSH ANDREWS, DAN OLVER, NADIR ABDULKARIM.