Stoke Gabriel v Godolphin Atlantic.Throgmorton Cup Oct 2012

[Dave]

Throgmorton Cup Rd2 South West Peninsula League

Stoke Gabriel v Godolphin Atlantic.

20th October 2012 2.30 pm kick-off

Godolphin Atlantic play in the Division 1 West of the South West Peninsula League and they top the table this season with six straight wins scoring 28 goals and only conceding six. Stoke are in 6th position of Division 1 East and have played eight games so far this season, winning five, drawing one and losing two and have scored 30 goals and conceded just thirteen goals. So this fixture looked like it had goals written all over it and one might have felt that Godolphin Atlantic were the favourites to win the game and progress to round three of the Throgmorton Cup

The winners of the cup to date are below and Bodmin has won it three out of the five times this cup competition has been held and are the current champions having beat Buckland in last seasons finals on penalties.

2007–08 – Bodmin Town
2008–09 – Bodmin Town
2009–10 – Buckland Athletic
2010–11 – Plymouth Parkway
2011–12 – Bodmin Town- Buckland Athletic 0–0, 6–5 On Penalties

I saw this game as a battle between Devon and Cornwall and also the opportunity to see if there were any noticeable differences in quality between football in both counties being played at the same level.

The game kicked off and it was the G’s who soon took control of the match, Stoke were at six and sevens at the back and always second to every lose ball. Stoke struggled with the pace of the G’s forwards, but got the tackles in when necessary, but then so often just gave the ball back to the G’s.

Despite all the possession the G’s were having, they were not able to create any really good chances to score and when their first shot on goal finally came, it was a rather tame effort Kyle Brown found himself free on the edge of the Stoke box, but his shot was weak and Grant Fisher in goal for Stoke had a relativity easy save to make.

Against the run of play Stoke took the lead, it looked as if Dave Worthington wearing the number nine shirt was fouled as he got on the end of a long ball. But he got past his man and the ref played a good advantage as Dave hooked the ball into the net.

It would have been one all going into halftime if Ross Fallens for the G’s had done better with his headed chance. The ball was crossed in from the right hand side right to the penalty spot were Fallens was standing. He had so much time to pick his spot, but headed the ball over the crossbar.

The ref blew for halftime and while I felt Stoke were lucky to be in front, football is all about taking those chances when they do come along and Stoke took that one golden chance that came their way, unlike the G’s.

Onto the second half and this half it was Stoke who looked the far better side, they were getting there first to the ball and were clearly looking for that second goal to give them some breathing space. That second goal was not long coming after a great shot hit the crossbar and came back into play. It was picked up just outside the left hand side of the box and crossed back into the G’s area. Stokes Jordan Hopkins had to stoop slightly to get his head on the ball, but he made good contact giving Shaun Semmens in the G’s goal no chance at all of making a save.

Stoke nearly made it three nil and it would have been goal number two for Dave Worthington had the G’s keeper not made a fine blocking save. A long ball was played up to Dave Worthington who was stronger against the G’s centre half and he found himself clean in on goal with a one on one with Shaun Semmens. Semmens came out to narrow the angle and stood up big and strong and managed to make a greet block with his body.

With Stoke still very much the better team out on the pitch and the G’s not being able to get near the Stoke goal, the only question was would Stoke add to their two goal lead. That answer soon came as Ollie Critchlow lobbed the G’s keeper from the edge of the area after shouts went out from the G’s defenders for off-side, but the lineman kepted his flag down.

The game was now as good as won for Stoke and it was no surprise that the G’s then were able to create a few attacks as Stoke sat back a bit deeper and got more men behind the ball. The G’s best chance fell to Phil Iowry? wearing the number nine for the G’s who saw is double effort of goal saved both times by Grant Fisher. Iowry was clean through on his own in the Stoke box and hit a right foot shot to Grants right. Grant made a good blocking save only for the ball to come back at Iowrys feet. This time he aimed high and Grant was able to recover from the first save and tip the ball over the crossbar.

Grant Fisher then had to make a number of saves as the G’s tried to get back into the game; he made one excellent save from a good shot at goal by Lee Paxton. I’m not sure what Stoke player it was, but there was clear handball in the Stoke box as a Stoke player clearly made a save with his hand. The ref pointed to the spot and I missed who took the spot kick for the G’s( problem with looking through the lens on the camera) Anyway he stepped up to take the kick and sent Grant Fisher the wrong way as he passed the ball into the other corner of the net.

So Stoke ended up winning by three goals to one and in the end fully deserved to be in the hat for the draw for the next round. I must confess I’m falling in love with Stoke, they are a great club and there are some very good people who put in so much hard work as the club moves forward and upwards.

My thanks goes to young Tom who for the second time took my programme and using the team sheet for the match, filled in all the players numbers etc for me. I also had a very nice surprise at today’s game. Near the end of the second half I felt a pair of arms around me and was over the moon to see young Amy, Bucklandgulls daughter. The great man was also there and after a few words and a man hug, he bid his farewell and headed off back to Newton Abbot.


The match pictures