SWPL Prem Div Stoke Gabriel V Bodmin Town 18th April 2015

[Dave]

South West Peninsula – Premier Division

Stoke Gabriel AFC V Bodmin Town AFC


Saturday 18th April 2015 Kick-Off 3pm

Venue Churchward Memorial Ground

Referee G Suggate Referee Assistants C Palmer & R Hedges

Final Score Stoke Gabriel 1 Bodmin 3

Stokes final home game of their very first season in the South West Peninsula – Premier Division and what a season it has been. The club could not have had a worse start after their manager walked out taking a number of players with him. After playing their first ten games they had just seven points on the board and looked likely relegation candidates even that early in the season.

Tim Porter can rightly be proud of what he has managed to achieve this season, before today’s game Stoke were now on forty points meaning football in the Premier Division was secured for next season. Stoke has had a few hidings this season, its all part of the learning process playing in a higher league. But they have also enjoyed some fantastic results and for me the one that stands out has to be the home game against current league leaders Saltash United. A game they won by five goals to nil and proved on that day if they get their game together they can beat anyone in this league.

Tim Porter is already on the lookout for a few new players to add to the squad for next season, I firmly believe that Stoke will finish further up the table next season and might even finish in the top three.

Stokes last home game was against bottom club Bovey Tracey, a game they won only just and if they were to have any chance of beating third place Bodmin Town today, they would have to be at their very best. I have often felt teams can sometimes feel all they need to do is to turn up to beat a team much lower in the table than them, that often proves to be a big mistake. Likewise the same team can play a game against a team much higher up the table and not only look the better team, but win the game in the process

Stoke lost their away fixture against Bodmin by five goals to one just before Christmas, naturally I was hoping for a Stoke win today, so how well did they play and what was the final score?

A very bright and sunny afternoon and not a single cloud in the sky, but there was a bitterly cold wind that blew across the pitch at full force for the entire match. To be honest I do not know how Stoke lost this game, but then I think I do really. This was one of the most hard working performances I have seen from a Stoke team this season; they matched Bodmin all over the pitch and stood up big and strong when they needed too. I thought before the match the key to any success today was keeping Adam Carter quite and the Stoke defence mastered that with ease. So what went to horribly wrong for Stoke? The simple answer is a few too many mistakes at the back when it looked like they had the game won.

Stoke made sure they kept the ball down on the ground as much as possible and unlike their match against Bovey Tracey two weeks ago, soon got their passing game together. The first half chance fell to Olly Critchlow who was played into the Bodmin box and took an early shot that only just cleared the crossbar.

Stoke were doing well raiding down the left hand side of the pitch thanks to the pace and trickery of their number ten Tom Kelly but were unable to really take advantage of Toms fine runs. Their next half chance fell to Steve Bowker just outside of the box but it was a rather wild effort that flew high over the bar.

For all their hard work and effort Stoke almost gifted Bodmin the lead, a very poor and weak back pass by Ben Brown was never going to reach Nathan Murphy in goal for Stoke and that poor ball played in Bodmin’s number ten Ryan Richards who only had the keeper to beat. Thankfully for Stoke Ryan had a rush of blood to his head and hit the ball over the crossbar when it looked easier to hit the back of the net with it.

Stoke got lucky again when one of their players clearly handled the ball in his own box, the referee pointed to the spot but then noticed the linesman’s flag was raised He went over and talked with him and then awarded Stoke a free kick for a slightly earlier offside.

Stoke had one more chance before the first half ended, Ben Brown was in on goal and Kevin Miller in the Bodmin goal pulled off a good blocking save to prevent Stoke going in at the break one goal up. A good first half and the big question was could Stoke keep it up in the second half.

The second half got under way and Bodmin won and early corner that resulted in Nathan Murphy making a fine save clawing the ball out of the top left hand corner of his goal. Bodmin kept up their early pressure at the start of the half and could have taken the lead if Ben Joyce had played the more simple ball into the waiting Adam Carter instead of trying to go for glory himself with a shot from a very tight angle.

Stoke were still working very hard and a great through ball put in Dave Worthington into the Bodmin box and he hit a sweet low shot that the keeper despite diving low to his left could not get a hand on the ball. So one nil to Stoke and a lead that was well deserved, the hard part now was making sure they held onto it.

Sadly they were not able to manage that after failing to clear the ball out of their own box, they then allowed Ryan Richards far too much time to get the ball under control and hit a good shot from just inside the Stoke box that hit the back of the net.
Stoke then pressed the self destruct button when Mark Ashworth who up until that point was having a fine game, brought down a Bodmin player in the box. Adam Carter grabbed the ball as he clearly wanted to add to his other thirty four goals this season. It was the worst penalty kick I have witnessed all season, what was he trying to do? He hit the ball so tamely and straight into the arms of Nathan Murphy who will never have an easier penalty to save ever again.

It was not long before Bodmin took the lead, a cross from the right was headed home by Darren Hicks with so much pace Nathan Murphy never had a chance of making a save. I felt for Stoke at this point, I thought a draw would have been a fair result, but worse was to come just minutes later.

Another poor back pass put Nathan Murphy in trouble and sadly he miss kicked the ball giving it straight to a Bodmin forward. While Nathan managed to make a good blocking save low down, the ball came off him towards the far left hand post and Ryan Richards had all the time in the world to fire the ball home into the empty net.

It is moments of madness, poor defensive mistakes and taking the chances when they do come your way, that so often separates the teams up the top from ones lower down the table. While Stoke lost today they can take heart from the way they played and I’m sure Tim Porter knows where he needs to strengthen the team for next season.

An enjoyable afternoon and a great game of football and all that is left to say is thanks to Tom for all his help this season when I have covered any Stoke home games.

Tim Porter