Perranporth, Godolphin Atlantic & Foxhole Stars I, like quite a few other groundhoppers, once again spent the Easter weekend down in the South West and taking in games in the quite splendid South West Peninsula League. This year the games concentrated on teams based in Cornwall. With digs booked in Newquay, it was off down the M5/A38 for a feast of football....
South West Peninsula League
Division One West
Perranporth 1-1 Dobswells
Attendance: 354
Weather wise, today was awful as heavy rain battered the South West. The first port of call today, Perranporth, not unsurprisingly had no cover and most of us in the crowd got pretty wet.
Some parts of the outer ground resembled the Somme as they were caked in puddles and mud. I was one of the few lucky ones who managed to find some vantage point with a bit as cover, which was in the doorway of the adjacent rugby club.
The game ended in a draw, Dobswells taking the lead through Dan Tapper on 49 minutes before Justin Harrington levelled for the homesters.
Just to compound the 'hoppers misery the club failed to produce an adequate amount of programmes and they were sold out long before kick off. I managed to get a black and white photocopy to plug the gap.
South West Peninsula League
Division One West
Godolphin Atlantic 5-3 Newquay
Attendance: 527
This was not my original choice of game as I was heading to Treyew Road to watch Truro City, but the referee called that particular game off at 1pm. This meant I headed to the next game on the hop, the big Newquay "derby" at Godolphin Way. I personally think that if this game hadn't been a "hop" game, then it probably would have gone the same way as Truro as, to put it politely, the pitch was very heavy!
This though would've robbed over 500 people of an absolute corker of a game. The homesters edged out their rivals in an eight goal thriller. Mark Rose put Godolphin 2-0 up (24m & 27m) before Luke Wheldon made it 2-1 after 31minutes. Kyle Brown restored the homesters two goal lead, making it 3-1 after 39 minutes.
Scott Palmer brought Newquay back into the game after the break, making it 3-2 after 50 minutes before Godolphin raced into a 5-2 lead through Ollie Pinnell (59m) and Phil Lowery (63m) before the scoring was completed in stoppage time when Wheldon bagged his second for Newquay to make it 5-3.
So happy I attended this game, maybe the hopping gods decided to smile on me!
South West Peninsula League
Division One West
Foxhole Stars 2-1 St Austell
Attendance: 436
The final game of the hop lead us to Goverseth Park, the home of Foxhole and another derby, versus local rivals St Austell.
This game was eventful for St Austell goalkeeper Gary Penhaligon as he scored at both ends of the fields! A deft lob from Richard Griffin was palmed into his own net by Penhaligon after 24 minutes before Griffin scored after 36 minutes.
Penhaligon had is moment of glory after 68 minutes when a long clearance bounced over opposite number Ryan Holland to half the deficit. Unfortunately for the visitors they couldn't force an equaliser.
Typical really that this ground had cover but by 6pm the rain had stopped! The club pulled out the stops to make the hoppers welcome and had a hog roast on the go, which I'm happy to report was delicious.
And that concluded the South West 'hop' for another year. Another great time was had by all, well done to the organisers. Can't wait for 2011!
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