Match Report

by Matt Thornhill

This niggly encounter will be consigned to the history books as a uninspiring match, in an otherwise difficult season.

The pitch was heavy and sluggish unsurprising given the weather building up to the match and the pitch didn’t allow the pacey passing and dribbling that Dobwalls have begun to get a reputation for.

Porthleven dominated the first twenty minutes with good flowing football, using the pace of their wingers to get in behind the Dobwalls defence. Dobwalls looked unable to get out of first gear for this first period, but good link up play between the midfield, Bello and Fyneboy seemed to spark the Dobwalls machine into life. Shortly after there was a ten minute period, where Dobwalls could and maybe should have taken the lead.

The Porthleven keeper made save after save after save, denying Bell, Fyneboy, Jasper and anyone else who dared to have a short at the Porthleven goal. Dobwalls now had their tails up and were hungry. Against the run of play, the Porthleven defence made a fine defence splitting pass, that saw the Porth No.10 one on one with Chapman. With three minutes until half-time, Porthleven took the lead.

The second half started as the first had finished. Porthleven out of the blocks trying to exploit the wings. Dobwalls first foray into the Porthleven box of the second half, saw yet again a game of pinball (similar to the standout moment of the first half), but this time Dobwalls managed to get the ball across the line and equalise through Fyneboy. If there was an assist to be had, it could have been anyone of the five Dobwalls players trying frantically to beat the strong and skilful Porth keeper.

Shortly after the equaliser, the game descended back into the niggly, bitty, sluggish game.

Half way through the second period and from a Porth corner, the ball was slotted under the Dobwalls keeper to make it 2-1 to the home team. With tempers fraying the Porth no.6 was sin binned, shortly after Spear from Dobwalls was also sin binned. And it was in this period that Porthleven got their 3rd goal to put the result out of doubt.

Despite the result, there were a few standout performances for Dobwalls. The performances from McCarthy in the Dobwalls defence, who look assured and confident in everything he did and from Mariko in the Dobwalls midfield, who chased harried and annoyed the opposition, until being substituted in the 2nd half, were great to watch.

With Falmouth winning in their FA Vase game, next weeks fixture away to the Bickland Park outfit has been rearranged to March. Dobwalls next match is the Boxing day big one against Bodmin Town, KO 11am