Grampound Veterans 2018-9
Match Report
Halsetown 1-1 Grampound Veterans
Grampound won 3-2 on penalties
Sunday 9th December 2018
Cornwall Veterans Supplementary Cup Round 1
Playing on a good surface but in difficult windy conditions, this was a game that was played in an excellent spirit throughout and controlled really well by referee Dave Rowe who was personable and confident without being arrogant.
Grampound's stand-in keeper Aymer Wilson only had one difficult shot to deal with when he managed to tip a first half deflection onto the post. Grampound looked the more dangerous and spurned a few chances before Mike Cruse broke quickly following a Halsetown corner and lobbed the ball into the net to put Grampound ahead on 25 minutes. Some less than effective defending allowed Halsetown to equalise soon after when a long wind-assisted throw-in was headed on for a Halsetown striker to finish with a neat header. Steve Moorcroft should have restored the Grampound lead just before the break but directed his header on the ball hanging in the wind just the wrong side of the post.
Grampound had the better of possession in the second half but were unable to break the deadlock. Halsetown's attacks rarely made much of an impact until, with a penalty shoot-out looming, some good Grampound blocking managed to prevent Wilson having to make a save.
Grampound went on to win the penalty shoot-out 3-2, even though their last two out of the five were blasted over the bar. Wilson saved two of the Halsetown penalties and another was hit wide. This win on penalties ended a Grampound hoodoo with this being the first ever shoot-out ever won by any Grampound team (the club was founded in 1902 but penalty shoot-outs only began in the 1970s).
After the game:-
Back row (L to R): Allan Webb (chairman), Mike Bawden (player-manager), Chris Littlejohn, Andy Peers, Rob Sharpe, Steve Moorcroft, Chris Hunkin, Mike Cruse
Front row : Richard Martin, Aymer Wilson, Jules Woodman, Glyn Ford, Simon Spurr