Cullompton Rangers LFC
Cully lose title fight
2nd March 2008
Penzance 2 v Cully 0
Cully finally conceded their challenge for the title when they went down 2-0 away at Penzance. It was a hard fought and open game that both teams went all out to win as both needed 3 points to keep their title hopes alive. On a blustery day in Cornwall the pitch and conditions weren't ideal but Cully adapted well with this and also with a varied line-up compared to previous weeks.
Bucky moved into the middle to partner centre back Sam Bell with Emma Jones coming in to left back. Rach Javan went to the left wing, Mandy Earle to right and Kim Betlam partnered Angie Pope up front. Cully started brightly and saw alot of the ball in the early stages. Rachel caused the defence problems with her pace on the left wing, with one such attack she played a great cross into the box, only for it to evade Kim as she slid to reach it. Penzance also played their part and won their fair share of tackles being strong and not being pushed off the ball. They tried to attack in the main down the left and take advantage of their speedy winger but it was few and far between that she beat the tackle and tenacity of Kerry Powell-Tuckett. She did manage once though to provide a telling cross which held up in the wind and fell to a Penzance player who struck it over the bar.
Cully were then on the scoresheet but were denied when the linesman raised his flag. It was a move that Angie and Rach created on the left and from Rach's cross Kim came to meet it. She failed to get contact and the ball fell to Curly (Catherine Wright) who knocked it in from close range. As the girls celebrated the linesman flagged for an offside against Kim.
Penzance tried to take advantage of the wind and slope in the first half but as they played the ball over the top nothing got past Bucky (Karen Buck) and Sam Bell who combined well and cleared the danger. Josie and Curly won inumerable tackles and headers and fed the front two. Kim was played in by a ball from Josie and got a strong shot in but it was well saved by the keeper. There were no other clear cut chances and the score remained 0-0 at half time.
The majority of the second half was dominated by the defences as both stood strong and denied the forwards clear chances on goal. With 30 minutes left both managers knew that substitutions were needed as a winning goal was vital for both teams. Gaffer replaced Mandy Earle and Angie Pope with Jess Hooper and Emma Redwood coming on with fresh legs. Penzance brought on a speedy right winger and a new striker in their attempt to take the points. The speedy right winger made an immediate difference to Penzance having several strong attempts on goal. Max made a magnificent save not long after as the right winger had a great chance to break the deadlock. Her strong shot was superbly parried onto the bar from Max's left hand and rebounded out to safety. It wasn't long before the Penzance substitution paid off and they scored the crucial goal. From a well worked free kick the ball was played to the right of the box and quickly played across the goal to the new striker, she turned well and got a shot in that went agonisingly past Max as she dived to her right.
Penzance were relieved and were spurred on by the crowd who supported them well. As Cully went all out for the equaliser in the last ten minutes Penzance caught them on the break. They scored their second goal and put the game out of reach. A break down the right saw the winger play a telling ball across the box and finished at the far post as the defence scrambled back. Max got a hand to it but the power put it over the line. Cully played for pride in the dying minutes and put Penzance under pressure attacking in numbers and winning a succession of corners. Sam Bell came the closest but her left foot shot hit the side netting. The result sees Penzance back in the title race with the hope that Cheltenham will slip in one of their remaining three matches, and failing that, that they will maintain their superior goal difference.