FALMOUTH TOWN 0

BODMIN TOWN 9

Brokenshire, Hobbs (2), Colwell, Matthews, Luxton, Webb (OG), Doddridge, Carter

Cup games can occasionally offer respite for clubs struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Freed from the singular pressures of another weekend spent staring into the abyss, it can be an opportunity for demoralised players to play without fear and express themselves.

Unless your opponents are Bodmin Town, that is.

Darren Gilbert’s side are the dominant force in the Peninsula League premier division. So dominant, in fact, that even at this stage of the season only a hopeless optimist would bet against them retaining all three of the league and cup titles they won during last year's record-breaking campaign.

And on Saturday they were characteristically ruthless, putting an under-strength Falmouth Town side to the sword in ninety minutes of football so one-sided that, to the casual observer, it may at times have looked like some  form of punishment for the side in amber and black.

But with twelve players sidelined either through injury or ineligibility, and a second exodus of players - this time from the reserve team following the departure of Paul Murray - this was a game Falmouth were not expected to win. Instead it was a test of grit and of courage, which they passed admirably. Though the scoreline might suggest otherwise, this was the most honourable of defeats.

"It was always going to be a difficult day at the office for us," said manager Les Gilbert afterwards.

"We only had a bare eleven out on the pitch and they did try their best, but Bodmin have set the benchmark for Cornish football over the last few years and that's what we're all striving to get to. We got what was expected in some respects, but I can't fault the effort."

A quick glimpse at both sides' benches gave some indication of the clubs' differing fortunes.

Darren Gilbert was in the enviable position of being able to leave out last season's premier division golden boot winner Adam Carter, instead electing to play Torquay target Chris Luxton alongside Glynn Hobbs up front.

Falmouth's bench was empty.

Predictably, Bodmin made the better start of the two sides, and were up with barely five minutes on the clock. Sam Matthews dipped inside his marker on the edge of the box before firing in a shot that Town captain Jason Chapman could only palm into the path of Ollie Brokenshire, who volleyed in from close range.

A little over ten minutes later it was two when Hobbs poked home his first with a tidy finish after racing on to a beautifully weighted through ball which sliced Falmouth's back line in two.

Goal of the afternoon came from Bodmin midfielder Steve Colwell on 28 minutes, after he received the ball 20 yards out, took a touch and curled a sublime finish past the outstretched palm of Chapman and into the far corner. At that point the game was already out of sight.

But credit to Falmouth's impromptu eleven for refusing to give up. Tom Dunstan cut a solitary figure up front but hassled and harried for the full 90 minutes, while at the back Bobby Bryant did his best to marshall the excellent Chris Luxton. But in the end the gulf in class was simply too great.

Hobbs notched up his second just before the break, and any suggestion that Bodmin might prefer a kickabout during the second half were dispelled minutes after the restart when Sam Matthews fired in from close range.

Chris Luxton's sliding effort squeezed past Chapman, with James Greet a helpless bystander to put Bodmin 6-0 up.

Bruised, battered and punch-drunk, Falmouth soldiered on through gritted teeth.

Bodmin registered a seventh when the unfortunate Jamie Webb turned a Luke Doddridge cross into his own net.

Doddridge, a second half replacement for Brokenshire, lived up to his reputation, tormenting an already heavy-legged Bryant down the right.

And it was Doddridge who notched up Bodmin's eighth after skipping past three Town defenders into the six yard box, before blasting his shot past Chapman.

Adam Carter made a cameo appearance just before the final whistle, and duly bagged the visitor's ninth with a classy finish from an acute angle, but by then the scoreline had ceased to matter.

Les Gilbert cut a forlorn figure at the final whistle, but was magnanimous in defeat - in fact, both managers paid tribute to one another's sides, with Darren Gilbert reserving special praise for Town’s dignity in defeat.

"I know there were a lot of players who couldn't play for them today,” he said, "and a lot who are gone from the club. Loyalty seems to be a thing of the past now."

Team: J. Chapman, J. Greet, B. Bryant, J. Webb, D. Friend, S. Retchford, D. Richardson, R. Vincent, T. Dunstan, S. Winnan, K. Turner