Falmouth Town 3, Polperro 0

FALMOUTH Town avoided a giant-killing at the hands of Polperro to seal their place in the Cornwall Senior Cup quarter-finals at Bickland Park on Saturday.

Marcello Jones and Luke Brabyn scored late in the first half before Tim Nixon added a third midway through the second period as Town saw off their East Cornwall Premier League opponents.

Town dominated possession early on but failed to test Polperro goalie Craig Smith, with Sam Pickup's effort an easy pick-up for the visiting 'keeper.

The visitors were eager to let their lofty opponents know they were in for a game, with Matt Barton and Dave Gilbert coming close at the other end.

Indeed the best chance of the first half-hour fell to the away side, with Barton getting his head to a cross from six yards out which looked to be dropping in but for a vital fingertip stop from Falmouth 'keeper Ryan Barnes.

Town had a good chance of their own when Brabyn beat Smith to a long ball and tried to slot it in from outside the box but the ball dropped just wide of the right post.

But Town did break the deadlock seven minutes before half-time when Nixon broke free on the right flank and crossed to Jones to head home from six yards.

The hosts immediately set about finding a killer second goal before the break and it came with virtually the final act of the half. Brabyn played a one-two with Jones into the Polperro box, with Brabyn eventually prodding the ball past Smith and the last defender.

The second goal had knocked the stuffing out of the visitors and the second half was a quieter affair as a result, with Ryan Martt firing over from distance one of very few chances in the first part of the half.

But Town had their third on the hour when Josh Richards's cross found Nixon, whose shot took a big deflection off the unfortunate Gilbert and into the net.

The intensity dropped even further after the third goal, although Barnes had to be on his toes to superbly tip a goalbound header away from the top corner.

Player-manager Andrew Westgarth came on the final few minutes as the game wound itself down, and almost fired in a fourth after good work from Nixon down the left, but Westgarth sent his cross a couple of feet wide from 15 yards.

Town will face one of Saltash United, Launceston, Porthleven, Bodmin Town, Wadebridge Town, Wendron United, Perranwell/St Austell in next month's quarter-finals.

Falmouth: R Barnes, J Richards, O Moody, R Martt, J Cooper, J Ward, S Pickup, M Duff, L Brabyn, M Jones, T Nixon. Subs: J Webber, D Broglino, J Bowyer, A Westgarth, C Davis.

Polperro: C Smith, J Whitebrook, S Lane, T Ryan, M Puckey, D Gilbert, L Webber, K Faultner, D Hooper, M Barton, R Spencer. Subs: J Gaynor, A Cordner, C Patterson.

  • Town will visit bottom club Sticker in their first South West Peninsula League Premier game of 2019 next Saturday (kick-off 3pm).