Sticker 2, Falmouth Town 2

TIM Nixon’s second-half strike spared Falmouth Town’s blushes as they rescued a point at bottom club Sticker in the South West Peninsula League Premier on Saturday.

Bobby Hopkinson put the hosts in front with a wind-assisted free-kick before Harvey Hann doubled the lead inside 20 minutes.

Centre-back James Ward halved the deficit just before half-time before Nixon struck midway through the second half to deny Sticker their first league win of the season.

Town struggled to adapt to the windy conditions at Burngullow Lane which resulted in the first goal after just four minutes. Hopkinson lined up a free-kick 35 yards, which was taken by the wind and dropped into the corner of Ryan Barnes’ net.

Luke Johnson and Nixon were lively for Town with both coming close shortly after the goal. Johnson broke forward and beat his man before firing across goal, with Sticker ‘keeper Ethan Elwell making a good save.

Nixon was even closer with his eight-yard strike being parried back into his path by Elwell, who then tipped Nixon’s follow-up effort past the post.

That proved crucial as Sticker extended their lead on 20 minutes when Hann used every inch of his frame to meet a corner kick and power a header past Barnes.

Barnes had to be alert to prevent a third when Tim Piers fired in a low shot from 15 yards, with Barnes tipping it out for a corner.

But Town were back in the game shortly before the interval when David Broglino’s superb corner kick was headed home by Ward to reduce the visitors’ arrears.

The away side were back on level terms in the 62nd minute when Nixon played a one-two with substitute Jack Webber and beat a defender before unleashing a powerful shot past Elwell from close range.

Town searched for a winner and almost had it when Joe Cooper got his head to a corner, but the effort crashed against the post and to safety.

Sticker almost pinched a winner themselves when Hopkinson lined up another free-kick five minutes from time. The 25-yard strike beat the wall but could not beat Barnes, who produced a vital fingertip save to salvage a point for the visitors.

Falmouth: R Barnes, J Richards, O Moody (J Webber 55), M Duff (R Martt 72), J Cooper, J Ward, L Johnson, D Broglino, J Bowyer, L Brabyn, T Nixon. Subs (unused): A Westgarth, C Davis, J Miller.

  • Falmouth’s next match is at home to Cullompton Rangers on Saturday (kick-off 3pm).