Cornwall Senior Cup: Falmouth Town 4-1 St Austell

FALMOUTH Town put in a fantastic performance to overpower a strong St Austell side and reach the Cornwall Senior Cup final for the first time in 22 years on Tuesday night.

Joe Cooper gave Town a dream start at Newquay AFC's Mount Wise stadium with a superb header in the second minute before Jack Calver levelled for the Lillywhites midway through the first half.

Luke Brabyn restored Falmouth's lead a few minutes before the break with returning striker Jordan Annear extending the advantage, before Calver turned Luke Johnson's cross into his own net soon after as Town ended up comfortable winners.

Town will now face Saltash United on Easter Monday, April 22, in their first appearance in Cornish football's showpiece match since beating Nanpean 2-1 in 1997.

There is also a pleasing symmetry to the result for Falmouth, who were beaten by the same scoreline at the Lillywhites' Poltair Park on the opening day of the season.

Any big cup tie nerves within the Falmouth ranks would have been settled after Town won a corner more or less from kick-off, with Broglino's delivery being headed into the far corner by Cooper with barely 60 seconds on the clock.

St Austell went into the tie as favourites in many people's eyes, and they began to show just why as they put Town under a period of heavy pressure. Calver shot well over the bar before Olly Brokenshire had an effort cleared, while Mark Goldsworthy's dangerous cross flashed across Ryan Barnes' goal.

But Town went back on the attack as Annear rounded St Austell 'keeper Jason Chapman with a defender able to clear for a corner, from which Cooper had a fierce shot at the near post superbly saved by Chapman.

The Lillywhites resumed control, however, with headers from Josh Chambers and Neil Slateford being blocked before Calver bagged the equaliser. The left-back, with acres of space on the left flank, cut inside and drove the ball into the bottom corner.

St Austell ended the half the stronger of the two sides but it was Falmouth who ended it with the lead, with Brabyn firing a first-time shot into the corner from Tim Nixon's cross in the 43rd minute.

Most of the 275 crowd at Mount Wise probably expected St Austell to come back at Falmouth after the break, but it was Town who flew out of the traps again and deservedly extended their lead on 52 minutes. Nixon won the ball and fed Broglino on the right who squared to Annear to tap in from two yards.

St Austell desperately needed the next goal but Town were looking the likelier of the two sides. Broglino came close with a trademark long-distance effort before teeing up Ryan Martt from a corner, whose free header dropped agonisingly wide.

The Lillywhites began to get a foothold in the second half but were unable to find a way past Barnes, who first stopped Slateford's edge-of-the-box effort before pulling off a fabulous save to claw Liam Eddy's strike away from the top corner.

Falmouth have struggled away from Bickland Park this season with just six wins from 18 games on the road, but number seven was all but confirmed - and with it a Senior Cup final spot - when Luke Johnson, fresh from the bench, crossed to Annear at the far post, with Calver only able to turn it into his own net with 66 minutes on the clock.

The rest of the match became an extended victory parade for Town, who could have made it five when Annear fired towards the top corner, with Chapman doing well to deny him.

Despite their race being well and truly run, St Austell pushed until the end for another goal with Brokenshire and Jason Rogers both firing wide in the final few minutes.

But it was the boys in black and amber who were celebrating at the full-time whistle, and deservedly advance to their first Senior Cup final in nearly a quarter of a century.

Falmouth: R Barnes, D Blizzard, O Moody (L Johnson 55), R Martt, J Cooper, J Ward, L Brabyn, D Broglino, M Duff, J Annear (A Westgarth 90), T Nixon (S Pickup 68). Subs (unused): C Davis.

St Austell: J Chapman, W Tinsley, J Calver, J Chambers, M Watts, J Rogers, C Reski, O Brokenshire, L Eddy, M Goldsworthy, N Slateford. Subs: M Lloyd, D Hart, K Powell, J Dingle, A Lake.