FALMOUTH Town’s 2019/20 campaign looked to be heading towards another cup final conclusion when they reached the League Cup semi-finals for the third season running in what we now know was their final match of the season.

A goalless draw in their opening league game at home to Mousehole – one of just two in the league all season – would hardly set the tone for a season in which Town scored 115 goals across 35 games in all competitions.

August was hardly a month to remember for Town, as, 7-1 thrashing of Launceston aside, it was documented by a surprise 2-2 draw at newly promoted St Dennis, a 2-1 loss at a St Austell side that Town had enjoyed a good recent record against, and a shock 3-2 defeat at Godolphin Atlantic.

They rounded off the month with a 3-1 victory at Bristol Telephones in the FA Vase first qualifying round, before facing local rivals Helston Athletic for the first of four times across the season. A consolation strike from Matt Buchan, his sixth of the campaign, was all Town could muster in a 2-1 league defeat at home to the side that had title ambitions.

Town welcomed Dobwalls to Bickland Park three days later hoping to get their first home victory of the season, and they did, just about. Four goals from Jack Bowyer and one from Martyn Duff looked to have surely given Andrew Westgarth’s side the points, but two late Dingos strikes made them sweat as the game finished 5-4.

September was proving to be a much brighter month after a 3-1 victory at St Blazey in the Vase and a win of the same score at local rivals Porthleven, in which Bowyer bagged another brace.

Bowyer went one better in their next game at home to Liskeard Athletic, scoring a hat-trick to take his season tally to ten in a 6-2 win over the Blues. Liskeard were due to return to Bickland three days later for a Cornwall Charity Cup first round tie but forfeited the fixture on the day of the game.

Luke Brabyn’s hat-trick in a 4-2 win at home to Newquay rounded off a fine September, but Town had to call upon an old friend to aid them in their first match of October, with Jordan Annear scoring twice as a second-half substitute to salvage a 2-2 draw at St Blazey.

A rather more comfortable 5-0 win at Sticker followed before Town made the short hop to Helston for their FA Vase first round proper tie – the first time the teams had ever met in a national competition.

The in-form Blues were enjoying a 13-match winning run in all competitions and they opened the scoring in front of the 689 in attendance at Kellaway Park through striker Billy Tucker, but Town were ahead at the break thanks to close-range strikes from former Helston man Buchan and David Broglino.

Rather than sit on their lead, Town pressed on after the break and got a third through Buchan before Broglino made it four from the spot, with Brabyn completing an unbelievable victory with a fifth from a tight angle.

A 5-0 win at home to Camelford – which was overshadowed by a 55-minute delay to treat a nasty injury to Camels man Bobby Hopkinson – followed before a surprise 4-0 loss at Bodmin Town as Town’s ten-game unbeaten run came crashing to a halt.

Town picked themselves up to win 4-0 at Wadebridge Town, with two goals from experienced defender Toby Clark, before welcoming Hellenic League side Longlevens to Bickland in the FA Vase – a match that would go down as one of the most unforgettable in recent memory.

It was not looking good for Westgarth’s men, who found themselves two goals down with the minutes ticking away and an ignominious exit very much on the cards.

But that changed in the 90th minute when Bowyer took a tumble in the box and Brabyn stepped up to convert from the spot. One down, one to go.

Hope was restored but it looked to have faded when Duff’s overhead kick flew agonisingly wide of the far post.

But then it happened. Ryan Chinn sent a hopeful ball into the box in the 92nd minute, with the visiting ‘keeper rising up to punch the ball clear. But he could only punch it as far as Jack Webber, who lofted the ball over everyone in the box and into the empty net from 25 yards to send the F-Troop wild.

It felt like a winner, but it had merely secured extra time. There was only going to be one winner now, though, and it came from another Brabyn spot-kick after Bowyer had been fouled again as Town secured a quite astonishing victory.

The cup victories kept coming with Luke Barner scoring four times as Town thrashed Godolphin Atlantic 11-1 in the League Cup, before Broglino, who had bagged a hat-trick in that hammering, notched another treble in a 3-2 win at home to Helston in the Cornwall Senior Cup.

Town then made the trip to Dorset to face Wessex League side Christchurch as they aimed to reach the fourth round of the Vase for the first time in 19 years.

Town were well in the game and were unlucky not to get a penalty when Luke Johnson went down in the box just before the break. That would come back to haunt them as the hosts took the lead with almost the next passage of play.

The Cornish club rallied and levelled through Brabyn midway through the second half, but the Priory restored their lead a few minutes later, and this time they did not let Town back in – the Vase journey was over.

Back to league matters and a hat-trick of league wins over Callington Town, St Dennis and Wendron United – with the latter securing the inaugural Kevin Williamson Memorial Shield in memory of the former ‘Dron chairman – ensured a positive end to 2019.

The new year began with a 3-0 Senior Cup win at Dobwalls as their defence of the trophy continued, before a disappointing 3-0 loss at Helston, who extended their league winning run to a new record of 18 games and tied the four-game series between the teams to 2-2.

Almost 700 people packed into Bickland for their 4-2 League Cup win at home to Torridgeside the following week, before another cup thriller took place at Penzance’s Penlee Park four days later.

Town fell behind in the Charity Cup quarter-final, which was taking place at the fourth attempt, but Brabyn’s header – his 20th goal of the season – took the game to extra time. Johnson turned the tie early in the additional period before Scott Kellow made the tie safe with a stunning strike from outside the box.

A thumping 5-0 win at home to St Blazey, which was marred by several incidents of trouble amongst the away support before and during the game, and a 3-2 win at Camelford followed in the league as Town looked to close the gap on fifth-placed Bodmin.

But it was back to cup action as Town welcomed Saltash United to Bickland for a repeat of last season’s Senior Cup final in this season’s quarter-finals.

But a repeat result was not forthcoming, with Saltash running out 2-0 winners as Town’s title defence came to an end.

A four-week break followed as the wet weather took its toll, before Town returned to action with a 5-0 win at home to Sticker, with new signing TJ Walter netting his first for the club and 14th of the season.

Town and St Blazey then met for the fourth time as the Green and Blacks returned to Bickland for what would turn out to be both sides’ final match of the season – their League Cup quarter-final tie.

The visitors led inside a minute thanks to Levi Landricombe, before Johnson’s cross was turned in by a Blazey defender to level the tie after the break. A James Ward own goal quickly restored Blazey’s lead, and with time running out it looked to be game over.

But this is Town, and a dramatic comeback was soon fulfilled, with Broglino slamming home a penalty on 83 minutes, before in-form Johnson bagged his sixth goal in five games in the 87th minute to score yet another improbable winner – a goal that proved to be Town’s last of the 2019/20 season.