GLORY DAYS: Falmouth Town win Cornwall Senior Cup in 1997

Their 2-1 replay victory over Nanpean secured Town’s first Senior Cup crown since 1979 and exorcised the ghosts of five final defeats since then.

Town would face the cream of Cornish football during their run to the trophy but had to begin it by avoiding a giant-killing at the hands of Pendeen Rovers.

The formbook was never in danger of being threatened in the tie at Cape Cornwall, but Town didn’t achieve the expected landslide victory either, settling for a 7-0 win a week after their reserves had put six past their hosts.

Reaching the next round with no additional injuries and no fuss appeared to be the object that Town duly achieved.

It took Town one minute to open the scoring when Alan Lenton fired in from close range before the same man doubled the lead seven minutes later.

Six minutes before half-time Justin Ashburn scored the first of his three goals and two minutes before the break he was at it again, scoring his second.

Andrew Street made it five 20 minutes into the second half before adding a sixth 11 minutes from time, with Ashburn completing his hat-trick with a looping header with six minutes to go.

Town were safely through to the third round, but now had to get past high-flying Bodmin Town in what would be a serious test of their title credentials.

Bodmin arrived in Falmouth for the tie in early January but both teams would have to head to Priory Park a week later after the teams drew 2-2 at Bickland Park.

Town striker Lee Cansfield shakes off the shackles of Bodmin's Ian Treverton

Town had made a busy start and for the first 17 minutes looked well on their way to reaching the quarter-finals thanks to a bullet header from Street and a sensational free-kick from near the halfway line from Dave Sweet.

It was the perfect start from Town, but they were unable to deliver the killer third goal as the visitors rose the storm and began to inch their way back into the game, with Steve Daley halving the deficit seconds into the second half before Ian Rowe fired in the equaliser on the hour.

With no decisive goal forthcoming, it was all back to Bodmin seven days later for the replay, and while Town had let the first match slip from their grasp, they would make no mistake this time.

Town again got off to a great start and led after two minutes when Street headed home from Sweet’s cross, only for Paul Greenwood to level four minutes later with a smashing shot past Sid Taylor.

Town still looked sharper, however, and restored their lead on 23 minutes when Ashburn lashed the ball into the roof of the net, before Lee Cansfield strengthened Town’s grip on the tie with a third early in the second half.

Bodmin were given some hope just after the hour when substitute Chris Matthews thumped the ball past Taylor, but Town were finally sure of victory in injury-time when Jason Carwardine beat two defenders and the ‘keeper for a sublime solo goal.

If their two-legged affair with Bodmin was a closely-fought encounter, their quarter-final tie at St Blazey was anything but.

Poor discipline cost Blazey dearly, who had two men sent off as they were outclassed by Town, who ran out 5-0 winners at Blaise Park.

Town were two goals up inside ten minutes courtesy of Carwardine and Street, but hey had to wait until the hour for goal number three, when Gary Wheildon rounded the ‘keeper to provide Cansfield with an easy tap-in.

Town were coasting to victory and bagged a fourth three minutes from time when a poor clearance allowed Street to hit the ball in from 35 yards, before Wheildon completed a fine afternoon for his side with his first goal for the club two minutes later as Town strolled into the semi-finals.

Semi-final goalscorer Lee Cansfield (left) and goalmaker Adrian Street

Standing in Town’s way of an 18th Senior Cup final were Penzance, who provided the opposition at Truro City’s Treyew Road.

Town were deserving winners of a poor semi-final, the only blip being that they took so long to wrap up a game they always controlled.

Town spurned several chances before finally taking the lead when a cross was headed home by Ashburn early in the second half.

Falmouth continued their dominance but had Wheildon to thank for clearing Colin Payne’s header off the line before Town finally made the game safe with five minutes to play. Adrian Street crossed to Cansfield, who blasted the ball past the ‘keeper to send Town into the Easter Monday final.

Under pressure from Justin Ashburn, but goalkeeper Gary Penhaligon shows a safe pair of hands for Nanpean in the initial tie

It was a David v Goliath contest at Blaise Park with lowly Nanpean providing the opposition for Town, and while David Ball’s side dominated proceedings at St Blazey, their lower-ranked opponents managed to secure a replay – and it could have been more.

Town looked to be on their way to the cup that had eluded them for 18 years as early as the seventh minute when Andrew Street headed in from 12 yards from Sweet’s free kick.

But Nanpean were celebrating an equaliser out of nothing only ten minutes later when Jerry Solomon won the chase with Sweet to lob the ball over Taylor and into the net.

Indeed, they could have won it despite Town’s dominance when Solomon was presented with a gilt-edged chance to score six minutes from time when he broke free and rounded Taylor but contrived to miss the gaping goal in front of him.

The teams returned to Blaise Park three days later for the decisive replay, which matched the same pattern as Easter Monday’s with Town dominating possession and Nanpean relying on their quick front runners to see what they could poach.

The first real chance fell to Nanpean with Neil Burton heading unmarked into the side netting before Ashburn and Carwardine saw half chances go begging for Town.

The match exploded into life in the 34th minute when Lee Fox won a header with Jerry Solomon. Solomon went down holding his face and when on the ground lashed out with his foot.

After seeking the views of his assistant, referee Brian Long sent both players off.

Eight minutes into the second half Nanpean threatened to pull off a major upset when they took the lead from a penalty.

Kevin Best was brought down by Adrian Street and after some heated exchanges Gary Dyer coolly knocked in the spot-kick.

Nanpean’s lead didn’t last long and within ten minutes Town at last managed to break down the Nanpean defence 141 minutes after first breeching it.

Town's Andy Street lifts the Senior Cup

Dave Sweet hit a superb 40-yard pass into the path of Carwardine who, in the clear, closed in on goal where ‘keeper Gary Penhaligon got a hand to his shot but couldn’t prevent Carwardine following up and hammering in the rebound.

Town continued to press but Nanpean weren’t giving anything away when almost snatched a second when Isbell’s pass inside the Best just eluded him.

Burton was lucky to escape a caution for a clumsy foul on Cansfield, but within a minute Town had got their hands on the cup.

The ball was played into Ashburn who helped it on to Andy Street; he slipped it wide to Cansfield who, with the best strike of the game, scored with a terrific rising shot into the roof of the net.

It was a goal worthy of winning any match, but this one secured Town’s long-awaited first Cornwall Senior Cup Final win since 1979.