Two Luke Brabyn penalties in the dying minutes earned Falmouth Town a third title of the season as they lifted the Champions Bowl with a 4-2 win over Torpoint Athletic at Priory Park.
Town had taken a two-goal lead through top scorer Jack Bray-Evans but Athletic's Ryan Richards halved the deficit shortly before half time.
After the break, fluid link-up play between Torpoint's Richards and Curtis Damerell saw the former lace a shot into the bottom corner to level the score at 2-2.
It was a case of what could have been for Torpoint who wasted a glaring opportunity four minutes from time when Callum Thompson hit the bar.
They were punished two minutes later when Town got their first of two penalties after Luke Barner was bundled over, with Brabyn securing the goods from the spot.
Into stoppage time and after substitute Jack Bowyer had theatrically gone down in the box Town were awarded another spot-kick which Brabyn dispatched in the same spot to secure the trophy on the day.
Both sides headed into the match with the prospects of a treble on the cards.
Falmouth already had the South West Peninsula League West to their name and the Cornwall Senior Cup. Torpoint had the South West Peninsula League East and the Walter C Parson Cup.
Golden Boot presentations were made to Falmouth's Jack Bray-Evans and Torpoint's Curtis Damerell who were top scorers in their respective divisions for the season.
The game began as a cagey affair, in what will be a Western League fixture next season. The first real shot of note came from Bray-Evans whose ferocious drive was only diverted by a gutsy block from an Athletic defender with ten minutes played.
Torpoint had an opportunity of their own when Paul Heveron had a low effort parried by Barnes. The rebound fell to Damerell, who could only slide his strike marginally wide left of the target after 13 minutes.
That miss proved costly because on the 21-minute mark Town took the lead through Bray-Evans who once again was in the right place at the right time to score.
Initially, Luke Brabyn's low shot was deflected into the path of Tim Nixon who looked to be in on goal in the area. the winger opted to go round the goalkeeper but instead of shooting from an acute angle, he laid the ball back on a plate to the unmarked number nine to smash in to make it 1-0.
Callum O'Brien was sent into the book three minutes later after he brought down the onrushing Brabyn after the striker had nicked the ball off of him.
Torpoint looked very easy on the eye when in possession on what was a firm pitch, after 29 minutes they had another sighter with Heveron from range, his daisy-cutter could only squirm wide left of the mark.
Falmouth's clinical side to their game showed again just six minutes later as Bray-Evans was again wheeling away in celebration.
A wide free-kick was sent onto the head of James Ward who nodded back across goal for the striker to tap in unmarked from six yards out to make it 2-0 in a fairly routine fashion.
Torpoint's Ryan Richards was unfortunate to see his swivel and shot beat not only the keeper but the post on 39 minutes as it dribbled wide of the mark after Town had surrendered possession in their own third all too easily.
After 41 minutes he was celebrating though after being slid through with a cute pass.
The striker had the composure to side-foot the ball into the bottom right corner to make it 'game on' heading into half time.
After the break the next goal was vital in deciding the outcome of such a closely fought affair and Town had a couple of half-chances in the early exchanges of the second period to find it. Tom Annear had a volley bravely blocked before Bray-Evans sent a speculative volley over the bar after 51 minutes.
An array of wasted opportunities continued to disappoint Town as they chased a third with several free kicks failing to find to the desired target. They were consequently punished after 62 minutes when Torpoint levelled in superb fashion.
Damerell and Richards were involved playing a magnificent 'one-two' to leave tear a hole in the Falmouth rear guard. Richards had one thing in his mind as the ball returned to him as he belted a ball into the bottom corner via the sprawling hands of Ryan Barnes who couldn't quite do enough to keep it out to make it 2-2.
Falmouth, as they have so often this season reacted by going on the front foot and a minute later Bray-Evans was unlucky to see his shot at the second attempt roll wide of the near post.
Their willingness to get a third nearly cost them as Athletic broke on a counter attack with O'Brien picking out Richards in the middle but a yellow and black Falmouth shirt recovered well to block the shot on 67 minutes.
Richards was clearly on the hunt for his hat-trick and on 72 minutes unleashed a venomous drive which blazed just shy of the crossbar as Torpoint looked to take the driving seat for the first time in the match.
Falmouth subbed off Bray-Evans and Nixon for Alex Wharton and Jack Bowyer to freshen the attack up in the minutes that followed.
Bowyer's first intervention was to pick up a yellow card that the referee judged to be a foul on a Torpoint man, despite Bowyer seemingly getting a lot of the ball on 85 minutes.
A minute later Torpoint should have scored the goal that would have had them as firm favourites to win the game. A low cross was intelligently flicked into the path of Callum Thompson, who when inside the area had just Barnes to beat in goal. But somehow, with the goal gaping the midfielder could only fire his effort onto the bar.
A huge let-off for Town who made Torpoint pay for their missed opportunity when Luke Barner was hauled down in the box for a stonewall penalty in the 88th minute. Town's second top scorer Brabyn confidently stepped up, and accurately placed his shot into the bottom right corner despite Jason Peters diving the right way.
Brabyn makes it 3-2 in the 89th minute! https://t.co/Up8e5OCvNN pic.twitter.com/xZpTTuKVaH
— Tom Harris (@packet_tom) May 14, 2022
But just when everyone thought the drama was up Town were celebrating again when the referee pointed to the spot for the second time after O'Brien was adjudged to have brought down the counter-attacking Bowyer in the box, earning the Athletic man a second yellow card.
Brabyn again stepped up and placed a shot which was a carbon copy of his earlier attempt into the corner to put the game beyond all doubt in the 92nd minute.
There was still time left over for Town to finish the game with ten men too when Bowyer hoofed the ball out of the ground in a bid to waste time. But that did very little to spoil the party as Falmouth Captain Ward raised a third trophy of the season after the match.
South West Peninsula League Premier West winners. Cornwall Senior Cup winners.
Champions Bowl winners.
The 2021/22 season has been one to remember for Falmouth Town.
Lineups:
Falmouth Town: R. Barnes, K. Davies, J. Ward, T. Annear, T. Moxham, S. Kellow, A. Calleja-Stayne, L. Brabyn, L. Barner, J. Bray-Evans, T. Nixon
Subs: J. Turner, J. Ware, A. Wharton, J. Bowyer, C. Edney
Torpoint Athletic: J. Peters, P. Heveron, C. O'Brien, L. Pacey, S. Hillson, J. Heveron, C. Thompson, M. Lucas, C. Dammerell, R. Richards, D. Hicks.
Subs: G. Hird, C. Holdes, J. Forrest, D. Tate
Attendance 418
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