Bridgers win reprieve with late Bovey call off
IVYBRIDGE will have left the Western Counties Roofing Ground with mixed feelings after their game was abandoned 11 minutes from time.
Although this game effectively turned out to be a wasted journey for Nicky Marker's side, they will gain consolation from the fact that they were trailing 2-1 at the point the game was halted.
The match kicked off in terrible conditions but the first half ended with Ivybridge 1-0 ahead due to Joe Truelove's 43rd minute strike.
The home side had already lost player-manager Tom Kelly to injury in the 35th minute, but his side rallied after the break, levelling through Simon Revell's 55th minute free-kick.
Bovey went ahead four minutes later when Mark Sneap rifled home after Revell's shot had been blocked, but with the weather worsening the surface was increasingly unplayable.
Consequently, there were few complaints from either side when the referee ended the game early and Ivybridge will have the chance to put in a better performance in the re-arranged game.
Buckland Athletic...1 Torpoint Athletic...0 (Abandoned after 25 minutes)
TORPOINT suffered a frustating time of it on Saturday after they could play only 25 minutes of their fixture at Homers Heath.
The game was forced to kick-off half-hour after the appointed time, because of the late arrival of several Torpoint players who struggled to get to the ground on time due to major traffic delays on the A38.
By the time the game got underway there was already plenty of surface water and it soon became apparent that this match was not going to last the distance.
There had still been time for the home side to take the lead when Antony Lynch completed a sweeping team move with a clinical 10th minute finish.
There were no further incidents of note before the referee correctly abandoned the game in the 25th minute.
Liskeard Athletic...1 Witheridge...1 (Abandoned after 45 minutes)
"IT WAS one of those ocasions that when we arrived the pitch was perfectly playable but as soon as the torrential rain started you knew that the game was never going to last the full 90 minutes," said Liskeard manager Leigh Cooper after this game had failed to start the second half.
Cooper had watched his Blues start the game well and it was only a fine save by the visiting goalkeeper that kept out Andy Bowker's fifth-minute shot from 16 yards.
Liskeard opened the scoring, three minutes later, when Kyle Friendship's cross found Joe Eke ghosting in at the near post to fire home.
The goal shook Witheridge into action and Blues' goalkeeper Rob Brown made a good save with his legs before Lee Woodman completed the scoring by firing home from 10 yards.
DIVISION ONE WEST
Newquay...0 Vospers Oak Villa...1 (Abandoned 50 minutes)
VOSPERS' manager Martin Burgess demanded a response from his side after last weekend's poor showing against St Austell, and he got it albeit just for the 50 minutes that this match defied the torrential rain at Mount Wise.
Second-placed Newquay started like a side who were looking for their seventh consecutive victory and it was only a fine double save from goalkeeper Andy Barnes that prevented Christian Lett from given them an early lead.
Luke Weldhen cut in from the left flank before hitting a right-foot shot that hit the top of the crossbar and flew over before Lett had another opportunity but his 15 yard effort flew just past the post.
It was now that Vospers came back strongly at their hosts creating a good chance when a 20-yard drive from James Hoblin was turned around his post by Peppermints' goalie Luke Payne.
The visitors were to break the deadlock, seven minutes before the break, when, following a good move down the right flank, the Newquay defence failed to clear Ian Revell's cross. The ball fell to Andy Harris, on the edge of the box, and his shot flew low into the corner of the home goal.
Vospers had a good chance to double their lead before the break but Hoblin was denied by Payne's brave save after he had burst clear of the home defence.
The referee decided to give it a go after the break but the second half was just five minutes old when he called a halt to proceedings.
Perranporth...2 Plymstock United...1 (Abandoned after 75 minutes)
PERHAPS the Cornish Riviera should be renamed the Cornish Rainiera after the weather intervened to bring play to a premature end at Ponsmere Valley.
Strangely it was the failing light and not the state of the pitch, which had held up remarkably well, which sent both teams back to the changing rooms after 75 minutes.
Although the game started in driving rain, the U's were determined to reverse the 4-2 home defeat they suffered at the hands of Perranporth.
They achieved the perfect start by taking the lead after only four minutes when a Kevin Francis' free-kick found Paul Heveran stealing in at the far post to drive confidently past home keeper Daniel Burrows.
The rain-soaked pitch kept both sides on their toes with the ball gathering pace every time it skimmed off surface.
But this did nothing to spoil the entertainment between two well-matched squads.
With 15 minutes played the home side thought that they had equalised when the dangerous Barry Leete headed a long cross from Kevin Lawrence over Ben Hardie but the assistant referees flag had already been raised and his effort was ruled out for offside.
With the interval approaching the U's should have doubled their advantage when Mike O'Neill reached the bye-line before pulling the ball back to an unmarked Craig Holt, but the midfielder put his effort too close to Burrows who was able to punch the ball to safety.
Minutes later the visitors were to regret that miss as they found themselves back on level terms after Justin Miles jinked his way in from the left before curling the ball around Hardie from fully 20 yards.
The second period began with the home side in the ascendency and the visitors found themselves having to defend in depth. It was now that they were indebted to Stuart Berry who found himself in the right place to head a Mike Davies corner off the line.
The home side were now calling the shots, taking the lead on the hour when Danny Murdoch lost the ball by the right touchline which allowed Lawrence to cross into the path of Leete, who rifled his shot past Hardie from 10 yards.
With a quarter-of-an-hour remaining the driving rain and ever-darkening skies finally won the day leaving referee Steve Rose no alternative but to call a premature end to proceedings.
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