Match Report: Wadebridge Town 0 v 1 Cullompton Rangers in FA Vase

A really disappointing day where we were just flat for large periods

Credit to Cullompton who made things difficult and ran out worthy winners but we have to work with the energy we’ve shown in our other games this season, starting with Callington on Wednesday.

WADEBRIDGE  (0)  0

CULLOMPTON  (0)  1        Wilkinson 66’

ATT    92

What a difference a week makes in football! I watched the Bridgers win 7-0 at a decent St.Austell team the same time last Saturday, looking like they would score with every attack, this week you wondered where a goal would come from for most of the match.

To be fair the visitors went into the game on a great run of form as well with 3 straight victories including a 4-1 midweek success at Holsworthy.

With the Bridgers 6th in the West Division and Cullompton 8th in the East, it looked like a tight contest on paper and that’s exactly what it proved to be. 

BBC Radio Cornwall must have thought the same as reporter Matt Allen was there to cover the cup tie but by half time he must have wished he went to another game! It proved to be a pretty miserable day for the West Division teams altogether and this game was to end no different. (Well done to Camelford by the way! Some success for the West).  

The hosts started well enough with 4 corners in the first 6 minutes but their first half chance came when Jack Rapsey lobbed well over the bar after 15 minutes from the edge of the area, Cully replied with a far post cross headed well wide on 23’ before a long ball over the top found Matt Lloyd on the right side of the area but his lob also sailed wide of the target on 32’. Cully headed just over from a corner before the Bridgers best moment of a dour half saw good work down the left from Lloyd cut the ball back for Rapsey to set it into Morgan Vallejos path but his strike from 10 yards was bravely blocked  on the line with the defender needing a bit of treatment after it. In added on time Vallejos block fell to Lloyd 15 yards out but his low shot lacked the power to trouble Will Davis in the visitors goal.

Cullompton started the 2nd half better and had a couple of shots from distance that was never going to beat the Bridgers superb keeper Rob Rosevear.

Experienced defender Steve Simmonds was adjudged to have fouled the visitors lone striker Joe Wilkinson 30 yards from goal but I agreed with the ref who produced a yellow card with the visitors screaming for a red saying it was a last man challenge.

The only goal came in the 66th minute when from Wadebridges free kick at the other end, Davis gathered and punted the ball 70 yards down the pitch to Wilkinson who looked to be miles offside but with everybody stopped Wilkinson didn’t and lobbed Rosevear from 25 yards. Good finish to be fair but it was clearly offside. One of those where you’re looking at the Lino then the ref but nothing happened!! I wasn’t actually going to mention this for fear of sour grapes or bias that a few of the trolls on the forum these days jump on, but listening to Radio Cornwalls Matt Allen on the way home who was in a great position in the stand said it was literally 10 yards offside in his match report and that’s actually what I thought at the time.

Anyway goal given which did force a bit of a response from the Bridgers with a Chris Reski cross being headed over at the far post by a full stretch Lloyd on 69’.

Rower did his best to respond with the 3 allowed substitutions in the Vase with Tom McLachlan, Will Tucker, and Cory Sargent replacing Sam Mellor, Reski and Vallejo late on and the Bridgers came agonisingly close in the 88th minute when Sam Gerkens dangerous cross saw the backpedaling Davis tip the ball inches past the far post and a few minutes later the ref ended the hosts Vase hopes of a run for another year with Cullompton going on to face Callington away on the 24th September in the next round.

Far play to Wadebridge for sticking to their football until the end, trying to pass it around on a difficult pitch as most are at the moment. As for Cullompton their more direct style of play paid dividends in the end albeit controversially and they live to fight another day.

The good news for the Bridgers is they won’t have to dwell on this performance for too long as they host Callington in the league on Wednesday night.