Match Report: Wadebridge Town 0 v 3 Liskeard Athletic

by | Oct 16, 2022

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Match Report: Wadebridge Town 0 v 3 Liskeard Athletic

Enjoy the Gaffer’s reflections, our match highlights, Rappo’s report, our match day gallery and all Social Media coverage from our disappointing defeat at home versus Liskeard Athletic.

The Gaffer’s Reflections

Delighted with the lads in the first half. Felt like our energy levels had returned, all that was missing was a goal or two to show for our efforts

The penalty decision was a tough one to take, it was a great tackle from Simmo.

We never really recovered mentally from that. We conceded a poor goal early in the second half, all of our own making.

Liskeard are the last team you want to be chasing a game against, they were great on the break after that.

It was a defeat, but we were very good for the first 45 against a top side and that’s what we will be taking into the Newquay game.

Paul Rowe

The Gaffer

Match Highlights

Rappo’s Report

WADEBRIDGE   0

LISKEARD          3         Gilbert 42’(P) 75’   Thorp 48’

HT   0-1

ATT:  138

4th v 2nd, top 2 in the current form league table, best defensive team in the league with only 7 conceded against the best attacking team in the league scoring 36 having both played 11 games.

This was certainly the proverbial game of two halves and completely changed on one big decision just before the break.

The Bridgers came absolutely flying out the blocks shutting down Liskeard all over the pitch at pace with the front 3 of Matt Lloyd, Jack Rapsey and Tom Shepherd  quick to pounce on any defender with the ball and Rapsey charging down two clearances from Liskeard keeper Luke Gwillam within the first 3 minutes.

This filtered back through the team with the home midfield getting in around the talented Max Gilbert and Jarrad Woods never letting them get on the ball and the hosts were creating several half chances with the best of them seeing Sheppard crossing to Rapsey who shot past the far post when well placed from 15 yards and Tom Shepherd shot from the edge of the area whizzing low a foot past the post. Dylan Peel made a great flying last ditch header off the line and around the far post just before Rapsey could head in from a yard out.

The Bridgers were on top with probably 70/30 possession wise and playing some good football but on 42 minutes the match was about to literally turn on its head.

Dan Jennings got in behind the home defence but as DJ shot over the bar from 8 yards Steve Simmonds looked to have made a superb last ditch block tackle, the type he’s been timing to perfection throughout his illustrious career over the last 20 odd seasons or so, but without too much appealing from the visiting players the referee pointed to the spot! To be fair to him he was in a great position to make the decision but not too many people in the ground including a few knowledgeable football Liskeard guys I know and spoke to at half time thought it was a foul and said they would have been gutted if it went against them. To almost make matters worse Simmo then received a yellow card for the “foul” presumably.

Anyway I’m not here to bash another ref and I thought the officials controlled a top of the league match very well overall throughout the 90 minutes but if ever I’ve seen a game change on one decision this was certainly it. Max Gilbert sent Bridgers keeper Rob Rosevear the wrong way from the spot and instead of possibly being a couple goals down at half time the visitors went in 1-0 up!

The stuffing seemed to be knocked out of the hosts as Liskeard started the 2nd half just as Wadebridge had started the 1st. A relentless few minutes of pressure led to the blues doubling their lead when a corner was headed home by Macauley Thorp despite Simmonds best efforts to hook it out with the ball finishing in the roof of the net.

It was now Liskeard who were attacking at great pace and home skipper Tom Strike was booked for halting an attack and minutes later Rosevear made a great reflex save from a Jennings header scooping the ball away to his right Dave Seaman style that had already gone past him. 

Opposing keeper Gwillam was in great form himself at the other end saving headers from Lloyd and Rapsey and palming a dangerous low Lloyd drilled cross from the left away from danger. Two of the best keepers in the league on show tonight in my opinion.

Strike saw his 25 yard free kick deflected just wide of a post after 65 minutes but 10 minutes later the game was over when following a slick passage of play from Liskeard on the counter attack down the right Gilbert ran on to hit a great strike into the far corner from 15 yards.

Lloyd dive headed wide from a pinpoint Sam Gerken cross in the 82nd minute before Matt Outtram struck a powerful low shot wide of the post at the other end a minute later.

Gwillam did well to punch away a couple of testing home crosses as injury time approached but in the end it was title favourites Liskeard who ran out worthy winners with their 2nd half performance but the Bridgers will be wondering how they lost a game they dominated for nearly half of it by 3 goals.

Great game of football in the conditions and a good advert for the league between two good footballing sides.

Mark 'Rappo' Rapsey

Match Reporter

Matchday Gallery (courtesy of Rachel Rapsey)

Matchday Programme

Matchday Programme: Liskeard Home 2022

Matchday Squads

Matchday Squads: Liskeard Home 2022
Lineup: Wadebridge Town 0 v 1 Bude Town

Match Coverage on Social Media

A selection of Social Media coverage from the match.

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