Hartpury FC extended their home unbeaten streak to nine games following a confident 3-0 win over Falmouth Town at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium, on Saturday.
Kian Davies’ spot kick, an own goal and Louis Manning’s second half finished secured the Acorns back-to-back wins in the Southern League Div One South.
The Acorns named an unchanged XI from the side that dispatched Bishops Cleeve but saw potential debuts for Hartpury College Junior One’s Oli Hines and Felix Schmidt.
It was the Acorns who started on the front foot with Nathan Jenkins saw a one-on-one effort well saved by Morgan Jones in the Ambers goal, on four minutes.
Three minutes later Noah Coates glanced a header wide following a Jenkins cross.
Falmouth went closest in the first half through Luke Barner’s free-kick effort which fell straight at Seth Locke.
The Acorns would take the lead on 26 minutes when Davies dispatched a spot kick following a handball in the area.
Six minutes later, the Acorns doubled their lead when a Falmouth defender turned a Morgan Ewing cross past his own goalkeeper.
That saw the Acorns take a deserved lead into the break.
HALF TIME – HARTPURY FC 2-0 FALMOUTH TOWN
Falmouth almost found a way back in on 48 minutes, but Barner was denied by an outrageous close ranged save from Locke.
Manning tried his luck from distance, on 54 minutes, but saw his effort skip past the post.
Oscar Massey tried his best to try and get Falmouth back into the game, but his low driven effort was denied by the boot of Locke, on 58 minutes.
Coates should’ve added a third for the Acorns when, after being headed through by Rory Preston, he fired his close ranged effort straight at Jones on 69 minutes.
But the Acorns were given a cushion when Manning turned home a low Ewing cross, from six yards, all but securing the points on 73 minutes.
A few debuts followed this goal, as Hines and Schmidt made their entrances late in the game, becoming the youngest Hartpury FC’s players to feature in a competitive game.
Jenkins saw a late effort deflected over the bar before Preston’s first-time volleyed effort whistled past the post, in the 93rd minute.
Despite that, the Acorns secured a fifth straight home win and opened up some breathing space in the play-off spots.
The Acorns return to action next Saturday when travel to Larkhall Athletic in the Southern League Div One South.
FULL TIME – HARTPURY FC 3-0 FALMOUTH TOWN
STARTING XI: Locke (GK), Kent ©, Walters, McGregor, Robinson (Preston 61’), Davies, Aldridge (Hines 89’), Jenkins, Manning (Schmidt 82’), Ewing, Coates
UNUSED SUBS: Callow, Symons
FALMOUTH XI: Jones (GK), Cook, Sims ©, Annear, Leivers, Barner, Webber, Massey, Walker, Elcock, Jewell
FALMOUTH BENCH: Davy, Prynn, J. Symons, Ibbetson
Written by Sam Yapp
