Cornwall Shinty Club

Falmouth School 2pm throw-up

Referee: Nathan Hope

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Monstantine:
Matt Noonan (Captain), Mike Comyn (Goals), Josh Chant, Doug Goodship, Rebecca Wilson, Patrick Hutchinson, Luke Sparrow, Matt Mossop, Will MacLennan, Richard Chave, Claire Seymour, Dru Durman. Subs: Ashley Phillips, Charlie Oliver, Heather Clifford

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CSM:
George Wickenden (Captain), Brian Mitchell (Goals), Jack Dukes, Vicky Lipscombe, Luke Wilkinson, Dan Martin, James Beaumont, Katy Ross, Jowan Dorrell, Jamie Cranston, Matt Russell and Jacob Harrell

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With the rest of the country deep in snow, the Falmouth School pitch sported a less seasonal mud slick to which the sluggish Monsters pinned their hopes.

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With a number of Devonians and other foreigners in the mix, for once the Monsters had a numerical advantage in player numbers rather than pure bulk and decrepitude. Though what the students lacked in substitutions they made up for in speed and guile, robbing Jacob Harrell and Brian Mitchell before Noonan had even finished his team sheet.

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With Harrell, Cranston, Beaumont and Russell, the students had one of the finest and fastest potential attacking line-ups to have graced Cornwall’s pitches for many years. Understandably sporting, they opted instead to pack the defence, putting their fastest strikers in the deepest mire where the aged veterans could savage them at their convenience, leaving Cornwall’s finest striker for a generation isolated looking mournfully unserviced, deep in enemy territory.

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The students plan was as effective as it was unexpected and by the first throw all their best players stuck fast in the thick mud at the mercy of the Monsters bludgeons. Expecting such an obvious ruse, the experienced Monsters held back, awaiting devious student antics, a counter-mine perhaps. So enthusiastic were the aged in their retreat, they massed so helplessly that no-one could clear their own boot-straps and it took a full 29 minutes to find a way past Mitchell at the other end.

Increasingly it became apparent, that Harrell was in fact less dangerous without a ball and with all ground communications effectively cut by the Monsters centreline, the pressure started to mount on the Miners. Some courageous keeping and some cracking bye-hits gave some relief, but increasingly it was looking like a damage limitation exercise for the students.

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Wickenden’s heroic half-time oratory achieved almost instant results as Maclennan made it two for the Monsters 3 minutes in with Cranston almost knocking himself out running into the Cornish Captain. Phillips and Oliver made notable debuts and Dukes was impressive in his first game back. But despite flashes of aerial brilliance by both sides, and some threatening student offence....the come-back part of the students plan remained elusive...there will be no pot for the students this winter....

 

The Ceilidh was cracking fun in the evening, massive thanks to The Rebel Brewing Co for supporting the event again, along with Naveed CB and The Brim who were as ever on epic form.