PLAYED AT THE KIMBERLEY STADIUM SALTASH ON TUESDAY 30/10/2007
Following a recent defeat by Somerset, Devon were back on track with this convincing 8-0 win over Cornwall.
The match was unique in that the Referee from the Royal Navy Lee Dudman who had an excellent game did not have to talk to any of the players or blow for an offside decision in the whole match.
Devon took the lead as early as the 4th minute thanks to a trio of Plymouth Argyle players. Chloe Bassett broke away on the left and dribbled half the length of the pitch to find Ellis Glanfield who set up Chloe Roberts to slot past the Cornish keeper Emma Chown (Waybridge).
Four minutes later Devon doubled their score when Plymouth Argyle’s Sam Blake’s cross fell for Glanfield to net.
On 13 minutes Devon were 3-0 up. This time it was Roberts’ who provided a through ball for Blake to send keeper Chown the wrong way.
Cornwall then had their only chance of the half to score but Rose Knuckey’s (Penzance) long range shot went over.
The Cornwall keeper Chown who was having a good match was again brought into action brilliantly twice saving from Blake.
In the 65th minute Devon netted twice. Roberts fired home a laser guided long range shot from a cross by Blake and a Bassett shot rebounded loose for Glanfield to score her second.
Cornwall’s Knuckey then dribbled through the Devon defence and it took a last ditch tackle by Carmen Thornton (Plymouth Argyle) to deny the striker from scoring.
Moments later Michaela Phillips (Plymouth Argyle) the Devon keeper had to come running out and dive at the feet of Knuckey.
After 75 minutes Glanfield completed her hat-trick by scoring Devon’s sixth.
Roberts then had a purple patch and netted again in the 83rd and 87th minutes to bring her tally to four and Devon’s total to eight.
Cornwall keeper Chown dived at the feet of Plymouth Argyle’s Paula Pearce and tipped away an 89th minute strike from Blake to stop Devon reaching double figures. Pearce was also unlucky with a daisy cutter which grazed the Cornish upright.
Although Cornwall tried to break through the Devon defence new additions in the Devon side Grace O’Leary (Lipson) and Zara Turner (Georgeham & Croyde) together with stalwart Thornton kept them at bay.
Jim Pearcy
Life Member Devon County FA