The Combo Cup Final

Illogan Royal British Legion  2  St Day  1 (at Porthleven)

Cornwall Combination League – League Cup Final

My old mucker Dave is a mine of information.

I was on the phone to him a couple of weeks before the Cornwall trip, bemoaning the lack of games on the Saturday and Monday of the Easter weekend. I’d only got Ludgvan on the Saturday, and on the Monday it was a choice of an early start at Launceston or an even longer jaunt to Tavistock. Neither of which filled me with much glee from a travelling perspective.

I couldn’t understand the dearth of games, until Dave explained to me that Easter is Cup Final weekend in Cornwall, I just had to look in the right places to find the games!

Two options presented themselves to me, I could head to Bodmin on the Monday for the Senior Cup Final, or I could stay a bit more local and head round the coast to Porthleven to watch the Cornwall Combination League Cup Final. I could do both, but to be honest, I’d promised the Hatt’s that I would only do football on one of the days, so I chose Sunday.

I chose Sunday because it was closer, because I’ve always wanted to go to Porthleven and never had the opportunity, plus, I’d heard good things from an atmosphere and an occasion perspective about the ‘Combo’ Cup Final.

Porthleven are one of those clubs that have fascinated me somewhat over the years, probably because back when Belper Town had something of a love affair with the FA Vase, I remember thinking Falmouth Town was a long way to go for a game, even when you win 5-1. But, when I saw Hucknall Town had to go that little bit further to get to Porthleven in the Fifth Round a few years later, I was curious.

Porthleven won the game at Gala Park 1-0, and went on to lose to Taunton Town in the quarter final, but the name stuck with me.

Now then, the Cup Final was being contested by Illogan Royal British Legion, which is a few miles  outside Redruth, and St Day, which is also just outside Redruth, albeit a bit closer! Illogan sat seventh in the league table while St Day sat fifth, it looked on paper to be a tight game, but, St Day went into the game on the back of a fourteen game winning run.

I arrived at the ground forty minutes before kick off and the place was very busy, the car parks were full, buses (including a double decker) were parked outside the ground while the pub over the road looked to be doing a roaring trade. With no spaces in the near vicinity it was back up the hill and onto a cul-de-sac to grab a space.

The weather was still stunning, and with a crowd of over 400 in the ground, it was buzzing with expectation, while sales in the bar of cans of Lager or Dark Fruits were looking very promising indeed! Crowd wise, St Day were in the majority, and certainly seemed the more boisterous, with the Illogan firm seeming a bit more reserved.

The ground is lovely. Once through the entrance, you enter behind the goal with the clubhouse and dressing rooms right next to you, as you move round what is something of an oval, the only stand sits on the half way line with a row of seats to the rear. As you move round behind the far goal the grass starts to bank until you reach the side opposite the stand where you have a steep grassed bank all the way down to the pitch. Not dissimilar to St Blazey, it offered a superb view of the game, and with the bulk of the crowd on the bank enjoying the sun, it was my choice of viewing point.

The pitch was in excellent condition, and with floodlights as well, Porthleven will be making the move to Step 6 next season, a move that is both right and somewhat overdue in my opinion, this is a great club with a great infrastructure.

But today was all about the ‘Combo’ Cup, a game that traditionally is played on Easter Sunday, and always at one of the better appointed senior grounds in the County. Porthleven has been used regularly, as has Penzance, while Helston, Illogan and Hayle have all had the honour of hosting the game in recent seasons. Game wise, to be fair, the first half wasn’t the greatest of spectacles with little in the way of goalscoring chances, albeit St Day did have the upper hand in terms of possession. The one goal that did come went the way of Illogan when a long punt was headed over his own goalkeeper by St Day defender.

St Day came back fighting the in the second half and equalised through a great shot from Chris Dobson. The game continued to ebb and flow with not much in the way of clear opportunities, and with extra time looking a certainty (and me in trouble for a late return), Steve Abbott-Smith powered home a header in the 88^th minute from a corner for Illogan.

Several minutes of added on time were played, and as much as St Day battled to try and salvage something late in the game, Illogan were organised and held firm, victory was theirs.

I made haste at the final whistle as Illogan celebrated and St Day sank to their knees. A really enjoyable afternoon, and indeed occasion, at a great venue, thanks for the heads up Dave!

Now then, how can I work on Mrs H and see if I can swing a trip to Bodmin tomorrow………..