'We didn't do enough' admits Torpoint boss Cardew after Ivybridge setback

TORPOINT Athletic suffered a second defeat in the space of four days as Ivybridge Town edged a tight encounter at Erme Valley on Saturday afternoon.

The Point were looking to bounce back from their midweek 4-1 loss at home to Buckland Athletic and gave a debut in goal to Josh Flower following Ty Rowe’s sending-off four days earlier.

The first ten minutes saw a fairly even start to proceedings with both sides trying to beat the offside trap.

Later in the half the visitors created some good half chances through Gary Hird and Sam Pearson, and in the 19th minute Pearson ran clear and found Ethan Wright who saw his effort from 15 yards well-saved by Kane Gregory.

Six minutes later Wright had a shot from distance which was saved well by the keeper, who put the ball around the post.

On the half-hour mark, the hosts came into the game. Owen Howard had his effort well saved by Flower and four minutes later Kaycee Ogwu turned two visiting defenders to cut into the area, only to see his effort strike the side-netting from an acute angle.

With a minute remaining of the first half, the hosts took the lead. A free-kick into the area found centre-half Joe Cook to blast home. Cook had recently returned to the club having joined St Blazey over the summer.

Not a great deal happened after half-time as the Point searched for a leveller, but their task wasn’t help just before the hour mark when James Rowe was sin-binned for 10 minutes for comments made to referee Tom Anstice-Mitchell.

But it got worse for the visitors as minutes later Freddie Chapman got sent off for apparently kicking out after a coming together with an Ivybridge player. It meant Torpoint were reduced to nine men for six minutes and with ten to play they were back to square one as centre-half Callum O’Brien was sin-binned.

Remarkably, it didn't stop them from creating chances.

Sub Joe Rapson saw an 83rd minute effort from the edge of the area go just over the crossbar, but three minutes later home centre-back Nick Salop went close to a match-clinching seconds for the hosts.

There was still time for one more Point chance. In the third minute of stoppage time, skipper Elliott Crawford sent over a corner that the well-rested O’Brien blasted just wide of the near post.

Boss Dean Cardew felt his side were far from their best, admitting: “Overall it was another very disappointing day for us. We weren’t good enough in the first half and although we didn’t deserve to be behind at half-time, that’s the consequences of not making the most of your own good moments.

“Then we had yet another uphill struggle in the second half by playing nearly 20 minutes with nine men. Despite this, we still actually had good opportunities to equalise, but again didn’t do enough.”

Torpoint, now 15th in the table, host Sidmouth Town tomorrow night (7.30pm) before visiting bottom side Wellington on Saturday (3pm).

TORPOINT ATHLETIC: Josh Flower; Dave Barker, Freddie Chapman, Sam Morgan, Callum O’Brien, Elliott Crawford (capt), James Rowe (Darren Hicks, 75), Sam Pearson, Tom Payne (Curtis Damerell, 55), Gary Hird (Joe Rapson, 55), Ethan Wright. Subs not used: Sam Hepworth, Lewis Flowers.

Torpoint Athletic man-of-the-match: Sam Morgan.