Torpoint Athletic 3 Bodmin Town 2

GARY Hird’s goal three minutes into added time sparked wild celebrations at Torpoint as Cornwall Senior Cup holders Bodmin were sent crashing out of the competition at The Mill on Friday night, writes Kevin Marriott.

With the quarter-final tie set to move into half an hour of extra time, second half substitute Hird struck the killer blow to complete a remarkable fightback by Dean Cardew’s men.

Bodmin had been 2-0 up before half-time thanks to goals from strikers Harry Evans (19 minutes) and Ethan Phillips (39).

But Torpoint hit back immediately after the break with Hird being the provider for Ben Waters to reduce the arrears.

Midway through the second half Torpoint were level when a Darren Hicks free kick took a slight deflection off the Bodmin wall, which was enough to leave Simon May flat-footed in the Bodmin goal.

The match ebbed and flowed but the home side looked the more likely to snatch a winner, which came with most people in the ground checking their watches waiting for the final whistle to blow.

Then came Hird’s dramatic winner to complete what is surely the best result of Torpoint’s season by some distance.

They go through to the semi-finals where Saltash United, St Austell and Mousehole are already through. The draw will take place on Tuesday, February 13 at 10 am.

Torpoint: J Peters, J McCreery, R O’Hea, J Robertson, P Bradley, L Bailey, S Rogers, R Simmons, B Waters, D Zalick, D Hicks. Subs: N Hill, G Hird, C Damerell, M Roberts, R Brown.

Bodmin: S May, E Timmons, N Slateford, J Ash, SSimmonds, L Russell, S Colwell, O Brokenshire, A Carter, E Phillips, H Evans. Subs: B Watson, S Ryan, D Peters, D Gilbert.

Referee: Ryan Cornelius.

Attendance: 122.