Willand Rovers 3 Bodmin Town 0

A Bodmin side badly hit by injuries, suspensions and unavailabilities put up a good show before being seen off by three second half goals in the FA Vase third round tie at Willand.

Bodmin could have taken the lead in the first minute. Straight from the kick-off they broke down the left, and a low cross deep into the penalty area was met by Stuart Bowker, whose shot from 12 yards struck the underside of the bar, with the home keeper grabbing the ball by the base of the post.

Bodmin had more of the play as the half progressed but couldn’t find the finishing touch.

Then after 27 minutes Willand had their first shot on target when a low angled shot from the corner of the area which Bodmin keeper Ryan Draper, deputising for the absent Cory Harvey, did well to tip around the post for a corner from which the ball was kicked off the line.

A few minutes later Tyler Yendle, recently signed from Torpoint, was found on the left wing by a cross-field ball from Steve Colwell.

Yendle cut the ball back for Ethan Phillips, who hit a first time shot from 18 yards, which was heading for the top corner of the net before it was deflected for a corner.

Willand put Bodmin under more pressure in the final 10 minutes of the first half and Draper again made an excellent save from a snap-shot from the edge of the area, pushing the ball away from goal before Jesse Howe, a recent signing from Elmore making his debut, cleared the ball to safety.

Two minutes after the restart Willand took the lead w through Luke Mortimore, who lashed a volley from six yards across Draper, who could do nothing to prevent the ball finding the far corner of the net.

Despite some excellent passing moves and no lack of effort, Bodmin were unable to break through the home defence and with almost 70 minutes played Willand added a second goal with an almost carbon copy of their first, Mortimore on target again.

Having no substitutes available made Bodmin’s task all the more difficult and with legs tiring on the very heavy surface, the home side’s three substitutes made the difference in the second half.

With five minutes remaining and being penned deep in our own half by Willand there was little option but to pass the ball back to Draper but under pressure his attempted clearance found Brett Worbey in space 15 yards from goal and he curled a shot into the top corner of the net to complete a somewhat flattering 3-0 final scoreline.

Bodmin Town: Ryan Draper, Sam Ryan, George Tucker, Jon McCreery, Tyler Yendle, Jesse Howe, Steve Colwell, Harry Evans, Stuart Bowker, Ben Steer, Ethan Phillips.