St. Columb Major AFC

With poor weather conditions creating a heavy pitch and fading early afternoon light, the referee made the decision to start the game prior to the scheduled kick off time with both sides making a slow start. The momentum quickly shifted towards St. Dominick, who were looking to use the conditions to their advantage with the majority of their football played long to target man Matt McLean. Major quickly found themselves on the back foot, with central defenders Adam Weller and Martin Atkinson regularly called into action to thwart the increased threat of the visitors.

The home side provided an occasional reminder of their goalscoring ability with Jason Rid just failed to connect with Tom Hunter's curling cross and a couple of passing moves that failed to carve out an opening. St. Dominick responded with a strike on goal that forced Anton Lake into a low save and Adam Weller was called into action again, heading the ball off the line with Lake beaten. St. Dominick should have opened the scoring when the ball fell kindly to McLean, with the rebound falling favourably yet the chance went begging with the subsequent shot dragged wide. The first booking of the game soon followed when a sliding challenge was adjudged as dangerous, much to the surprise of everyone present.

St. Dominick were ulimately rewarded for their pressure when a curling cross was headed into the corner of his own net by Aaron Bicknell, who got his angles wrong when there was little threat in the form of an opposing striker. Major clawed themselves back into the game and were denied by a smart defensive block after Major's David Rabone found himself in space following Shaun Lawrence's mis-hit free kick and Jason Rid, deputising for top goalscorer Dom Roberts who was missing due to suspension, marginally missed the target with a close range flick that hit the side netting. Rabone then found himself in the book late in the first half as the poor weather started to lift.

Major made the worst possible start to the second half, losing the ball in midfield to provide St. Dominick with a counter attacking opportunity. Just as it appeared that the threat had come to an end, an underhit cross slid below the foot of Aaron Hawken and straight into the path of McLean, who slammed the ball into the roof of the net from close range without a defender in sight.

Major rallied in the significantly improved weather conditions and dominated the remainder of the final forty minutes, which were broken up with a series of discussions between the match official and both sides, with a second half incident resulting in a lengthy break in the game. Major pulled a goal back with half an hour remaining when Lawrence's free kick fell kindly to Rabone, who hit a left foot shot straight into the path of substitute Marco Ciarleglio who sidefooted home from close range. Although the home side had the majority of possession in the second half, Major could not find a way through after making a couple of reasonable chances and had goalkeeper Anton Lake to thank for an excellent double save after St. Dominick looked destined to score on the counter attack with Major committing resources forward in search of an equaliser. Major continued to press in what had evolved into an even encounter and spent the majority of the six minutes of added on time camped in the St. Dominick half but the visitors managed to hang on for an important win and deserve a great deal of credit for their victory with a limited squad available.

Despite the result, it has been an incredible start to the season for a side that had not managed a victory in over two seasons previously; Major are delighted to have enjoyed such a positive season so far and will look forward to bouncing back next week.

Newquay Logs and Coal man of the match - Anton Lake