WHAT a different four days can make.

Bodmin Town have been one of the most consistent teams in the South West for the past five seasons but their last two performances have been like chalk and cheese.

According to many fine judges of local football who witnessed it, Bodmin's display in beating title rivals Plymouth Parkway 3-0 at Bolitho Park last Wednesday was as good as anything seen in the Peninsula League this season.

Sam Matthews returned to his former club with an inspired show, scoring once and setting up another as Bodmin tore Dave Leonard's Parkway side apart.

But back at Priory Park on Saturday against far inferior opposition – according to the league table anyway – Bodmin failed to score in a home game for the first time this season.

The goalless draw also brought to an abrupt and surprising end to their run of five successive home wins; you have to go back to September 26, against leaders Buckland Athletic (2-2), to find the last time Bodmin didn't win a home league fixture.

There were personnel changes in the teams which faced Parkway and Dartmouth, but that was no excuse for Saturday's result.

Manager Darren Gilbert said: "I told the players before the game that we needed to start in the right tempo, but we just didn't do it.

"When you make a slow start to games it is very difficult to pick it up, and we really struggled.

"As we went through the game and failed to take our chances, we got dragged down to their level and that was very disappointing to watch.

"Yes, we were without Kevin Miller in goal and Huw Morgan in defence, but there was still enough quality out there to have picked up all three points."

The closest Bodmin came to breaking the deadlock was midway through the second half when Matthews, after coming on as a substitute, lobbed the Dartmouth keeper but saw the ball hit the bar and bounce away to safety.

Bodmin also felt they should have had a penalty when Danny O'Hagan went down after appearing to be tripped, but the officials saw nothing wrong.

The game turned out to be Dan Tapper's last for Bodmin. He has decided to return to Dobwalls after seven months at Priory Park.

Bodmin are back at home on Friday, against Torpoint.

Bodmin: Vercoe, Farrant, Tapper, Chambers, Simmonds, Swiggs, Smallridge, Colwell, O'Hagan, Berry, Turner.