Porthleven 2, Camelford 1

YOU only had to be at Gala Parc on Saturday to see exactly what the Cornwall Senior Cup means to players, managers and supporters alike.

It may not have been the outcome Camels' boss Reg Hambly might have wished for, but for any neutral who braved the elements on the south coast at the weekend, this was Senior Cup action at its best.

Not for quality, it must be said, but for sheer commitment shown in atrocious weather conditions. Proper, good old fashioned football.

A game like this would never have been given go ahead in the Premiership.

Admittedly, the incessant rain left me wondering if this third round tie would get the go ahead, finally, at the third attempt. The two previously planned games at Trefrew Park were postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

Hambly didn't feel conditions were much better on Saturday, but thankfully referee Justin Moses didn't see any problems and in the sludge of Gala Parc, 22 players slogged it out for a place in the last eight.

Hambly acknowledged that conditions were a great leveller, but the Camels' boss refused to make any excuses.

But with another division one west side, Truro City, waiting in the next round, Hambly knew this was a good chance to go on a good cup run, and add to what has been a hugely satisfiable first season in the top flight of Carlsberg South West Peninsula League football.

Hambly said: "I'm very disappointed to go out of the cup.

"We came down, we'd had two chances to play at our ground and the pitch was every bit as good as this today.

"Porthleven have done their best to get the game on and we're all obviously very disappointed to come down and lose.

"There are no excuses, we've had chances, had balls cleared off the line, it's just one of those days.

"It's a cup day, I don't think anything went for us today and we woke up too late.

"Give Porthleven, their due, they played the conditions quite well, and good luck to them in the next round.

Underdog

"We've just got to get on with it. The boys have done brilliantly this year and now it's back to the league."

Rather than take the game to their underdog hosts, Hambly's men found themselves trailing when Matt Fox lash home Lawrence's deflected cross on the volley with less than two minutes on the clock.

You couldn't help but feel Porthleven's goal had come about 85 minutes too soon. And, predictably, the hosts were forced to defend for large periods as Camelford hit back. Veteran goalkeeper Paul Williams was fortunate to see a couple of spilled saves roll to safety, from Gusterson and Ryan Pooley.

Porthleven did have the ball in the back of the net after 16 minutes, but captain Justin Searle was adjudged to be offside after following up on Chris Morris' effort which struck the post.

And when Pooley headed Camelford level ten minutes later, many would have expected the visitors to go and win the game comfortably.

Porthleven clearly had other ideas, and they could easily have been going in at the break back in front after Camelford goalkeeper Josh Colwill saved twice with his legs to deny Chris Morris.

Williams proved just as resilient at the other end, belying his more senior years with a fantastic reflex save to thwart Josh Insley.

And soon after, Williams' save would prove crucial, as Lawrence turned the game, rather unexpectedly, in Porthleven's favour.

Fox, having been set up by Lawrence for the opener, returned the favour, crossing for the midfielder to slide and volley home at the back post.

From then on, it was all Camelford, with Gusterson proving the biggest threat.

He looked odds on to score when Lee Cattram produced a brilliant last ditch tackle just when the striker was about to let fly.

Dingle and Pooley were also thwarted by some last ditch defending, but it was Ed Timmons, who battled on, despite taking a heavy blow to the head in the first half, who ensured Porthleven's place in the last eight, when he cleared off the line from substitute Gyles Reynolds with five minutes to go.