Bodmin Town 8, Bovey Tracey 0

and

Buckland Athletic 2 Falmouth Town 2

IF you're passionate about football, and if your team has been through the highs and lows that this great game can produce, you'll understand the emotional rollercoaster Bodmin Town's players, officials and supporters experienced last Wednesday evening.

I'll set the scene for you. With two games to go, Buckland Athletic were two points ahead of Bodmin at the top of the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League premier division and, having beaten third-placed Falmouth on their own patch four days earlier, Buckland were hot favourites to take the title.

That evening, Bodmin played as if the pressure had been lifted from their shoulders, almost as if the championship had been conceded to their South Devon rivals.

Top gear

There was plenty of happiness on view; jokes being bandied about between management, players and supporters as Bodmin hit top gear to crash eight goals past poor Bovey Tracey.

As the goals rained in, little thought was given to what Buckland might be doing in their home game against Falmouth, a match which kicked off 15 minutes later than the one at Priory Park at Falmouth's request.

Then somebody heard that Falmouth were winning 1-0 at half-time, and word spread quickly. Bodmin secretary Nick Giles, who had been instructed by manager Darren Gilbert not to tell him the Buckland score, paced up and down the touchline like an expectant father in a hospital corridor.

Bodmin just kept rattling the goals in – top scorer Sam Matthews helped himself to a hat-trick, and even Steve Ovens, making his first senior appearance since breaking his leg 18 months ago, got in on the act by scoring only eight minutes after coming on as a sub.

Suddenly it struck supporters that goal difference might matter in the title battle. Going into the games, Buckland were 14 goals better off than Bodmin; had they taken all of their chances against Bovey, Bodmin would have wiped out the deficit in one fell swoop. As it was, they had to settle for eight, the pick of which was a sublime 25 yard rocket shot from Steve Colwell which nestled beautifully in the top corner of the net.

As the Bodmin game approached injury time, news filtered through that Falmouth were now 2-0 ahead. Mobile phones are wonderful inventions aren't they! (I never thought I would write those words).

Legendary

From one person (I shall remain anonymous) having a contact at the Buckland game, it now emerged that three people were in touch with Homers Heath. The legendary Sheila Chapman had her contact on stand-by, while Ken Reed, father of Bodmin defender Lewis Reed, was also at the game.

The Bodmin game finished, and manager Gilbert was told Falmouth were winning 2-0 with ten minutes to go.

Nobody was laughing now. The title race had just got serious again.

As Gilbert led his players into the dressing room, he turned to me and said: "As soon as the final whistle goes at Buckland, come and tell us."

With three points and eight goals safely in the bag, Bodmin knew that a Buckland defeat would mean Bodmin could lift the championship at Witheridge on Saturday with a victory. They would suddenly have the advantage for the first time in three months.

Bodmin's game had finished at 9.15pm. Buckland's was still going at 9.30, when the dreaded mobile phone rings halted all excited conversations around the tunnel area to the grandstand. Sheila got the first call.

"Oh no," she exclaimed. "And how long left?"

She ended the call and updated the waiting crowd. "It's now 2-1 with about two minutes to go."

Silence fell on the ground. People started to look at their watches, checking them a few times as if they had all stopped.

Sheila's mobile rang again. News of the full time whistle would start a celebration; news of a Buckland equaliser would be as welcome as a bout of measles.

"It's 2-2, they've scored in the last minute of injury time," she whispered disconsolately, unable to mask the heartbreak she felt inside.

Noise from the clubhouse across the way died away. One or two people drifted out of the door and stared into the night, unable to believe what had happened.

It can be a cruel game. But if it doesn't hurt when things don't go your way, it doesn't matter enough.

It mattered to Bodmin. They had come so close to having the chance to clinch their third successive title, only to have the opportunity snatched away.

I sense they'll be back.

Bodmin: Miller, Morgan, Turner, Chambers (Hodge 10), Simmonds, Smallridge, Colwell, Campbell, O'Hagan (Swiggs 54), Luxton (Ovens 54), Matthews. Sub not used: Reed.

Goals: Smallridge 9, Matthews 34, 57 & 79, Hodge 41, Colwell 48 & 80, Ovens 62.

Booked: Luxton 18, Campbell 76.

Referee: Stephen Paul (Camelford).

Guardian man of the match: Ben Smallridge – probably his most influential home display since the early weeks of the season.