07/05/2026
Match Report:
Probus Reserves 0-2 Stithians FC
With the end of the season approaching, there is still some important football to be played, and once again off on the road for an evening game at Probus.
Probus Facts:
* The village has the tallest church tower in Cornwall at 129 feet high, an impressive erection,unlike Tom Roberts.
* A notable Probus resident was John Stackhouse, a botanist who specialised in spermatophytes, he’d have studied Tom Roberts at length.
* Probus is home to one of only a few colonies of Greater Horseshoe Bat, a creature only seen at night, lurking in dark spaces, and nesting in dark holes, not unlike Tom Roberts.
We arrived at Probus with a rested and strong looking squad, wanting to put the horror show at Carharrack behind us and get 3 points in the bag, but knowing that Probus would be keen to push us all the way. There was certainly an urgency to their warm up so it would need a strong start from Stithians.
To describe this game I’m going to have to be very careful what I say, so take it how you will…
It was clear from the outset Probus had a plan to exploit the long ball if they could, and the back four were doing their best to absorb the high balls and cover back well, it was t long into the game when Alex Kemp was judged to have talked a little too strongly to himself, and the ref sent him for a 10 minute sin bin to much confusion, which could have been dangerous with 10 men, but the boys rallied well and held off the pressure.
Stithians were trying to play more football, ball on the floor and break down Probus but they were equally stubborn in defence and it was a war of attrition. The ball was pinging around like a moth at a flood light and neither side could find a break through.
Sooner after this Bradley Charles was judged to have gone in a little recklessly although with zero contact, and he also saw the card come out, these early disciplinary decisions were playing a factor in how the game was being played and neither side could really get momentum going.
Another more slightly fortuitous decision saw the Probus keeper judged to have exceeded the 8 seconds he could hold into the ball and a corner was awarded, Bradley Charles delivered like a postman, and after a scramble in the box, Alex Kemp hooked the ball into the net and just before halftime we found ourselves 1-0 up.
Halftime came and we felt Probus would come out strongly, and Stithians had now settled a little and were moving the ball well, the midfield of Howard Vague, Lucas Potts and Charles were linking up well but this stubborn defence from Probus were not giving up easily.
Mounting several attacks of their own, Probus found themselves with a series of free kicks on the edge of the box but couldn’t convert them, more cards followed for Stithians as a result, I haven’t seen that much cardboard since recycling day, they seemed a touch excessive given it wasn’t that sort of game. Kyle Chapman having his most relaxed game in a while received a yellow card for helping retrieve a ball for a goal kick and was judged to be doing so a little slowly. Just a bit of community service to be honest!
Bizarrely soon after this Josh Strick received a bang to the nose which threatened his appearance at Paris Fashion Week, but this time the cards stayed put, and we carried on. It was nervy stuff at 1-0, and with time ticking down, Lucas Potts took matters into his own hands and from the left side of the box went on a mazy run that took him past several defenders before slotting it past the helpless keeper to make it 2-0 and the whistle blew to end the game.
Three points in the bag, with one game to go and sitting 5th in the league, there’s all to play for! A mention to keeper Jason ‘ The Cat’ Gribble for his first goalless game of the season, he’s come close a few times, but had less clean sheets than a 1 star hotel, so well deserved!
Man of the Match was Alex Kemp, tireless running and work out wide, and bouncing back from the frustration of the early sin bin. Great team performance to grind out a result though!
One more game!
Up The Village
