HARTPURY FC suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Falmouth Town at the 4ED Hartpury Stadium on Saturday afternoon, despite starting the game brightly.

The Acorns looked lively in the opening stages, moving the ball quickly and pressing high. Drew Robinson tested the visitors’ defence inside two minutes with a low cross that just evaded Noah Coates. Hartpury continued to probe down the flanks, looking to break down a well-organised Falmouth back line.

Coates again showed promise on eight minutes, beating two defenders with a strong run before firing an effort over the bar. Nathan Jenkins impressed in midfield, producing a moment of skill to nutmeg his marker and create space, though his shot was blocked.

Jesse Aldridge tried a bold long-range volley from around 40 yards, forcing a smart save from the visiting goalkeeper and keeping Hartpury in the game during a bright early spell.

Falmouth took the lead on 21 minutes when Rubin Wilson met a cross from Martyn Duff. Hartpury pressed to respond but were unable to find a breakthrough.

The visitors doubled their advantage on 42 minutes through Luke Barnes, leaving the Acorns trailing going into the break. Hartpury had a late first-half chance as Renato Prifti was played through on goal, only to lift his effort over the bar, missing an opportunity to reduce the deficit before halftime.

The second half saw fewer clear-cut opportunities for either side. Falmouth remained dangerous, and on 65 minutes Oliver Walker curled a superb left-footed strike into the top corner to make it three.

Hartpury continued to work hard but struggled to create meaningful chances against a disciplined Falmouth side.

The final stages were relatively quiet, with Hartpury unable to alter the scoreline. The Acorns will hope to bounce back when they travel to Swindon Supermarine next Saturday, looking to return to winning ways and restore confidence after this disappointing home defeat.