Two changes were enforced on the Penzance management for the trip to Bodmin Town, behind the Magpies in the table only on goal difference. Tyler Tonkin’s suspension following his dismissal against Camelford resulted in a return for Kevin Lawrence whilst top scorer Jacob Trudgeon was also reinstated in place of unwell striker Nathaniel West.
The first half proved an utter non-event. The visitors failed to muster an effort at goal, their only chance falling to Rolandos Samnauskas who was robbed by an excellent Dave Trott tackle before the trigger could be pulled. Home forwards Finlay Walker and Joe Munday had a couple of pops at goal apiece at the other end, either off target or saved by Will Trenoweth.
The visitors came storming out of the blocks though for the second half, and with a bit more tenacity in front of goal may well have put the game to bed. Just two minutes in home keeper Ryan Rickard raced off his line to block an effort by Trudgeon, played in by Samnauskas. Kam Collins also went close before Penzance took a deserved lead after 53 minutes. Archie Reynolds released Trudgeon with a powerful throw-in down the right touch-line, and the latter’s deep cross was headed home, via a wicked deflection, by Silas Sullivan.
Sent clear by a delightful Lawrence pass, Samnasuskas should have made the points safe twenty minutes from time, but pulled his shot well wide with only Rickard to beat. The miss proved costly. Temporary captain Sullivan was withdrawn with an injury nine minutes from time and, before his young replacement Kai Baxter had been given the chance to settle in on the left, Bodmin pounced. Their own substitute Christian Moss delivered a pin-point cross from that flank on to the head of the unmarked Munday who wrong-footed Trenoweth with an accurate header back inside the keeper’s near post.
Penzance might still have won but for another brilliant Rickard save, from Samnauskas, just seconds after the equaliser, but were nonetheless satisfied with a draw – remarkably their first on the road since October 2017.
Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Archie Reynolds, Cam McCabe, Mark Vercesi, Liam Andrew, Kevin Lawrence, Jordan Daniell, Silas Sullivan (captain) (Kai Baxter 81), Kam Collins, Rolandos Samnauskas, Jacob Trudgeon (Haidar Fadli 87)
Bodmin: Ryan Rickard, Anthony Davey, Oliver Miller (Sam Hepworth 70), Dave Trott (Christian Moss 66), Archie Wall, James Forrest, Adam Beardsmore, Dan Tate, Finlay Walker (Charlie Bickle 85), Joe Munday, Lyle Johnson. Unused sub: Luke Sanders
Referee: Stephen McCulloch