BUDE TOWN 1, PENZANCE 0

Three days ahead of their Cornwall Senior Cup semi-final against Saltash United, Penzance travelled to Bude Town with a significantly changed team, and paid the price slipping to a first defeat of 2026 writes James Wright.

Despite being without players of the calibre of Charlie Young, Ben Palmer, Harry Salmon and Lewis Caspall, Mark Vercesi chose to rest himself and star midfielder Charlie Willis. However, he did not seek to blame the defeat on the absences saying: “We had a strong enough side out to win the game. The squad we’ve got is a deep squad. The starting eleven we put out, and the subs, were still remarkably good considering the amount of players missing.”

With young left-sider Hayden Waters making his first start after 21 appearances from the bench, Josh Turner back from injury and Ollie Butler from his travels, the reshuffled Magpies began with intent. They had the game's first clear chance when Jacob Trudgeon dispossessed home keeper Ty Rowe and set up Sam Young, making a first start since August. The midfielder's shot was, however, deflected behind for a corner. Then, in the 17th minute, Bude went ahead, Jake Woodland ghosting unmarked on to a Harrison Swatton flag kick. “It was sloppy,” conceded Vercesi. “Sloppy giving away the corner and sloppy with the free header.”

A block by Silas Sullivan denied teenage defender Woodland a second shortly before the break. After the turnaround, a headed through pass by George Molcher put Trudgeon clear, but the striker got a horrible bobble as he prepared to pull the trigger. The condition of pitch, ravaged by recent atrocious weather, limited goalmouth action. Billy Hopcroft fired into the side netting from a free-kick by Bude captain Finn Reeve. The home team should have put the game to bed when a ball from the right someway squirmed it's way to an unmarked Dylan Morgan at the far post, but the latter, seemingly surprised to have the goal at his mercy, scuffed a hurried shot wide. 

Despite the introduction of Willis, the only time Penzance threatened in the dying stages was with a thunderous Tyler Tonkin free-kick from a wide angle that was tipped behind. “I don’t think we’d have scored in a month of Sundays here today,” rued Vercesi. “It looked a like a draw was written all over the game. Bude are a really organised side and they can beat good teams. They make it hard for you and they deserved to get the win because they got that goal and they battled to keep it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYgrBEScuRQ

Watch the full interview here as James Wright speaks to Mark Vercesi following The Magpies first defeat of 2026 at Bude Town.

Bude: Ty Rowe, Jake Woodlands, Finn Reeve (captain), James Wheeler, Harry Hopcroft, Dylan Morgan, Harrison Swatton, Nathan Colley (Tornado Bello 66), Piran Friend, Billy Hopcroft, Oliver Cleave (Abdul Deifa 87). Unused subs: Josh Pearce, Jack Grandison, Billy Hopgood

Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Josh Turner, Hayden Waters (Mark Vercesi 90), Silas Sullivan, Sam Young (James Butler 67), Tyler Tonkin (captain), George Molcher (Charlie Willis 67), Andreas Calleja-Stayne, Ollie Butler, Ewan Trevains, Jacob Trudgeon (Rohan Bennetts 85).

Unused sub: Alfie Turner

Referee: Reuben Ludgate

Assistants: Alan Shaw, Gavin Arnold

Report and cover photo courtesy of James Wright.