CALLINGTON TOWN 1, PENZANCE 1 (3-4 pens)

Penzance retained the Walter C Parson League Cup on Monday at Wadebridge in the same nerve-shredding manner that they first claimed it twelve months ago – blinking last in a tense penalty shoot-out writes James Wright.

Mikey Flores - hero of 2025 - is now away serving King and Country. No problem! Will Trenoweth matched his predecessor’s Pennygillam exploits with three fines saves, including two from Fin Skews (more on that later) to send the large flock of Magpies fans back West in boisterous celebration.

Penzance were well beaten by Callington in their last match, a result that cost Mark Vercesi’s team the coveted third place they had occupied for most of the campaign. That defeat prompted the manager switch to a flat back four, a bolstered midfield, and a lone front runner – Josh Turner. The change reaped immediate dividends when Turner, slipped in by Silas Sullivan, was up-ended by Jake Mead-Crebbin, rushing off his line, in the third minute. A yellow card was flashed as Penzance implored harsher sanction. Charlie Willis, though, exacted the ultimate punishment with an imperious free-kick to which the keeper could apply but an insignificant touch as it arced into his net.

By half-time, the Magpies would have been out of sight but for the wonderful efforts of Mead-Crebbin. The keeper pushed aside a fierce angled drive by Lewis Caspall, dived bravely to dispossess Turner with whom he found himself one-on-one, then sprawled low to his right to palm aside a Charlie Young shot.  

Penzance continued to dominate after the turn-around. Andreas Calleja-Stayne fired over, then Young hit the workwork. But their failure inflate a cushion was punished in the 66th minute when George Soper latched on to an ineffectively cleared corner, and arrowed a twenty yard shot high into Trenoweth’s top leff hand corner to force extra-time.

Kieran Prescott and Fin Harrison both went close for Callington, but the best chance of the additional half hour fell to Vercesi, the player-manager hitting the bar with a header from James Butler’s free-kick, ensuring the agony of penalties could not be averted. 

Mead-Crebbin was again centre stage taking Cally’s first kick, which Trenoweth saved, before failing to keep out Jacob Trudgeon’s opener for Penzance. Fin Harrison and Shay McCarthy then converted for Callington, with Vercesi replying, before parity appeared to have been restored when Tyler Tonkin had his effort saved. The Magpies captain was, however, given a second chance, Mead Crebbin having been adjudged to have moved off his line too early, and made no mistake. 

Soper levelled it up again before James Butler slotted as competently as he did against Cullompton in last year’s final to put Penzance 4-3 up. When Trenoweth saved wide to his right from Fin Skews, Penzance thought they had won it but, again, a retake was ordered. This time Skews went down the middle. Trenoweth’s trailing left boot blocked the shot, and his side were home.

“We practice penalties. Will has stepped up, and he has researched what they do,” divulged Vercesi. “Hats off to Will for saving two out of five. If you do that in a shoot-out, you are going to win. I just want to thank so many of our supporters for coming up. Families, kids – there was black and white everywhere.”

Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Ben Palmer, Ewan Trevains, Mark Vercesi, Tyler Tonkin (captain), Andreas Calleja-Stayne, Lewis Caspall, Charlie Willis (Ollie Butler 82), Charlie Young (George Molcher 105), Josh Turner (Jacob Trudgeon 90), Silas Sullivan (James Butler 80).

Unused sub: Wade Brown

Callington: Jake Mead-Crebbin, George Soper, Kieran Ryall, Harvey Barrett, Harvey Southcott (captain), Callum Brown, Alex Jacob, Calum Courts, Kieran Prescott, Fin Harrison, Fin Skews.

Subs: Ed Harrison, Shay McCarthy, Connor Pritchard, Taran Goodright. Karl Peters

Referee: Tim Burley

Assistants: Ben Hilton, Oliver Abercrombie

Attendance: 577

Cover photo and Match Report courtesy of James Wright