Penzance’s season ended in ignominious fashion with a heavy defeat away to fellow strugglers Callington Town in unseasonably vile weather conditions.
With Jacob Trudgeon side-lined by the ankle injury sustained in the previous match against Liskeard, a first start was handed to Alfie Hicks. The teenager made some promising forays down the right flank, but the story of the first half was clinical finishing by the home side which saw them to an unassailable four goal lead by the break.
Two strikes inside three minutes from Andre Rodukov completely knocked the stuffing out the Magpies. The first, a close-range prod past Will Trenoweth after excellent work down the right by Ogwu Kenny was quickly followed by a fine finish from slightly further out. Penzance had their chances. Kam Collins was just unable to connect with a Frazer Cadman cross and Rolandos Samnauskas blazed a shot over. By the interval they were dead and buried, Callington having added further goals courtesy of a Sam Rutter shot and a Rio Daly penalty.
A double change at the break saw Hicks and Collins replaced by Darryl Richards and Kevin Lawrence, and the duo played big parts in Penzance’s second half consolation goals. A crisp strike from the former manager was parried by Callington keeper Mason Robinson only on to the head of top scorer Samnauskas who nodded in his tenth goal of the season. Then, nibble trickery down the left by Richards gave sixteen year old Kai Baxter, just on for Samnauskas, the chance to tap in his first goal for the first team.
Unfortunately, sandwiched between those two strikes were further Callington goals – a neat low finish by Joey Burton following a corner from the left, then a thunderous strike by left-back Lewie Rendle to which Trenoweth got a strong hand, but not enough to keep out.
“For me I thought 6-2 was a bit flattering,” said joint manager Craig Nicholls after the game. “I thought we played some good passages of football. I’m disappointed in the result but I’m not disappointed in the season. We are playing very good sides, and against the top sides we’ve performed this year. We have got quality in this side and we’ve got to keep probing away – as far as I’m concerned this has been a positive season.”
Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Archie Reynolds, Cam McCabe, Mark Vercesi, Liam Andrew, Tyler Tonkin, Silas Sullivan, Kam Collins (Kevin Lawrence 46), Rolandos Samnauskas (Kai Baxter 7), Alfie Hicks (Darryl Richards 46), Frazer Cadman. Unused sub: Ryan Andrew
Callington: Mason Robinson, Louis Godwin, Lewie Rendle, Xoli Ncube, Jordan Stidson, Joey Burton, Rio Daly, Ben Langton, Ogwu Kenny, Andre Rodukov (Alex Lowe 46), Sam Rutter (Ash Welch 67). Unused subs: Kevin Kendall, Matt Edwards
Referee: Robert Fleetham
Watch: The stream from this match (kindly sponsored by Antony Handyman and Ashley Waters - Painter & Decorator) is available to watch via our Facebook Page.
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