HAYLE 1, PENZANCE 3
With a fourth away win in just eleven days, Penzance moved up to just a single point behind Premier West leaders St Austell with victory against newly promoted Hayle in a feisty derby played out in front of a large crowd at Trevassack Park.
Paying their first league visit to the venue since 2008-09, the Magpies made just one change to the team that had won at Callington at the weekend, Player-Manager Mark Vercesi resting himself in favour of George Molcher. Ewan Trevains wowed the crowd in just the fourth minute with a lung-busting burst down the left before delivering a testing cross that was cleared only as far as Charlie Willis who fired over. Hayle responded with Callum Sidwell blasting a shot just too high, but Penzance make the break-through in the 11th minute. Steve Burt was pushed just inside the box, and Jacob Trudgeon slotted his penalty low to Caleb Hendy’s right.
Another spot kick quickly hauled the home team back to parity. Penzance were penalised for a high foot inside the six-yard box, and Curtis Smith fired high to Harry Salmon’s left. The visitors were soon back on the front foot, however. Willis ran on to a perceptive through pass from Trevains, but Hendy rushed off his line to save. But the visitors were back in front by the break. Ben Palmer sprayed the ball wide to Archie Reynold who served up a delicious pass that Trudgeon gratefully snaffled at the near post.
Andreas Calleja-Stayne and James Butler both had shots blocked as Penzance looked to put the game to bed. Burt almost managed to force a Trudgeon free-kick over the line, then substitute Wade Brown put a rebound over the bar after Hendy had saved well from Willis. The visitors were unable to relax until the 87th minute when they converted the game’s third penalty. Brown was brought down by Rohan Bennetts who, deemed last man, was dismissed. With Trudgeon having earlier made way for Brown, it was left to Charlie Willis to do the business from the spot.
“It was a very tight game throughout. I’m just very pleased to come away from a tough place like this with three points,” conceded Vercesi. “There were several chances we’ve left out on the table at the start of that second half that kept their heads up and allowed them to have a bit of a sniff in the last ten minutes. It has been an extremely hard run, as tonight has proved. There aren’t many easy teams to go to – the three that we’ve just had plus Hayle away – that’s a hell of a run, and to get twelve points from those four games is unreal from our boys.”
Hayle: Caleb Hendy, Archie Robbins (Joe Carlyon 68), Rohan Bennetts, Zack Williams (captain), Troy Williams (Jake Richman 78), Callum Sidwell, Harry Hopkins, Kieran Rennard (Joe Day 61), Curtis Smith (James Gold 73), Aidan Murphy, Jordan Knuckley (Josh Cardigan 78)
Penzance: Harry Salmon, Archie Reynolds, Steve Burt (Ollie Butler 70), Ben Palmer, Ewan Trevains, Tyler Tonkin (captain), James Butler (Kizzy Snowden 73), Andreas Calleja-Stayne, Charlie Willis, Jacob Trudgeon (Wade Brown 73), George Molcher.
Unused subs: Josh Otto, Will Trenoweth
Referee: Alan Turner
Assistants: Barry Raiker, Ian Pattison
Match Report and photo courtesy of James Wright
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