ILLOGAN RBL 3, PENZANCE RESERVES 2

Penzance Reserves pushed perennial high-flyers Illogan RBL close in an hard-fought, exciting match at Oxland Parc on Wednesday evening, but fell just short of gleaning a first Premier Division point, at the third attempt.

Only three top drawer saves by Danny Burrows kept the Magpies out as they impressed during the first twenty minutes. First the keeper blocked a point blank range Archie Reynolds header, from an Elliott Carveth corner, then he denied Wade Brown after the striker found himself in on goal. The pick of the bunch was, however, the acrobatic tip-over of a Luke Carroll shot.

Illogan began to create some chances as the interval approached, Connor Arthur heading the best just wide. But it was the visitors who made the break-through in stoppage time, captain Ryan Wilkinson muscling his way on to another Carveth flag kick, and forcing the ball over the line.

Attacking the clubhouse end, Illogan were unrecognisable in the second half and turned the match around within eight minutes. Harvey Parsons saved brilliantly from Arthur but, from the resultant corner, Matt Roberts nodded home the equaliser after a bit of a scramble. Some sloppy Penzance defending then enabled Arthur to fire Illogan in front.

With a header from a free-kick swung in from wide on the right, Cameron Smith put the home side 3-1 up midway through the half. Kizzy Snowden pulled one back from the penalty spot ten minutes from tide, but Illogan were able to see out the match, their first of the campaign, without any further drama.

• 

• 

• 

“We are disappointed to come away with a loss,” confessed Magpies manager Daz Smith. “It was a game of two halves. The first half we were very good, and their keeper kept them in it - we could have been out of sight. The second half, not so good. We never really got going and Illogan took their chances, whilst Harvey made some very good saves. We'll certainly learn from this one.” 

Illogan: Danny Burrows, Kieran O’Connor, Matt Allum, Simon Ellis, Gary Bell, Tom Hogarth, Connor Arthur, Samuel Kevern, Connor Gilbert, Matt Roberts, Bailey Stephens.

Rolling subs: Jacob Hoon, Cameron Smith, Mawgan Langdon-Heller, Piran Shorland, Mike Pascoe

Penzance: Harvey Parsons, Mark Sands, Fin Harry, Archie Reynolds, Elliott Carveth, Ryan Wilkinson (captain), Oakley Clary-Brom, Bernado Braga, Luke Carroll, Kizzy Snowden, Wade Brown.

Rolling subs: Taron Benbow, Ben Strevens, Lucian Easter

Referee: Simon Taylor

Match Report and Photos courtesy of James Wright

For more great photos from this fixture, visit the Sport in Cornwall By Steve Winters Photography Facebook page.