LAUNCESTON 1, PENZANCE 5

After a barren December, Penzance returned to winning ways with a thoroughly competent victory against a battling Launceston side at Pennygillam writes James Wright. The win hoisted the Magpies back up to third place in the table, ahead of Callington who were without a game.

The home side threatened first, Denham Guild seeing a shot saved by Harry Salmon and Kian Berry hitting an angled drive wide. With top scorer Charlie Young side-lined by a calf injury, Penzance started slowly with their first chance not arriving until the 20th minute when Ben Palmer stretched Oliver Sidey to a superb low save. They broke the deadlock just after the half-hour mark, Ollie Butler pouncing on a blocked effort to drill a crisply struck drive low into the bottom corner.

The second goal was equally well struck, a trademark left-foot Lewis Caspall pearler that found its way home off the underside of the cross-bar in first half stoppage time. That may have knocked the stuffing out of a less spirited side, but Launceston emerged for the second half with renewed vigour. Joe Moynan was just off target with a back post header from a deep Guild cross before Sam Tattersall halved the deficit. The captain tucked a penalty low to Salmon’s left after Archie Reynolds had fouled Alfie Fothergill.

Reynolds bravely flung himself into the path of a fierce Moynan shot as Lanson pressed hard for the equaliser. Mark Vercesi made a treble substitution on the hour mark, and one of the new arrivals had an immediate impact turning the momentum back in Penzance’s favour. Wade Brown’s teasing low centre was cleared only as far as Charlie Willis who side-footed a delightful, cushioned first time shot high into Sidey’s top left-hand corner.

The midfield dynamo has developed a penchant for spectacular goals at the car park end at Pennygillam having scored a peach in a 3-3 thriller a couple of seasons back. Fifteen minutes from time, Willis added another to the collection, deftly bending a free-kick around the defensive wall after James Butler had been fouled.

Penzance’s endured a scare in the closing stages when Reynolds had to be helped from the field with an injury which, happily, proved not as serious as it first looked. With all five changes having been made, the Magpies had to play out the closing minutes with just ten men. That did not prevent them notching a fifth, 16 year old Rohan Bennetts setting up fellow substitute Ewan Trevains to fire low past Sidey.

Launceston 1, Penzance 5 - All photos courtesy of James Wright.

Launceston: Oliver Sidey, Tom Manuel, Taylor Davey, Joe Moynan, Jude Jago, Archie Wall, Sam Tattersall (captain), Will Gilbert, Denham Guild, Alfie Fothergill, Kian Berry.

Subs: Ryan Dawe, Alfie Freeman, Tom Bullock

Penzance: Harry Salmon, Archie Reynolds, Ben Palmer, Silas Sullivan (James Butler 60), Tyler Tonkin (captain), Josh Turner (Ewan Trevains 60), George Molcher (Rohan Bennetts 75), Jacob Trudgeon (Wade Brown 60), Charlie Willis, Lewis Caspall, Ollie Butler (Sam Young 73)

Referee: Luke Dennis

Assistants: Matthew Giles, Alan Shaw

Photos courtesy of James Wright