PENZANCE 0, STICKER 1

Harvey Hann came off the bench for Sticker in the closing stages of a tight contest at Penlee Park and, just six minutes after his arrival, fired home the goal that condemned high-flying, but depleted, Penzance to a first home defeat since August writes James Wright. 

With Ben Palmer, Mark Vercesi, Charlie Young and Harry Salmon all injured, Charlie Willis, Josh Turner and Ollie Butler away, and Lewis Caspall working, the Magpies were without eight regulars. “I think we had a strong enough team to get a result at home,” opined coach Alfie Turner. “But fair play to Sticker – they’ve come with a game plan and executed it really well. I think the first goal was always going to win the game today.”

A positive for Penzance was the return of Archie Reynolds, absent for eight games after sustaining an ankle injury at Launceston in early January. The defender came through 76 minutes before being replaced by Rohan Bennetts. 

A cagey first half saw just one attempt on target. Ollie Brokenshire and Sam Eccleston both twice went close for Sticker whilst, for the Magpies, the highlight was a twenty yard drive by George Molcher that fizzed just past Harry Ashton’s top left-hand corner. After the turnaround, the Sticker gloveman dived low to his right to pull off a superb save from a Silas Sullivan header. The visitors continued to enjoy the better chances though. Jake Chafer fired over whilst Sol Wilson saw a shot blocked on the goal-line during a frenetic scramble.

In the closing minutes, Penzance handed a debut to teenage midfielder Harry Morton, as a substitute for Andreas Calleja-Stayne. But it was a double change by their opponents that won the match. Dan Nancarrow replaced Eccleston and Owen Rosevear with Harley Sims and Harvey Hann, and it was the latter who nabbed the winner, threading an angled left-foot shot just inside Will Trenoweth’s far post. In stoppage time, James Butler and Sullivan both had good chances to level, but it was not to be the home side’s day.

“The players are fighting for the starting line-up,” observed disappointed Penzance Head Coach Matt James. “Players have to have the attitude, come games like this, that ‘I’m going to be the best player on the pitch’. Unfortunately, I don’t think anyone out there today had that attitude.” 

Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Archie Reynolds (Rohan Bennetts 76), Andreas Calleja-Stayne (Harry Morton 83), Sam Young (Kam Collins 79), James Butler, Tyler Tonkin (captain), George Molcher, Hayden Waters, Ewan Trevains, Wade Brown (Jacob Trudgeon 64), Silas Sullivan. Unused sub: Matt James

Sticker: Harry Ashton, Tom Whipp, Jake Chafer, Owen Rosevear (Harvey Hann 79), Ollie Brokenshire, Fin Nancarrow, Sam Eccleston (Harley Sims 79), Connor Cooke, Sol Wilson (Ewan Warren-Knight 74), Josh Penrose, Liam Knowles

Referee: Thomas Milburn

Assistants: Brooke Lague, Paul Barker 

Attendance: 210

Cover photo and Match Report courtesy of James Wright