PENZANCE 1, ST AUSTELL 1

Penzance turned in an impressive performance in their Peninsula League opener. But missed chances meant they ultimately had to settle for a point after an entertaining draw against returnees St Austell in front of a large crowd of 327 at Penlee Park on Tuesday night.

The Magpies were first to threaten, Josh Turner outstripping the visiting defence in just the fourth minute, but pulling his shot just beyond Morgan Coxhead’s far post. The Lillywhites hit back, Kieran Bishop seeing a low drive deflected wide for a corner. But Turner, prolific in pre-season in an unaccustomed position up front, made no mistake when he next found himself in on goal, skipping round Ollie Brokenshire and Martyn Duff before firing home. “It was a fantastic finish – he has got that in his locker,” purred player-manager Mark Vercesi.“

Charlie Willis, twice, and Andreas Calleja-Stayne both went close as a the buoyant Magpies dominated the first half. But St Austell hit back straight after the break, summer signing Rubin Wilson ghosting on to Duff’s cross from the left to head home. “It was very sloppy defending all round,” rued Vercesi. “You take your eye off the ball for a second against a good team, and you get punished.”

In the space of five minutes, both sides lost key players to injury. For Penzance, Mark Richards retired with a dislocated shoulder, to be replaced by Ben Palmer, whose own pre-season had been limited to just five minutes by an ankle injury in the opener at Newquay. Then St Austell’s Kyle Marks was stretchered off with a knee injury, Matt Searle taking his place.

The visitors came closest to winning it when Wilson pounced on a defensive slip. But the marquee summer signing from Falmouth Town drilled his shot inches wide of Will Trenoweth’s left hand post meaning the points were shared. “At 45 minutes it felt like we were comfortably the better and fitter team,” reflected Vercesi.”But, as good teams do, they came back with a bit of a vengeance, and they turned it around second half, so a fair result I think at the end of the day.”

Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Josh Otto, Mark Vercesi, Mark Richards (Ben Palmer 63), Silas Sullivan (captain), Andreas Calleja-Stayne, Charlie Willis (George Molcher 83), Lewis Caspall, Ewan Trevains, Steve Burt (James Butler 83), Josh Turner (Wade Brown 73).

Unused sub: Jacob Trudgeon

St Austell: Morgan Coxhead, Kyle Marks (Matt Searle 68), Martyn Duff, Noah Teagle, Ollie Brokenshire, James Ward, Neil Slateford, Freddie Kemp, Rubin Wilson, Callum McGhee, Kieran Bishop.

Unused sub: Aaron Dilley

Referee: Andrew Hobbs

Assistants: James Verrier, Ian Pattison 

Attendance: 327

Match Report Courtesy of James Wright