Bidding for a third consecutive win, Penzance seemed a little hungover from the euphoria of the midweek success at Sticker and were beaten more emphatically than the scoreline suggests by a slick St Austell team.
With Josh Storey back at parent club Helston for their FA Vase derby at Falmouth, Silas Sullivan returned, the only change to the starting line-up from Sticker. Sullivan did in fact get the ball in the net early on, heading in a Kevin Lawrence cross but unfortunately from an offside position. That was about as good as it got in the first half for the Magpies as they were frequently compromised by the pace of Kieran Bishop down the St Austell right and Cam Bidgood on the left.
A superb save by Will Trenoweth of a Harvey Hann header from a Neil Slateford corner kept Penzance on level terms. Bidgood then volleyed against a post, but the Lilywhites were not to be denied. A fierce shot by captain Slateford was blocked, but only to the feet of centre-forward Tom Guest who flicked the ball past Trenoweth.
Guest was denied a second by an excellent goal-line clearance from Sullivan just after the break. Penzance’s anticipated onslaught never really gathered momentum and they only stretched James Chapman once, Rolandos Samnauskas asking the experienced gloveman to claw out a stinging low drive after Tuesday’s hat-trick hero muscled his way in from wide on the left.
However, the introductions of Haidar Fadli, Darryl Richards and Obinna Abuka injected some energy, and the Magpies may well have snatched an equaliser five minutes from time had the latter pair not got in each other’s way meeting a Cam McCabe centre. Such are the fine margins in this sport, St Austell immediately broke away to nab the clincher, substitute Chris Kilbey turning home a Slateford cross.
Therefore an injury-time Richards goal – from the rebound after Chapman had saved his initial penalty, awarded for a foul on Abuka – was sadly merely a consolation.
Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Archie Reynolds, Cam McCabe, Kevin Lawrence (Darryl Richards 66), Silas Sullivan, Tyler Tonkin (captain), Jacob Trudgeon (Obinna Abuka 79), Kam Collins, Liam Andrew, Rolandos Samnauskas, Max Everard (Haidar Fadli 79). Unused Sub: Ryan Andrew
St Austell: Jason Chapman, Ed Timmons (Ben Thomas 57), Josh Penrose, Martyn Duff, Owen Rosevear, Harvey Hann, Neil Slateford (captain), Liam Dingle, Tom Guest (Josh Margetts 66), Kieran Bishop (Chris Kilbey 81), Cameron Bidgood. Unused Sub: Kieran Powell
Referee: Joshua Evans
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Links below.
Second Half - https://www.facebook.com/PZAFC/videos/1258699838030220