Patience during a cagey first 45 minutes following by a very strong second half performance enabled Penzance to extend their unbeaten run to six matches, moving them to within two points of early leaders Newquay at the business end of the table.
A quiet opening yielded few chances. Mikey Flores, returning in goal for Penzance after missing two games through injury, did well to keep out a skidding cross-come-shot from teenage Holsworthy right-back Callum Martyn. At the other end, a powerful Charlie Young header from a Charlie Willis corner was blocked.
Just before the turnaround, the home side created their first two clear chances. Playing his first game since the August win at Wendron, Lewis Caspall made an electrifying burst through the heart of the Holsworthy defence before being denied by a fine low save from Ryan Chadwick. Ryan Townson, on his home debut, then fizzed a shot inches wide of the far post.
Townson was replaced at the break by Jacob Trudgeon, and the substitute made an immediate impact, feeding a pass wide to Archie Reynolds. The overlapping right-back back’s drilled centre was converted at the near post by Caspall, his first goal for the first team since returning to the club.
This eye-catching opener cued a hugely impressive spell for the home side who wowed the crowd with some fine football. On the hour, Sam Young sprayed a long cross-field pass to Sullivan wide on the left, and Curtis Smith was just off target with a glancing header from the left-back’s cross. The deserved second goal arrived in the 68th minute, Sullivan heading his sixth of the season from a Willis corner.
Sullivan was only denied a seventh by the cross-bar as Penzance serenely negotiated the final twenty minutes, their task being helped by the dismissal of Holsworthy’s Jay Thomas for a second bookable offence.
“Today was one where we knew we needed to be patient,” said home manager Mark Vercesi. “We knew we would see a lot of the ball. We knew they would be more defensive minded – they’ve got a great defensive record – one of the best in the League. We knew they would have a lot of men behind the ball and we would need to be patient - and we were.”
Hear more of the post-match thoughts of Penzance manager, Mark Vercesi.
Penzance: Mikey Flores, Archie Reynolds, Silas Sullivan (Rolandos Samnauskas 77), Sam Young, Liam Andrew, Tyler Tonkin (Captain), Ryan Townson (Jacob Trudgeon 46), Charlie Willis, Charlie Young, Lewis Caspall, Curtis Smith (Ewan Trevains 72). Unused sub: Mark Vercesi
Holsworthy: Ryan Chadwick, Callum Martyn, Cory Sargent, Ollie Moores, Jedd Peschke (Captain), Sam Hill, Gavin Carter, Aiden Slades, Blake Shapland, Jay Thomas, Max McDonald. Subs: Lewis Haxill, Sam Jago, Jacob Nosworthy
Referee: Stephen McCullough
Assistants: Chris Jones, Stuart Bowden
Attendance: 100
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