With Tyler Tonkin fully recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him out of last weekend’s visit to Wadebridge, but main strikers Michael Fitchett and Rolandos Samnauskas unavailable, the Penzance management found themselves with an abundance of riches in central defence, but nowt up top. The imaginative solution – to leave the rearguard partnership of Liam Andrew and Mark Vercesi undisturbed but deploy the returning captain in a central attacking role – repaid massively. Tonkin delivered a goal and an assist as his side notched their seventh success from eight matches at Penlee Park this season.
The win, which hauls the Magpies one place up the table, can also be largely attributed to the rediscovery by Jacob Trudgeon of his shooting boots. The attacking midfielder notched a brace – his first since the visit of Bodmin Town just over a year ago – in the opening half hour to pave the foundations for victory.
Chopped down by keeper Liam Hill, Trudgeon earned himself the opportunity to open his account from the penalty spot after just six minutes, and gleefully cashed in, confidently tucking a text book spot kick low into the bottom right-hand corner. Picked out by an incisive Tonkin pass, his second was slammed home off a post following a neat move down the left.
Trudgeon could even have completed a hat-trick just before the hour mark. Set up by Silas Sullivan, he saw an angled drive pushed behind by Hill. Penzance were not to be denied though and, from the resultant corner floated over by Frazer Cadman, Vercesi made a nuisance of himself allowing the ball to drop kindly for Tonkin to smash home the third goal.
Bude salvaged a draw from 4-0 down at Wendron a few weeks back, so victory was far from assured, a point emphasised by Ryan Keates ramming home a penalty to reduce the arrears after 73 minutes. The final quarter hour was decidedly nervy for the Magpies. Mikey Flores saved well from Harry Hopcroft, and Keates fired just wide at the end of a fine counter attack down the left as the visitors surged forward. But Penzance held out.
“We produced a fantastic performance today against a good Bude outfit,” said manager Ashley Waters afterwards . “Tyler Tonkin led the line superbly well. Jacob Trudgeon was electric down the wing and was a handful all afternoon. There were some great defensive displays from the back four with Mark Vercesi and Liam Andrew very solid. Overall this was one of the best performances of the season so far.”
Penzance: Mikey Flores, Archie Reynolds, James Butler, Mark Vercesi, Liam Andrew, Frazer Cadman, Charlie Willis, Jacob Trudgeon, Kam Collins (Ollie Butler 85), Tyler Tonkin (Kizzy Snowden 70), Silas Sullivan (Dylan Walter 94). Unused subs: Ryan Andrew, Will Trenoweth
Bude: Liam Hill, Jake Williams, Gary Clarke, Scott Saunders, Tyler Yendle, Ryan Keates, Carlo Chandler, Mitch McCann, Morgan Cullen, Billy Hopcroft, Harry Hopcroft. Subs: Nathan Parulski, Ben Potter, Alper Eroglu
Referee: Robert Fleetham
Assistants: Alan Hoon, Stuart Bowden
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