PENZANCE 3, PORTHLEVEN 0

Having come out second best in two friendlies against Step Four opponents, Penzance pulled rank on Friday night by overcoming Porthleven from the level below themselves in an entertaining, well-supported, friendly writes James Wright.

Lewis Caspall saw an early shot deflected wide for a corner, then Brook Williams fired over as the home side started brightest. Surging through the middle, Charlie Willis then stretched Port keeper Adam Rowbathan to the first of a number of good saves. The Magpies made the breakthrough in the 22nd minute when Josh Turner, in his first match since rejoining the club after three years at University and with Truro City Reserves, made a breathtaking run through the middle before releasing Caspall. The latter fed Charlie Young who turned neatly before slamming the ball home.

Visiting centre-back Willem Lowdon then did well to deflect a Williams shot on to the cross-bar, but the Magpies struck again before the interval. More good work down the right by Caspall carved for Charlie Young another opening and the 2024-25 top scorer, relishing a return to the front line after having to deputise in defensive for the first two matches, gleefully converted at the near post.

Caspall slammed a shot against the bar soon after the restart. Then a James Butler free-kick was nodded on by Silas Sullivan to Ollie Butler, but the substitute’s header passed over. Charlie Young then a fed a through ball to Wade Brown, but the forward was denied by an excellent covering tackle by Lowdon. The final goal arrived twenty minutes from time when Ewan Trevains sprayed a pass wide to Josh Magin. Ollie Butler connecting sweetly with the latter’s centre but was denied by a superb fingertip save by Rowbathan. The ex-Godolphin Atlantic gloveman was, however, extremely unlucky that the ball rebounded off the bar to Brown who smashed it home.

Robathan pulled off two further saves from Brown in the closing stages whilst, at the other end, Will Trenoweth similarly denied Tom Booth as Port also threatened.

Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Archie Reynolds, Silas Sullivan, Josh Turner (Kam Collins 60), Rohan Bennetts (Mark Vercesi 60), Sam Young, (James Butler 46) Charlie Willis (Ewan Trevains 46), Steve Burt (Josh Magin 46), Lewis Caspall (Wade Brown 60), Charlie Young, Brook Williams (Ollie Butler 46)

Porthleven: Adam Robathan, Henry Page, Harry Luckett, Jakey Harrison, Willem Lowdon, Ketan Cooper, Dylan Walter, Will MacMeikan, Dexter Bainbridge, Fraser Paterson, Tom Booth.

Subs: Mawgan Langdon-Keller, Riley Robertson, Jack Hannaford, Harry Woolliscroft, Reggie Paterson

Referee: Scott Coutts

Attendance: 109