PENZANCE 8, ST DAY 0

Former chairmen of both Penzance and St Day were honoured at Good Friday’s fixture between the two clubs writes James Wright. Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was observed in the memory of St Day’s Clive Jones who gave over 35 years of service at the Vogue before sadly passing away on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Magpies legend Jimmy Dann, well enough to be able to make a first visit to Penlee Park in several seasons, was joined in the stand recently renamed in his honour by the Penzance players and coaching staff at the final whistle.

HE'S BACK!! It was wonderful seeing Magpies legend Jimmy Dann back at Penlee Park today for the first time in several seasons. Jimmy witnessed an impressive win, and was joined by the players at the final whistle.

Dann joined a season’s best 286 crowd to witness Mark Vercesi’s side bust their St Day hoodoo with a Bank Holiday goal blitz. In three previous Peninsula meetings against the team promoted as unbeaten St Piran League West champions in 2024, the Magpies had gleaned just a single point. In fact they had never even had their beaks in front, but that changed in the 13th minute when, via a deflection, Lewis Caspall turned the ball home from close range.

With a crisp, right foot angled drive Jacob Trudgeon doubled the damage shortly afterwards. He was then instrumental in the third goal. His vicious shot from wide on the right was cleared only into the path of Silas Sullivan, who snaffled it up at the far post.

Trudgeon’s exuberant forward play was running the St Day defence ragged, and he was twice denied a second goal by excellent saves from Michael Palmer. Top scorer Charlie Young – on his first start in nine matches – was then just off target with a ferocious drive from the edge of the box as the home side ended the first half in complete control.

Attacking the clubhouse end, Penzance resumed the onslaught after the turnaround, Trudgeon finding himself one-on-one with Palmer before netting with a deft clip high to the keeper’s right. A hooked shot by Vercesi was then heroically blocked by the St Day gloveman, but the rebound fell kindly to Sullivan – captain for the day in the absence of holidaying Tyler Tonkin – who threaded a left-foot shot through the legs of covering defenders.

Ruthless Penzance were still not done. Twenty minutes from time the in-form Trudgeon completed his first hat-trick for the club, taking his tally to five goals in the last three games. Bernado Braga came on for Josh Turner – a just reward for a string of fine performances for the Reserves – and capitalised with a tidy goal. He received the ball wide on the left, then turned back inside his marker before slotting an accurate right foot shot just inside Palmer’s far post – his second goal in the Peninsula League, and first in front of the Penlee Park masses.

A Jacob Trudgeon hat trick propels Magpies to victory.

With another fine shot, a minute from the end of regulation time, Caspall completed the scoring taking his personal tally to fifteen for the season, just one behind Charlie Young. The result will go into the official record book as Penzance’s biggest of the season, the 11-1 romp against Truro City Reserves now having been annulled following that team’s withdrawal. With Camelford and Callington Town both winning, it also kept the Magpies just ahead in an exciting three horse race for third place.

Penzance: Harry Salmon, Mark Vercesi, Andreas Calleja-Stayne, Ben Palmer (James Butler 55), Josh Turner (Bernado Braga 70), Jacob Trudgeon (Kam Collins 80), Ollie Butler (Sam Young 46), Ewan Trevains, Charlie Young (Will Trenoweth 90), Caspall, Silas Sullivan

St Day: Michael Palmer, Ben Williams, Francis Pengelly, Luke Hart, Dom Stidwell, Archie Carter, Jacob Cleverly, Josh Margetts, Matthew Stephens, Jordan Richards, Logan Curlow. Subs: Tyreece Gallaway, Jack Gray, Charlie Rodgers, Taylor Hosking, Ben West

Referee: Sam Hadfield

Assistants: Simon Taylor, Alan Hoon 

Attendance: 286

Cover photo and Match Report courtesy of James Wright