A five goal salvo by the experienced Dan Stidwell steam-rollered Mullion into the Third Round of the Bond Timber Cornwall Junior Cup on a bonkers night of shambolic defending at Penlee Park.
The mayhem started within the first thirty seconds with Nathan Davison firing home from close range. Some very skilful footwork by Kizzie Snowden saw Penzance’s top scorer level almost immediately but, with less than five minutes played, Mullion were back ahead with Stidwell opening his account with a shot through the legs of keeper Harvie Paramore.
Another player who had featured in the Senior Cup tie between the two clubs 24 hours earlier also scored to bring the Magpies back to parity, Freddie Neaum tucking the ball away at the far post after Michael Darvell had fumbled across. Stidwell scored his second, direct from a free-kick wide on the left, before Penzance nabbed their third equaliser of the night. Snowden ran on to a perceptive through ball from Joel Steel to round Darvel and clip home his second.
There were six goals in the second half too, but this time they were not shared equally. In fact they were not shared at all. Stidwell punished a defensive error to waltz past Paramore and dribble the ball into an empty net to put Mullion ahead for the fourth time. The ex-Helston and Porthleven hitman then gave his side daylight for the first time, curling a cute little shot just inside the far post. Substitute Cavan Hill wriggled clear on the left and squared to Daniel Bradshaw to bang in the sixth, before Stidwell concluded his personal tally with a quarter hour still remaining.
A delightful passing move was finished off by Hill for the eighth before Kyle Ford completed the rout with a crisp right foot finish. The Seagulls thus impressively despatched a side from two divisions above them to set up a very local derby against RNAS Culdrose Reserves in the Third Round.
Penzance: Harvie Paramore, Matt Robinson, Lewis Hitchens, Steve Miller, James Payne, Sam Payne, Freddie Neaum, Joel Steel, Dylan Walter, Tyler Smith, Kizzie Snowden. Subs: Fin Sharp, Connor Thomas, Adam Lewis, Ollie Rawlins, Josh Reeves
Mullion: Michael Darvel, Daniel Chippett, Perran Hobson, James Green, Jack Rutterford, Kyle Ford, Daniel Bradshaw, Nathan Davison, Stuart Bailey, Tom Lake, Dan Stidwell. Subs: Archie Rutterford, Chris Dunkley, Callum Peters, Cavan Hill
Referee: Max Davies
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