PENZANCE RESERVES 4, HAYLE RESERVES 1

Penzance Reserves, with Luke Carroll plundering his seventh and eighth goals in just three matches, notched a fourth consecutive home win to move up to third place in the Division One West table writes James Wright.

The home side, including new signings Harvey Parsons in goal and Mark Sands at right-back, made a bright start and Carroll would have opened his personal tally as early as the seventh minute but for an heroic block by former Magpie Jake Heale. Carroll was partnered up front by Wade Brown resulting in perennial top-scorer Kizzy Snowden dropping back into midfield. Snowden threaded a fine pass to Brown in the 23rd late minute but the forward, returning from suspension, smashed his shot just wide.

Running on to a Lewis Hitchens through ball and displaying dexterous footwork, Carroll made the breakthrough just after the half hour mark. Hayle were back on level terms by the break though, James Petty forcefully ramming home a cross from the right by Bradley Phillips.

From a Brown cross, Carroll headed against a post immediately after the resumption. The woodwork then also repelled a Ryan Wilkinson header from Snowden’s free-kick, but the ball broke kindly for Brown to nod Penzance back in front. Set up by a fine pass from Sands, then Carroll then doubled the lead tucking a hard low shot just inside Gary Langmaid’s near post.

The on-fire striker, a summer signing from Praze, came agonisingly close on a couple of occasions to clinching a remarkable hat-trick of hat-tricks as Penzance tightened their grip on the match in the closing stages. But in the end it was centre-back Wilkinson who iced their cake with a final goal, hooking home a cut-back from the right by teenage substitute Jahmali Prowse.

“We are really happy with tonight's performance,” said Magpies boss Daz Smith. “I think we played some good attractive football at times. The communication we've been asking for of late was a lot better and that showed with the free form positioning. It was great to welcome Mark and Harvey into the fold as well and I think they complemented our squad. Three more massive points for the lads in what I thought was almost a perfect display. There's a really good buzz in the changing rooms now, and I think that's beginning to reflect in performances.”

Penzance: Harvey Parsons, Connor Glanville (Matt Robinson 69), Mark Sands, Ryan Wilkinson, Lewis Hitchens, Kam Collins (Lewis Stephens 66), Fin Sharp (Hayden Waters 66), Kizzy Snowden, Luke Carroll, Wade Brown (Ashley Mead 73), Adam Lewis (Jahmali Prowse 63)

Hayle: Gary Langmaid, Spencer Richings, Gabriel Shine, Dean Durham, Jake Heale, Liam Isaacs, Bradley Phillips, Dario Pisano, James Petty, Kadan Symons, Isaac Walsh.

Subs: Frankie King, Harvey Richings, Toby Doe

Referee: Francis Hood

Attendance: 78

Cover photo courtesy of James Wright.