Penzance Reserves faced a tough tie away to opponents from a higher division in the first round of the George Evely Cup, and were unlucky to lose a very close contest to a scrambled injury-time goal.
For Darren Smith and Lee Major’s team this was a second visit of the season to Vogue Park. But, after a comfortable win over St Day Thirds last month, this time up the opponents were the home club’s Reserve team. The game was played on the second pitch (as St Just were put to the sword in a Premier Division fixture on the main ground), and a good smattering of Penzance supporters were in attendance.
The travelling fans were delighted when, after a cagey opening, the Magpies took a 17th minute lead. A lofted forward pass was flicked on to Tyler Smith who calmly slotted the ball past the St Day keeper from close range.
Sadly the lead lasted just fourteen minutes, Kiall Maugham threading a low shot from the edge of the area through a forest of legs and just inside Harvie Paramore’s left-hand post. The visitors did finish the half on top though with Freddie Neaum volleying an Andy Withers free-kick inches over the bar, then Smith, sliding in at the far post, just unable to connect with a Joel Steel centre.
The Magpies also bossed the start of the second half with Neaum going close again, this time having been set up by Kizzie Snowden. St Day finished the ninety minutes strongest though. They had a “goal” disallowed for a foul on Paramore before the keeper, against his former club, pulled off a fine save to deny Maugham five minutes from time.
Extra-time was uneventful until, just after the fifteen minute turnaround, Mawgan Langdon Heller and Bradley Phillips somehow managed to force the ball past Paramore after the keeper had produced at least two great saves during a frantic goal-line scramble. A penalty shoot-out would have been the least Penzance deserved, and they would have bought themselves a ticket to such a lottery had a last minute shot from substitute Fin Harp been an inch lower and not rebounded off the cross-bar.
Penzance: Harvie Paramore, Matt Robinson, Lewis Hitchens, Steve Miller, Sam Payne, Adam Lewis, Joel Steel, Tyler Smith, Kizzie Snowden, Andy Withers, Freddie Neaum. Rolling Subs: Anthony Nicholas, Dylan Walter, Fin Sharp, George Steadman