A brace of goals from Charlie Young fired Wendron United to the top of the table, above league newcomers Bude Town on goal difference, but they were made to battle all the way by a Penzance side whose football belied their lowly league placing.
The visitors were without captain Tyler Tonkin due to a shoulder dislocation, so Darryl Richards returned, the only change from the eleven that had started Saturday’s game against St Austell. They fell behind in the seventh minute when a corner from the left was cleared only to the feet of Young who despatched his shot low to Will Trenoweth’s right.
Thereafter, the Magpies shaded an open first half. An excellent Richards cross was headed inches wide by Rolandos Samnauskas. Archie Reynolds saw a shot deflected into the side-netting, then swung a centre into the path of Cam McCabe, but the left back was just unable to make a telling connection with only keeper Ethan Fearn to beat. At the other end, Trenoweth pulled off a superlative save from Ryan Reeve whilst Kam Collins executed a brave block to frustrate Cam Wheat, played in by a perceptive Charlie Young through ball.
Richards was feeling unwell at the interval so replaced by young Helston Athletic forward Rocco Hill, making his first Penzance appearance since August’s win at Newquay. The switch did nothing to disrupt the rhythm and the Magpies deservedly levelled midway through the half. Samnauskas picked the pocket of a defender trying to usher the ball out for goal kick, and muscled his way in on goal before setting up McCabe to fire home.
Penzance had the momentum, so it was slightly against the run of play that, following a tidy move down the right, Charlie Young got his second of the night eight minutes from time, just after Isaac Dryburgh had replaced Kevin Lawrence. Another Helston youngster, Ross Dunstan, was also handed a Penzance debut in the dying moments coming on for Jacob Trudgeon at the same time as Haidar Fadli replaced Max Everard. The teenagers were unable to rescue the match, but the team as a whole could be very proud of their overall performance in defeat.
Penzance: Will Trenoweth, Archie Reynolds, Cam McCabe, Kevin Lawrence (Isaac Dryburgh 81), Liam Andrew, Silas Sullivan (captain), Jacob Trudgeon (Ross Dunstan 88), Kam Collins, Rolandos Samnauskas, Darryl Richards (Rocco Hill 46), Max Everard (Haidar Fadli 88). Unused Sub: Ryan Andrew
Wendron: Ethan Fearn, Joe Souch (Scott Palmer 90), Reece Carroll, Tyler Buckley, Russell May, Sam Young (Joe Chapman 60), Ryan Reeve (Josh Wood 80), Jack Stocker, Charlie Young, Billy Stone (Jacob Cleverly 46), Cam Wheat. Unused Sub: Bryan Scoffin
Referee: Jonothan Green