Tuesday, September 3

Kit Kitchen South West Peninsula League

Premier West

Camelford 1

Saltash United 2

OLLIE Gibson missed a late penalty as Camelford pushed early pacesetters Saltash United all the way before falling to a 2-1 defeat at Trefrew Park on Tuesday night.

The Ashes arrived in North Cornwall with the daunting record of scoring 33 and conceding just three in their opening six league games but found Reg Hambly’s men a tough nut to crack.

Saltash took the lead on 17 minutes as full-back David Barker struck home a penalty following a foul on Sam Hughes.

Camels midfielder Bobby Hopkinson was sin-binned for protesting to the referee and just as he was preparing to come back on, the prolific Hughes finished off a fine move to give Camelford a mountain to climb.

It took a brilliant one-handed save from Luke Gwillam on to the underside of the crossbar to keep the score at 2-0 at half-time and after Hambly brought on the midfield talents of Matt Andrew and Josh Insley at the break, the tide started to turn.

The home side sensed a route back in, but it didn’t arrive until the 52nd minute as after Andy Boxall had his arm tugged back as he drove into the box, Gibson

Both sides then looked dangerous without finding the net.

Andrew fired a shot just wide before Gibson was given the chance for a second penalty of the night on 82 minutes following Chris Menhenick’s foul on Insley in mid-air.

However, Gibson’s spot-kick sailed over the bar and that was that as the Camels were left ruing their missed chances.

Dobwalls 2

TRAVIS Skerton’s 71st minute goal allowed Launceston to recover from 2-0 down to earn a point from an entertaining game against Dobwalls at Pennygillam on Tuesday.

The Clarets were slow to settle and two early goals by striker Kevin McCallion put the visitors ahead. However Billy Hopcroft brought his side back into the game after 38 minutes with an accurate 15-yard drive across visiting keeper Toby Chapman and into the far corner after an excellent run down the right.

Charley Skilton saw a penalty well saved by Chapman after Hopcroft had been fouled, but the Clarets kept pushing forward and were rewarded after 71 minutes. Striker Travis Skerton finished emphatically after good work by Hopcroft.

Launceston went all out for the winner and dominated the closing stages. Matt Thackeray looked to have clinched all three points with a close-range header, but his effort was disallowed for offside.

The Clarets thought they had earned an injury-time penalty when Hopcroft appeared to be brought down, but the referee waved play on. The final action saw substitute Tom Ellacott dribble round Chapman but his shot only found the sidenetting and the Clarets were left frustrated as a fine game ended all-square.Launceston make the trip to Priory Park to face Bodmin on Wednesday night (7.30pm).

Saturday, September 7

Kit Kitchen South West Peninsula League

Premier East

Holsworthy 0

Torpoint Athletic 8

LEWIS Young scored four times as Torpoint left Upcott Field with all three points.

The Magpies have struggled for results in recent weeks and the the East Cornwall side punished them expertly in a clinical second-half display.

Young opened the scoring on eight minutes before doubling the lead shortly after.

It stayed 2-0 until half-time but after the break Torpoint ran riot with Darren Hicks, Lee Bevan (2) and Young (twice more) all finding the back of the net on a chastening afternoon for the Magpies.

Premier West

Callington Town 0

St Austell 4

Following an awful start to the season, Callington showed a far better battling performance against one of the favourites for the league title at Ginsters Marsh on Saturday.

With interviews beginning this week for the new management team, club chairman Steve Blatchford and captain Ryan Lucassi took care of affairs and there was much praise for them and the players following this battling performance.

St Austell scored through Hayden Turner, Martin Giles, Harry Clarke and Ben Walters but the encouraging signs were there.

Camelford 1

Launceston 2

NORTH Cornwall bragging rights went to Launceston on Saturday after a tremendous battle with Camelford at Trefrew Park.

Clarets manager Gary Jeffery was forced into making six changes from the side that recovered from two goals down to draw with Dobwalls in midweek.

A combination of injury, illness, suspension and unavailability saw Jeffery hand a debut to former Marjon man Denham Guild, while luring Clarets legend Liam Tilley out of retirement for the game.

Despite the unfamiliar line-up, the visitors settled quickly on a superb surface and were in front within ten minutes. A loose ball dropped perfectly for Morgan Parsonage. The young striker didn’t hesitate and placed an accurate 15-yard shot beyond Camels keeper Luke Gwillam and into the far corner.

Launceston had the better of things in the first-half and deserved their second goal on the half-hour. Full-back Jack Lee was brought down 25 yards from goal. Charlie Hardcastle’s free-kick was charged down but the evergreen Tilley reacted quickest to gleefully ram home a close-range effort. The home defenders claimed Tilley was offside but to no avail.

Former Claret Bobby Hopkinson, fresh from a stunning hat-trick against Wendron the previous week, was responsible for most of Camelford’s best moments but was generally well marshalled by ex-Camel Dan Metherell and Matt Thackeray.

The home team came more into the game late in the half but Launceston, with the energetic Guild excelling in midfield, reached the break clinging to their two-goal advantage.

They came within inches of extending their lead inside a minute of the restart. Hardcastle’s free-kick was flicked on by Metherell but striker Mark Elvidge could only stretch and poke his shot against the post.

The Camels were starting to dominate midfield possession but when they did score it was from a typical piece of Hopkinson opportunism. He volleyed a dropping ball beyond keeper Josh Colwill from fully 25 yards. It was a superb goal which rocked the Clarets back on their heels.

Camelford, with the experienced Matt Andrew impressive in midfield, were well on top but Colwill and his fellow defenders held firm. Andy Boxall was a constant threat down the right-wing but the finish was lacking.

As the game moved into added time, Colwill made one last block to deny Hopkinson at his near post and, against the odds, all three points were heading back to Pennygillam as the Clarets recorded their first win since the opening day and their first away win of 2019.

Launceston are without a game this Saturday but welcome Liskeard Athletic on Tuesday night (7.30pm), while Camelford have a home date with Western League side Ashton & Backwell in the second qualifying round of the FA Vase.

Camelford —

Gwillam; Kempthorne, Sleep (captain), C Hambly, Carhart; Andrew, Cherrill (Stafford), Insley; Lawrence, Hopkinson, Boxall.

Substitutes: O’Hara, Stafford, P Brown.

Launceston —

Colwill; Lee (Riddell, 64), Metherell, Thackeray, Hardcastle (captain); Watts, Guild, Tilley; Ellacott, Parsonage (Johnson, 89), Elvidge.

Substitutes: Riddell, Johnson.