Portreath v Penzance (29-8-09)

[cornishteddyboy]

Cornwall Combination League

29th August 2009

Portreath 0-10 Penzance Reserves

After nearly folding just before the season started everyone thought that Portreath would get trounced every match but they have surprised a few with a couple of close contests only losing by a goal or two, so when Penzance took to the field at Clijah Croft no-one expected them to record their largest ever victory in fifty years of the Combination League. Portreath didn’t play badly it was just that Penzance seemed to have the golden touch.

Penzance, with both managers not present, start by playing a 3-5-2 formation, packing the mid-field but eventually go to a 4-3-3 system. The early exchanges are fairly even but once Penzance got on the score sheet to be truthful it was one way traffic apart from the last few minutes when Portreath could have grabbed a consolation goal.

There are 13mins on the clock when Penzance score their first. A corner on the left from Ashley Thomas is curled in to the centre of the box where Liam Devine jumps and heads past the keeper from 10yds.

A Thomas free kick on the left curls just around the post with everyone beaten. A few moments later the Potreath keeper makes a good save palming away from Tom Hosking who tries a blaster from 6yds.

After 21mins Penzance are on the score sheet again through Thomas. The ball is worked to the right and he tries a low curler that deceives the keeper and finds the net. 0-2 after 21mins.

Charlie Penny tries a long range shot that bounces back off the bar to him, so he tries lobbing the keeper only to see the ball bounce on top of the bar and out.

On the half-hour the third goes in. New signing Chris Bullock receives the ball mid-field, runs fourty yards, round the keeper who tries a diving grab, this takes the ball wide and as he tries to line up the shot, he’s tackled, goes down but still manages to knock the ball over the line. 0-3 after 30mins.

A few minutes later Hosking gets on the score sheet after Penzance work the ball right to left where he chests the ball down, turns and fires in high from 15yds. 0-4 after 37mins.

Portreath’s heads go down at this stage and it is not long before Adam Fletcher scores his first Magpies goal. Penzance work the ball forward, he runs onto it, one on one with the keeper, tries a shot, rebounds off the keeper, knocks in a simple tap in. 0-5 after 43mins.

A couple of minutes later Liam Bennett gets the first of his hat-trick. From another long ball from mid-field, he runs onto it and shoots past the keeper from 10yds out. 0-6 after 45mins.

H-T

Jimmy England comes on replacing Wayne Edwards.

The half is only four minutes old when Penzance score again through Bennett. Breaking right with Thomas, the ball is knocked in from the goal line and Bennett leaps to put a high header beyond the reach of the keeper. 0-7 after 49mins.

Bullock is replaces by Neil Hosking.

The next goal is a sublime free kick from Thomas. 40yds out near the byeline on the left. He takes it putting a curl on it that not only beats two Penzance players running in but the keeper going in off the back post. Not a fluke but a well placed curler. 0-9 after 63mins.

Mike Burt comes on replacing Andre Otto.

Penzance then hit the cross bar twice in two different attacks. The first a deflection from a Portreath player and the second time a Max Davies header from a corner on the right.

On 82mins Penzance go 9-0 up when a cross from the left is knocked onto the bar, it bounces down and England pokes it in whilst under pressure from keeper and defenders.

Two minutes later Bennett gets his hat-trick when he heads past the keeper following a cross from Thomas on the left.

After this Penzance seem to settle back and the last few minutes belong to Portreath. They break left, cross into the box and a header goes just past the upright. This is followed by a shot that curls past the post and a shot that is grabbed by Nicholls in the Magpies goal.

Referee John Reid blows for full time.

All credit must go to Portreath as the game was played in a good spirit where the never gave up trying. They will find it hard in the league this season but do not lack a fighting spirit.

Also it’s about time Ashley Thomas had his chance to prove himself with the first team!!!

Penzance – Craig Nicholls, Liam Bennett, Tom Hosking, Wayne Edwards, Charlie Penny, Chris Bullock, Adam Fletcher, Liam Devine, Andre Otto, Ashley Thomas, Max Davies

Subs – Jimmy England (Edwards 45), Neil Hosking (Bullock 61), Mike Burt (Otto 65)

Corners – Portreath 1-6 Penzance (0-3 1st half)

Crowd – 17 (10 supporting Penzance)