Penzance 3 v 2 Newquay AFC

[Guest The Judge aka RED OR DEAD]

Finished 3-2 after the home side being 3-0 HT, 2 Newquay players booked for arguing with ref after the match, as the ref did not play full 45mins in the second half and Newquay were looking for the equaliser. I don't know anymore than that as I have only just got back from a very stormy Majorca and couldn't make it to Penlee.

[Guest Black&White]

Penzance 3, Newquay 2

It was quite some game Judge, great for the neutral but not so for fans of either team!

Penzance were 3-0 up and absolutely cruising at half-time after playing some of their best football of the season in the first half, which could and should have seen them at least five or six up at the break.

Dan Magee got the first one and two more from striker Steve Hancock took his tally to the season to eight, as the Magpies dominated the first 45 minutes.

They then went on to miss two absolute sitters early in the second half, with Stuart Reynolds and Hancock both guilty of glaring misses, which seemed to give Newquay the belief that they could get back in it.

This they did with Sean Middleton's 20-yard strike going in off the post and Liam Dingle further reducing the arrears, before Penzance seemed to capitulate and Newquay bombarded the home goal for much of the final 20 minutes. It took some good saves from home keeper Craig Nicholls to preserve the Magpies the three points that should have been sewn up long before Newquay had even a sniff of getting themselves back in the match.

Quite how Newquay felt that the ref hadn't played the full 45 minutes in the second half will be beyond most people watching the match, though, as over seven minutes of added time had already been played by most people's watches when he finally blew the final whistle, which admittedly came as a huge relief to the home supporters. If ever there was a classic 'game of two halves', it was this one!

Overall though it was good entertainment and well worth £3 of anyone's money, which made the low attendance all the more disappointing, although perhaps no surprise, with Mount's Bay thrashing Barking in front of 500 or so across the road and with the England game on the telly.

Line-ups:

Penzance: Craig Nicholls; James Greet, Jamie Devine, Wayne Quinn ©, James Street, Darren Holsey, Dan Magee, Nick Pugliese, Steve Hancock, Steve Burt. Subs: Jay Liddicoat (for Greet ht), Matt Witts (for Hancock 70).

Newquay: Billy Holland; Oliver Dart, Sam McKune, Martin Lentern, Perry Harvey, Paul Cox, Sam Hunter, Sean Middleton ©, Lee Rickard, Liam Dingle, Adam Bromley. Subs: Pieter Batenburg (for Hunter 51), Shaun Lawrence (for Bromley 77); Jack Hunter, Patrick Rushdon, Andrew Dingle (not used).

[Guest The Judge aka RED OR DEAD]

Many thanks for the report B&W. The full 45+ mins not being played was the reason I was given for the afters with the ref, obviously Sir Alex of Ferguson has been plying his trade at Newquay on behalf of Timex. Apologies for the small turn out from Newquay, most seem to prefer to stay at Mount Wise these days and watch the reserves rather than support the SWPL side away, good for club funds but away days are more fun if you ask me, certainly have been in the past when we travelled in numbers. Unfortunately, football crowds will suffer for various reasons in Cornwall, was playing at Noon not an option for you today ?

This is still not what I would call a full strength NAFC side but that is just my opinion. I am sure the bosses know what they are doing, they better had as we have a revenge mission on next week at Goonhavern who always seem to raise their game against the Peppermints.