PENRYN 2

PERRANPORTH 1

For the moment Penryn hold on to their fourth place in division one west after grinding out a hard fought victory against a stubborn Perranporth side who, on their day, have the ability to cause any team in the league problems.

After getting back to winning ways with their 3-1 defeat of Truro City Reserves during the week, Perranporth were eager to finish the season on a high, but with Sticker breathing down their necks Penryn too were keen to cement their place in the league just behind the leading pack.

After a gritty opening from both sides it was the home side that produced the first clear-cut goal scoring opportunity when Kayne Trevaskis forced a superb save out of Ben Mitchell in the Perranporth goal.

It was to be the first in a long line of impressive saves from the visiting goalkeeper, who put in a man of the match performance that kept the scoreline respectable.

Penryn player manager Dale Band drew yet another fine save out of Mitchell after 15 minutes, before Matt Roberts saw his effort stopped at point blank range, and Ryan Chinn's well struck effort was palmed wide of the post. It was shaping up to be one of those days for Penryn, with Mitchell in rare form between the posts.

Meanwhile Perranporth were succeeding in fashioning chances of their own, with ex-Penryn and county midfielder Josh Burton stinging home keeper Chris Symons' palms with an effort that dropped to him on the rebound.

But despite Penryn enjoying the lion's share of possession, it was Perranporth who took the lead in the 35th minute.

The visitors won a free kick, which was taken by Liam Street. His ball into the box was cleared, but only as far as Burton who raced onto it and struck a sweet first-time shot that rocketed into the angle of the upright from all of 30 yards out. Symons had no chance.

The goal seemed to heighten Penryn's sense that the game was turning against them, but Trevaskis led the line well, and along with the rest of the Penryn side dug in and battled hard, continuing to take the game to the visitors.

After the break the home side put Perranporth under real pressure, but they were forced to wait until the 60th minute before they were rewarded for their efforts.

A ball struck low into the Perranporth box caught the visiting defenders flat-footed, and Trevaskis showed good awareness to nip in front of them, pick up the ball on the run and fire a low shot into the bottom corner to bring the scores level.

Perranporth were still in the game, but with 16 minutes to go Sean Johnson bulldozed his way into the box before being bundled over. The referee pointed to the spot, and up stepped Dale Band to convert what was a relatively soft penalty with consummate ease.

There were still some anxious moments for Penryn right at the death, none more so than when David Blizzard needed to be alert to deny Ed Wilton an equaliser when he seemed odds on to score. Blizzard timed his challenge perfectly to nick the ball off the former county player's feet right under the posts as he waited for the ball to drop. It was to be Perranporth's last chance of the game as Penryn rode out the last few minutes to take the win.

Penryn entertain Wadebridge at Kernick Road next Tuesday, followed by a crunch tie against Helston after that. With Sticker in good form, the race for fourth place looks set to go down to the wire.