Penryn Athletic staked their claim as one of the title challengers for this season Carlsberg South West Peninsula League division one west as they beat Godolphin Atlantic 3-2 in a thrilling match at Kernick.

Both sides went into the match on good form. Atlantic had won three and drawn one of their opening four games and as such were being tipped as one of he sides likely to do well this season. Penryn however had won all of their three matches and went into the game with a 100 per cent record - something had to give.

For sixty minutes the tie remained firmly poised but, as Godolphin Atlantic edged themselves in front on two occasion, Penryn showed the inner strength and battling quality to haul them down in the closing stages.

It was Penryn Athletic who started the better as Liam Streat forced Sean Semmens to dive across his goal and tip the ball around the post.

However, a casual pass across the defence from David Blizzard then put Penryn in trouble as Josh Harris intercepted and hit a lob shot just wide of the goal.

Godolphin then grew in confidence and David Moore, who had scored four goals against Porthleven looked to add to his impressive goal tally this season.

First he hit a shot that was well saved by Jason Peters and then he got on the end of a low Harris cross, only to see his stabbed effort at goal spin up into the air and wide of the mark.

Dan Richardson and Kayne Trevaskis both had chances to break the deadlock early in the second half, before Godolphin took a 62nd-minute lead.

Skipper Ollie Purnell was the scorer as he headed Ross Fallen’s corner into the ground and watched as the ball bounced up and into the roof of the net.

It signalled a frantic thirty minute end to the game, which saw four more goals hit the back of the net.

On 75 minutes a Dan Richardson corner was headed out to Trevaskis, who squared the ball to Hugh Howlett. His first-time strike was fortunate to avoid everyone in the box and fly past a stranded Semmens from the edge of the area.

However, five minutes later Godolphin were back in front as Mark Rose took advantage of a poor clearance to feed the ball to Aaron Dilley, who put a shot inside Peters’ near post.

Penryn stormed back again though as Tom Whipp played an excellent through ball to Richardson, who was then tripped in the box. Godolphin players argued that Whipp had committed a foul in the lead up to the penalty decision, but their complaints fell on the unsympathetic ears of the referee, who watched Richardson convert the penalty before booking Godolphin skipper Purnell for his protests.

The visitors frustrations were then further compounded as Whipp set Richardson in on goal again. His shot was initially blocked by Semmens, but as the ball looped up in the air substitute Gregg Hobbs was in the right place to force the ball over the line.

Penryn will look to keep their 100 per cent record in tact when they face Newquay on Saturday. It won’t be easy though Newquay are the only other team in the league to have a 100 per cent record and sit three points clear of Penryn at the top of the table, having played a game more.

Penryn Athletic: Jason Peters, Peter MacLean, Ben Oliver, David Blizzard, Tom Whipp, Hugh Howlett, Dan Richardson, Liam Streat, Kayne Trevaskis, Kirk Davies, Will Scoley. Substitutes: Stephen Owen, Gregg Hobbs, Adam Barnicoat.