Falmouth Town moved up to fourth in the CSWPL Premier table by thrashing newly-promoted St Austell 6-1.

After deserving more than their one-goal interval lead, the Town ran in five after the break.

St Austell had a couple of early corners but Town’s defence was not troubled by them, and former Town players Dan Nancarrow and Adam Trudgian were never given the room to produce any real threat.

For the Town Jonny Ludlam sent a 22-yard free kick just wide after ten minutes, and five minutes later he hit a low dipping shot from the same distance which Gary Penhaligon, a former player/manager at Bickland Park, did well to push round the post.

Another ex-Town man, Neil Slateford, offered some threat with his raids down the right wing, but the final ball was being cut out by Town’s defence before St Austell strikers could get to it.

Town finally took the lead after 38 minutes. Dan Green played the ball in towards Liam Eddy and as he ran onto it he was brought down by Richard Crapp. Referee James Strout awarded a penalty which skipper Mark Vercesi converted to give Town a well-deserved half-time lead.

St Austell were left shell-shocked by two goals in the first two minutes of the second half. Ryan Fice beat the offside trap and drew the keeper before slotting the ball into the net and a minute later Mark Hollands got on the end of a through-ball and smashed in the Town’s third goal from 12 yards.

It became 4-0 after 56 minutes when Penhaligon thwarted Fice at the expense of a corner from which Shane White rose above everyone to power in a header.

St Austell tried to get back into the game, making a couple of substitutions, but were never allowed to settle and it got worse for them after 68 minutes when Matt Parsons was sent off for his second bookable offence.

Fice hit a shot against the bar and White saw a drive whistle inches wide before the lively Eddy intercepted a poor back pass and coolly took the ball round Penhaligon before tapping home from six yards.

Four minutes later St Austell got a consolation goal as substitute Chris Phillips connected with Slateford’s cross into a packed area to put the ball past Jason Chapman from close range.

That spurred the Town on, and Fice made it 6-1 nine minutes from time, after playing a good one-two with strike partner Eddy before blasting home from 15 yards. Eddy was unlucky a couple of minutes later with a shot that beat the keeper but hit the far post and bounced back into play.

Falmouth Town: Jason Chapman, Mark Hollands, Josh Sims (Jamie Dirrane), Shane White, Mark Vercesi, Ross Pope (Tom Barwell), Karl Turner, Dan Green, Liam Eddy, Ryan Fice, Jonny Ludlam. Unused sub: Sean Flynn.