Sticker 1 Helston Athletic 3

If Helston Athletic's hopes of promotion from division one west were seen as flatlining before Saturday's game against Sticker, victory at Burngullow Park at least helps keep the patient alive a little longer.

Defeat would have separated Sid Taylor's side from the leading pack and all but condemned the Blues to a season of mid-table obscurity. Instead Helston go into the Christmas period six points behind second placed Sticker, with three games in hand.

Mousehole remain little more than a speck on the horizon after a record-breaking fourteen game unbeaten run in the league, but it's not clear whether Wayne Quinn's side would take promotion if they were to clinch the title. The feeling is that second could be enough for the Blues.

High winds and squally showers didn't help, but for the most part Sticker player manager Andy Avery's side were the architects of their own downfall, finishing the game with nine men after Sam Kenny and Matt Eddy were sent off in the second half.

Matt Fox opened the scoring for Helston on the quarter-hour mark when he broke clear of the Sticker defence, held off the challenge of Avery, and steered his shot past Ryan Holland.

Sticker, playing into the wind, saw their best chance of an uneventful first half fall to Liam Dingle, who fired wide following a knock down by Kenny on the edge of the box.

With the wind behind them Sticker improved after the break, but Helston went two up when Mark Goldsworthy ran into space behind the Sticker defence and steered a shot inside the far post.

Then came the first red card for the home side.

Kenny, booked earlier for petulantly kicking the ball away, was shown his second yellow after a nasty-looking challenge on Goldsworthy which left the Helston striker lying prone and clutching his leg.

Just after the hour mark Tom Barwell was sent sprawling in the box, and up stepped Goldsworthy to tuck away the penalty and put Helston three up.

Sticker pulled one back when Jason Rogers finished off a neat move on the edge of the Helston box with a low drive past Helston keeper James Wignall.

But Eddy's second yellow for retaliation put paid to any hopes of a comeback, and as the rain came down and the light began to fail Helston saw the game out without any trouble.