LUKE Barner scored a superb hat-trick as his Falmouth Town side produced a stirring second-half response to run out 5-1 winners at home to Penzance.

It looked like it might not be Town’s day when David Broglino had a goal disallowed and a penalty saved in the first half of their South West Peninsula League Premier West match at Bickland Park.

Barner did open the scoring for Town late in the half but a long-range effort from Gary Matthews restored parity just before the break for the Magpies, who had Josh Turner sent off.

But Town produced a much stronger second-half display to make their extra man count, with Barner scoring twice to complete his treble before substitute TJ Walter scored twice in the final few minutes.

The Magpies, who were coming into this game without a point from their first two games, were first to threaten when Jacob Cleverly scuffed a shot before James Swan blasted one effort well over.

Town, who themselves had earned six points from three games, thought they had opened the scoring in the 12th minute when Barner played Brabyn in with a through ball with the forward squaring for Broglino to tap in, only for the linesman to deem Brabyn to be offside.

Swan then headed over at the other end before Brabyn fired at goal on the edge of the box and arrowed a shot past goalkeeper Mikey Flores, with the ball striking the base of the far post and bouncing across goal before being punted clear.

Flores then saved a Tom Annear free kick before the most significant moment of the match arrived seven minutes before the break. Brabyn sprinted towards goal but was chopped down in the box by Turner, who earned himself a red card for doing so.

Broglino, hoping to right the wrong of seven days earlier when his spot kick against Wadebridge was saved, stepped up to take the penalty following a lengthy delay but saw his effort saved by Flores.

But the opening goal did arrive three minutes later thanks to a fantastic finish from Barner, who beautifully controlled a lofted pass before turning the defender inside out and slotting the ball into the corner of the net.

The hosts’ hopes of a half-time lead were short-lived, however, as substitute Matthews, who came on for Scott Grant a few minutes earlier, fired a speculative effort past Ryan Barnes from the edge of the box.

But the award of an attacking free kick less than ten seconds into the second half rather set the tone for the 45 minutes ahead as Town pressed home their man advantage.

Surely enough, Town were back in front roughly 12 minutes later when Barner’s left-wing cross took a handy deflection off Magpies defender Andreas Calleja-Stayne’s head to take it past Flores.

Big chance for Mawgan Kewn aside – with the forward slipping at the crucial moment when through on goal – it was one-way traffic after the goal with Scott Kellow firing narrowly wide before Broglino struck the woodwork for a second time in the match.

The pressure continued as Brabyn chipped the ball over Flores and into the side netting before Kirk Davies’s shot flew inches past the post.

The substitutions of Walter and Olly Walker gave Town added impetus and it was the latter that hit the turf in the corner of the box under a challenge to win another penalty in the 70th minute, with Barner taking over spot kick duties to complete his hat-trick.

Penzance could – and perhaps should – have conceded a third penalty a few minutes later when a cross appeared to strike a Magpies arm, but their stay of execution lasted only two minutes before Town made it 4-1. It was Walter’s turn to score a fine individual effort, arrowing a super first-time strike into the far corner from the left side of the box.

Joe Cooper almost made it five with a header at the back post shortly after, but his side didn’t have to wait much longer for the fifth. Seconds after just failing to get on the end of Barner’s cross, Walter picked himself up to glance Brabyn's cross into the far corner.

Town pressed for a sixth and almost had it deep into injury time, only for Broglino to strike the woodwork for a third time with a fierce effort, before Davies drilled a shot wide in the final action of the game.

Town: R Barnes, K Davies, T Annear, S Kellow (O Moody 75), J Cooper, T Clark, L Barner, M Duff (O Walker 54), L Brabyn, D Broglino, T Nixon (T Walter 70). Subs (unused): J Webber, R Martt.

Penzance: M Flores, J Turner, D Richards, K Lawrence, S Grant, A Calleja-Stayne, K Cleverly, M Everard, H Lampier, M Kewn, J Swan. Subs: G Bell, G Matthews, N Harradance.