BILLY Tucker’s injury-time goal secured a memorable victory for Helston Athletic in an enthralling local derby with Falmouth Town at Kellaway Park.

Tim Nixon scored twice in as many minutes early in the first half as Town enjoyed a two-goal lead at the break in their South West Peninsula League encounter.

Alex Wharton pulled one back early in the second half before Ryan Beattie levelled for the Blues midway through the period, only for David Broglino to restore Town’s lead almost instantly.

Phil Cattran hauled the hosts back on level terms once again, and it looked to be staying that way until Tucker popped up in the dying embers of the game to complete a thrilling comeback.

The two teams came into the match in contrasting form, with Town winning five of their first six games and scoring 27 goals in the process, while the Blues had seen their league record winning run come to an end before a 6-1 mauling at the hands of Liskeard Athletic in their previous outing.

The first part of the game was true to that form as Town immediately looked to lay siege on Helston’s goal , with Luke Brabyn testing returning goalkeeper Barrie Wyatt inside 30 seconds before further efforts from Broglino and Brabyn in the next few minutes.

And that early pressure told in a devastating two-minute spell from a Helston perspective. First of all, a Broglino corner in the 13th minute was only partially cleared as far as Nixon inside the box, who controlled the ball with his first touch before lashing it past Wyatt with his second.

The Blues were still licking their wounds when Town doubled their lead with their next attack as Nixon swept the ball home from the near post in front of the delighted visiting supporters to put his side in control.

Wyatt did just about enough to prevent the onrushing Luke Barner from bagging a third moments later in a huge let-off for the home side, and that appeared to wake the Blues up as Cattran fired over before Tucker tested Ryan Barnes with a free-kick.

Martyn Duff and Barner then had good chances go begging before Barnes did brilliantly to bat Cattran’s fierce strike to safety.

Cattran, Mark Goldsworthy and Harrison Jewell all had chances as the Blues ended the half the better side, but Scott Kellow’s defence-splitting pass almost teed up Barner to make it three just before the break but the latter fired wide.

The Blues only had to wait until the sixth minute of the second to get their reward for their pressure, with Wharton cutting in from the left and arrowing the ball into the bottom corner from 18 yards to halve the deficit.

With their tails up the hosts looked to bag an equaliser, with Wharton, Goldsworthy, Tucker and Olly Brokenshire all having efforts shortly after.

But when the leveller did come in the 66th minute it was from an unlikely source, as a deflected shot caused confusion in the Town box, with the ball falling kindly for centre-back Beattie to poke in from six yards.

But the hosts’ joy lasted barely a minute as Town instantly regained their lead. Jack Bowyer, on as a sub two minutes earlier, tested Wyatt twice, with the second falling kindly for Broglino to slot in from close range.

The F-Troop were already celebrating a fourth a couple of minutes later when Brabyn picked up the ball in the box and fired at goal, only to be denied by a super flying save from Wyatt.

That proved crucial as Helston levelled again in the 76th minute. A cross found its way to Cattran at the back post and while his initial downward header was saved by Barnes, he made no mistake with the rebound.

Both sides chased a winner as the game entered the final few minutes, and the next shot on target in the 91st minute proved to be the decisive blow as Blues substitute Matt Buchan, formerly of Town, played a superb through ball to Tucker on the left of the box, who moved it onto his right foot and blasted the ball home to send the home dugout wild.

Helston: B Wyatt, H Jewell, D Mulready, R Beattie, A Wharton (L Eddy 82), O Brokenshire, N Slateford, M Bye, B Tucker, M Goldsworthy (M Buchan 72), P Cattran. Subs (unused): L Short, L Tonkin, D Harrison.

Falmouth: R Barnes, K Davies (J Bowyer 66), T Annear, S Kellow, T Clark, J Ward, L Barner, M Duff (R Martt 84), L Brabyn, D Broglino, T Nixon (T Walter 81). Subs (unused): O Moody, J Cooper.