Helston Athletic's season came to a premature conclusion on Saturday as they were defeated 2-0 by Bridgwater United at Fairfax Park in the semi-final of the Les Phillips League Cup.

Two late goals by Ross Edwards and Jack Taylor secured passageway to the final for the hosts, while Helston were reduced to ten men as Aaron Bentley was brandished a red card.

Athletic were already light on numbers heading into the match with top scorer Stu Bowker out after not passing fit to play after a serious injury against Buckland the previous week. Matters turned worse when centre back Jordan Bentley was forced off with an injury mid-game.

Speaking to the Packet, Helston Athletic Manager Steve Massey delivered his verdict on the game, he said: "I stood in the dressing room, I got quite emotional to be honest because the lads knew how much it meant to me and to the club as well.

"I can't fault any of them. A couple of games ago I ripped into them about their performance but on the day I thought we were great. I thought we were the far better side, the more threatening, the more likely to score.

Watch full match highlights of the game from Piran Films here

"I thought the goal they had wasn't really a chance, to be honest. We created three or four really good opportunities it just wasn't to be. We were the better side, we were desperately unlucky but that is football. Good luck to Bridgwater. It was a great atmosphere, there was a good crowd but it wasn't to be.

"I was desperately disappointed in the result, the result was a killer. It says 2-0, but it was irrelevant, it was that close at the end we were playing a 2-4-4 formation and they just broke on us and got the second goal. I don't think I've gone that formation before!"

Helston had a number of opportunities to get on the scoresheet in the fixture. Left back Tom Hands missed a glaring chance in the first half after being well picked out by a Tyler Elliot cross inside the box but his volley skewed wide of the goal.

Josh Storey also went close with a deft header that flew beyond the post. After the break Kai Cornish was centimetres away from connecting with a Reece Shanley cross, then in stoppage time Shanley saw a goalbound header superbly denied by the outstretched leg of Liam Kingston.

That clinical touch is certainly something Athletic have been missing as Massey elaborated: "I point you back to just before Christmas we had three games in a row where we scored five goals (5-5 vs Keynsham, 5-0 win vs Ashton and Backwell, 5-1 win vs Elmore FC). We couldn't stop scoring, in fact the problem was as the Keynsham game shows we needed to be better at the back.

"We have sorted that now, but we still have to amend the issue up front. Steve Colwell said that game epitomises our whole season. We promised so much, we put in a real good performance especially in the first half. Their first goal is a killer punch, it summed up our season."