PENRYN Athletic strengthened their fifth place position with the excellent away victory at Callington Town.

The home side ended the match with nine-men as they lost their cool at a sun-lit Launceston Road ground on Saturday. The result also puts paid to any hopes Town had of getting promotion to the Carlsberg South West Peninsula Premier Division.

In a week when the FA launched a new TV advert for the respect for referees campaign, the official at Callington got little courtesy from the home side and had to ask for one supporter to be escorted from the ground, as the match turned nasty.

The afternoon started off badly for the home side as Athletic took the lead after only eight minutes when they won a corner. Will Scoley’s cross was flicked back by Gregg Hobbs and as the ball fell to Chris Davey Callington stood off, expecting the ball to be lifted back into the area, but Davey drilled a shot just inside the near post to put the visitors in front.

Callington stormed back into the game as Ryan McClements rattled Steve Raven’s crossbar with a ferocious shot and James Yates turned and hit wide.

Ryan Lucassi then hit the ball just over when well-placed as Penryn wobbled at the back.

However, towards then end of the half the visitors started to recover by stringing a few passes together and keeping possession.

Athletic then got a crucial goal just before half time when Gregg Hobbs headed the ball forward. Lee Beer misjudged the bounce of the ball and Matt McIlroy disposed him and hit a powerful drive past Dan Johnson from just inside the area.

In the second half Callington were becoming frustrated and John Wyatt received his first booking for dissent as the visitors began to take control.

On 55 minutes Hal Davis hit a free kick straight at the wall from 33 yards out but a minute later he got another free kick from a similar distance and played it Gregg Hobbs who diverted the ball across Johnson and into the bottom corner.

Three-nil down and with little hope of a comeback, things then started to turn nasty.

Before the match could restart Ryan McClements was booked for dissent and, as the protests from the home side rumbled on, Wyatt was then singled out and sent from the field for his second booking.

This infuriated the home support and the game was stopped while a woman was escorted from the ground for using abusive language towards the match official.

McIlory then tried to pile more misery on Town as he clipped the upright before sending another effort wide.

Callington did pull a goal back on 68 minutes when Chris Clarke rifled a shot in from15 yards out.

However, indiscipline was to cost Callington again as Sean Johnson chased a ball down into the corner flag only to by hacked down by McClements – who received his second booking of the game.

Raven then pulled off a good diving save to stop home side from staging a comeback before Johnson played a fine cross to Hobbs took it down and played it to Pete McLean to fire home from the edge of the area to complete the rout.