Helston Athletic manager Steve Massey hailed the “excellent performance” of his side, despite going down 2-1 at Saltash United on Saturday.

Dave Barker put the Ashes in front on the half-hour mark before Ryan Chinn levelled matters with his first goal for the club, but Richard Maddison scored what proved to be the winner soon after.

Helston had a good chance to lead when Ryan Beattie’s near-post header hit the underside of the crossbar and into Saltash ‘keeper Ryan Rickard’s arms.

But the hosts were in front midway through the half when Barker squeezed his shot under Helston ‘keeper Barrie Wyatt from close range.

But Helston bounced back with Kirk Davies and Phil Cattran forcing good stops from Rickard, before Chinn finally beat the ‘keeper with ten minutes to go when he turned Beattie’s header into the net at the back post.

A point would have been deserved but Maddison headed in from six yards three minutes later to snatch all three for the Ashes.

The defeat brought Helston’s four-game winning run to an end, but Massey was upbeat about the progress his side has made.

He said: “We’ve been playing like that probably since the Falmouth game to be perfectly honest, I think there was a corner turned there, and certainly there was a corner turned since Matty Bye joined us and he was great again.

“There is that underlying current now, a real strong current, that we are a good side, we are a decent side and we should have got something from it yesterday [Saturday], at least a point.

“There were some excellent performances again, particularly in the first 30 minutes until they scored the goal and then for about five minutes up until half-time it knocked the stuffing out of us a little bit.

“But again, great credit to the lads, they came back and created numerous chances in the second half, but particularly with the way we passed the ball around and put them under pressure and the pressing. It really was a joy to be standing on the touchline.”

  • Helston are back in action on Saturday when they host Torpoint Athletic (kick-off 3pm).

Helston: B Wyatt, K Davies, G Roberts, J Cooper (H Howlett 70), R Beattie, K Cornish (A Wharton 83), M Bye, R Chinn, P Cattran, S Beattie, L Tonkin (T Cheshire 60). Subs (unused): K Daughtery.