Helston Athletic will be one of five local clubs to begin 2019 with a Cornwall Senior Cup third round tie on Saturday when they make the trip to Bodieve Park to take on Wadebridge Town (kick-off 2pm).

The Bridger will be Helston’s third successive South West Peninsula League Division 1 West opponents of this season’s Senior Cup, having beaten Penzance and Mousehole so far.

The Blues survived a nailbiting first round tie at home to Penzance – with Scott Beattie scoring an extra-time winner – before winning 2-0 at Mousehole’s Trungle Parc in November.

Helston boss Steve Massey said: “I honestly think that we can go a long, long way, if not right into the final, I do. We’ll need a little bit of luck with the draw but it’s certainly a trophy that I said to the guys ‘we are not just making the numbers up there’. I’d like to think of ourselves as serious contenders.

“Wadebridge is going to be very difficult, particularly at their place. They’re going to be right up for it, as they would do at this stage of the competition and playing against a team in a higher league, but I think we are capable of going some distance in this cup.”

Wadebridge have had a good season in the SWPL Division 1West and currently enjoy third spot despite a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of leaders Porthleven on Saturday.

They, like Porthleven, are likely to be one of the clubs to join Helston in the new SWPL Premier West next season.

Wadebridge won 3-0 at East Cornwall Premier League Division One side Roche in the first round, before winning 4-2 at Combination League club Pendeen Rovers in the second round in November.

Town seek last-eight spot

Falmouth Town will be hoping to begin 2019 by sealing a place in the quarter-finals when they welcome Polperro to Bickland Park (kick-off 3pm).

Town had a difficult end to 2018, losing three games on the bounce in December, but finished it on a high on Saturday with a 2-1 win at home to Saltash United.

Falmouth faced four of their fellow top-seven sides in the South West Peninsula League Premier in December – namely Plymouth Argyle, Tavistock and Exmouth, plus Saltash – but will be in for a very different test when East Cornwall Premier League Premier Division side Polperro make the trip to Bickland Park.

Town thrashed Polperro’s divisional rivals Looe Town 12-1 – in which Jack Bowyer scored four goals – before coming from behind to beat SWPL Division 1 West club St Dennis 2-1 in the second round in November.



Polperro currently sit second in the East Cornwall Premier League – which is two divisions below Town – having won ten and lost three of their 13 games this season.

They are just one point behind leaders Saltash United Reserves and are the highest scoring team in the league with 54 goals to their name, an average of more than four goals per game.

Polperro saw off East Cornwall Premier League Division One club St Minver in the first round, before beating Combination League strugglers West Cornwall 6-0 in the second round to get to this stage.

Athletic to face holders

Penryn Athletic are also in Senior Cup action this weekend, and while Town are hoping to avoid a giant-killing, Athletic will be hoping to cause one when they face holders Saltash on Saturday (kick-off 2pm).

Saltash – who beat Mousehole 2-0 in last season’s final – are currently eighth in the SWPL Premier, while Penryn are some 31 places below them, occupying fifth spot in the Combination League.

Both teams had byes through the first round, before Penryn won 3-1 at Combination League rivals St Ives in the second round, while the Ashes won 8-0 at RNAS Culdrose, also of the Combination League.

This will be Penryn’s first competitive game against Premier opposition since a 2-1 defeat at home to Launceston in the first round of the 2016/17 Senior Cup in October 2016.

Port and Dron hope to avoid 'cupsets'

Porthleven visit Combination League club St Day in the third round on Saturday (kick-off 2pm).

The SWPL Division 1 West leaders will be favourites for the tie but will be aware of the threat that the Saints, who currently sit third in the Combination League, will possess.


Wendron United will hope to be joining Porthleven in the quarter-final draw after Saturday’s tie at home to St Stephens Borough (kick-off 2pm).

Dron boss Jack Greenwood said: “It gives us a good opportunity to progress and then obviously if we’re in the quarter-finals and we get a home tie there’s some big teams left in that and we might get Porthleven at home again which would be fine, but it would be lovely to have a Bodmin or a St Austell and to go up against them.

“I’m not getting ahead of myself but it is a good opportunity for us to progress on Saturday I think.”