SWPL Division 1 West: Porthleven 1-0 St Blazey

MATT Drummond's late header was enough for Porthleven to see off St Blazey in their South West Peninsula League Division 1 West match at Gala Parc on Saturday.

Drummond's header with eight minutes left settled a match that was lacking in quality, but the Fishermen won't care as the win sees them return to the top of the table after leaders Liskeard Athletic drew with Wadebridge.

Port were the quicker to settle in the match, with Tom Annear testing St Blazey 'keeper Brodie Cole with a free-kick before Hayden Dark had saw two efforts go wide.

Chris Wormington then had a header drop narrowly wide as the hosts began to exert their dominance.

But the visitors began to grow into it with Callum McGhee first sending a free-kick towards Port 'keeper Steve Parker-Billinge, before then winning the ball inside the box following a corner and taking it past Parker-Billinge, but could not find a way past the crowd of yellow shirts in the six-yard box.

Jordan Hogan was a lively presence down the right flank for the visitors, and called Parker-Billinge into action with a shot towards the top corner from distance, although the 'keeper was equal to it.

The hosts looked set for a chance to take the lead from the spot in first-half injury-time when Dark raced on to Drummond's ball being being taken down by Cole inside the box, but St Blazey were saved by an offside flag against the Porthleven midfielder.

The opening minutes of the second half were an evenly-matched affair, with Rob Carey and Annear both missing the target before Sam Clifton did the same for the visitors.

St Blazey then had their best chance of the game so far on the hour when a ball into the box worked its way to Hogan who set himself to shoot from six yards, but was thwarted by a superb covering tackle from Scott Kellow.

The hosts then had their own best chance of the game ten minutes later, with Drummond having two bites of the cherry from the centre of the box. His first was parried back to him by Cole but he fired the second attempt wide.

Tempers frayed soon after when Dark was hauled to the floor by Clifton on the edge of the box, with the Porthleven man taking exception to the challenge and squaring up to him, sparking a coming-together of the two sides with Dark and Clifton picking up yellows in the process.

But the all-important goal came with seven minutes to go when Carey beat the offside trap and crossed for Drummond to nod the ball into the bottom corner to the delight of the home supporters.

St Blazey desperately tried to find a late leveller, with their best chance coming in the fourth minute of added time when the ball reached substitute Byron Vanstone who fired a volley at goal, but Parker-Billinge was able to collect.

Porthleven: S Parker-Billinge, S Kellow, F Pengelly (P Reynolds 90), J Lugg, C Wormington, H Dark, T Annear, D Greet, R Carey, M Drummond, M Fox (G Molcher 75). Subs (unused): M Everard.

St Blazey: B Cole, J Powell, J Eke, S Clifton, L Vooght, C Hammond, B Northcott, J Willmott, R Walton, C McGhee, J Hogan. Subs: B Vanstone, S Edwards, S Vincent.