PORTHLEVEN continued their pre-season preparations with a 12-goal thrashing of Trelawny League side Troon.

Dan Stidwell and Fraser Paterson led the scoring charts with four apiece, with Ed Timmons, Josh Richards, Josh Sims and Kyle Fraser also netting.

Stidwell opened the scoring in the fourth minute with a close-range finish and had his hat-trick sewn up by 18 minutes. Timmons made it four less than a minute later, with Paterson and Richards giving Port a six-goal lead at the break.

Stidwell bagged his fourth early in the second half before Sims scored a delightful free-kick shortly after, while Paterson added number nine ten minutes into the second half.

The wait for number ten ended nine minutes from time with Paterson netting, and there was still time for Fraser and Paterson to add one more each.

New players

This was the first chance to see Porthleven’s raft of new signings in action, with some 11 new faces on show at Gala Parc.

Four have joined bosses Graham Blake and Jamie Thomson in making the move from Helston’s reserves, and while we did not get much of a look at goalkeeper Martin Webster, we saw plenty of Paterson and Stidwell, who were firing in goals left, right and centre.

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Fraser Paterson (centre) celebrates his first goal

Stidwell was especially on form, with his pace down the flanks terrifying the defence throughout.

Aside from the odd Bodmin Town or Kernow FA game, the last I had seen of Ed Timmons was as a Falmouth Town player back in 2017. I remember him being a full-back who likes to get forward with an excellent right foot, and that is what he displayed on Monday night. He looks like being an option from dead-ball situations, too, with one of his free-kicks being turned in by Richards in the first half.

It wasn't as good a night for new man Kayne Trevaskis, who came off injured after ten minutes.

New management

This was also the first opportunity to see the main men, Blake and Thomson, do their thing as well.

Although it was only a pre-season friendly, and a fairly one-sided one at that, the pair were constantly barking out instructions to their team and refusing to let them coast. You could hear their desire for the team to continue pressing their opponents despite being eight or nine goals up.

Thomson’s post-match fitness session of running laps around the pitch also shows how physically prepared he and Blake want their players to be this year.

Old faces

It was not all about the newbies. There are still plenty of old faces that look set to play a big part in this new-look Porthleven side.

Fraser was one such player and he looked very sharp, with two of his excellent crosses resulting in goals. He deservedly picked up a goal but he should have had another late on when he beat the goalkeeper but somehow missed the target from six yards.

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Josh Sims scored a wonderful free-kick

Josh Sims is another that has stayed on at Gala Parc, and he provided the goal of the night with a sublime free-kick from all of 30 yards which flew into the top corner, kissing the inside of the post on its way.

Looking ahead

The Fishermen will begin their first of the annual triple-header of Dave Gardner Memorial Tournament matches with a trip to Penzance on Friday night (ko 7pm).

Although these are still pre-season friendlies, these matches should provide more of an idea as to where this Porthleven side is at.

Porthleven: M Webster, C Wormington, D Tarrant, T Whipp, E Timmons, T Oliver, D Richardson, K Fraser, K Trevaskis, G Molcher, D Stidwell. Subs: J Adlard, H Dark, B Stidwell, J Roberts, F Paterson, J Sims, J Richards, M Everard.