THERE were to be no Boxing Day blues for the Blues, as Helston Athletic extended their remarkable run of South West Peninsula League wins to 16 with victory at home to rivals Porthleven.

The Fishermen looked like they could be about to upset the odds when Damon Mulready's own goal gave them a half-time lead, but two second-half strikes for in-form Mark Goldsworthy and one from each of Dan Harrison and Billy Tucker ensured a come-from-behind win for the Blues.

The return of some familiar faces to Kellaway Park made for an intriguing subplot to what was already an appetising local derby.

Porthleven managerial duo Graham Blake and Jamie Thomson made their first return to the ground since leaving the club's reserve team in the summer, with Dan Stidwell, Dan Turner, Charlie Young, Hugh Howlett and Kirk Davies all lining up against the club they had all departed since June.

There was added intrigue around the latter, given his move to Gala Parc came after being replaced at right back in Steve Massey's side by Ed Timmons, who had joined from Porthleven.

The Blues were the pre-match favourites, unsurprisingly so given their run of 15 consecutive league wins, but, as is often the case, the fierce derby atmosphere could have been a leveller.

That was certainly the case in the first half for the 366 in attendance at Kellaway Park - not bad for a wet and windy morning - as the teams , with defence largely winning out over attack for the first 45 minutes.

Porthleven 'keeper Martyn Webster was the busier of the two goalkeepers, making saves from Mulready and Goldsworthy, but it was Blues counterpart Kieran Daughtery who was first to pick the ball out of his net on 21 minutes.

A foul on Young gave Dan Richardson the chance to whip a cross in, with Mulready, in an attempt to clear the ball, sticking out his boot and unwittingly diverting it past Daughtery, who could only turn and watch as the ball agonisingly rolled into the net. Time seemed to slow down as 400 pairs of eyes watched the ball take what felt like half an hour to finally cross the line.

Helston kept trying but could not find an equaliser before the half-time whistle. They will have felt aggrieved to have been behind to such an unfortunate goal, but a mix of lacklustre play in the final third and disciplined Porthleven defending meant they did not really deserve to be ahead either.

That changed after the break, however, as Helston began to show why they had won their last 15 league games.

Some early pressure led to the equaliser in the 56th minute, with Harrison poking in from ten yards after the visitors failed to clear their lines.

That goal proved to be the turning point, with that opening strike turning Helston's play from a frustrated fumble into a ruthless swagger.

A second Blues goal now felt like a matter of when, and the answer to that is just 12 minutes later, with Tucker teeing up Goldsworthy, who had found himself a marked man for much of the game, to smash the ball past Webster for his 34th goal of the season.

A man in that sort of goalscoring form needed no invitation to find the back of the net, and he did it again eight minutes later, again racing on to Tucker's pass and again knocking the ball past Webster. Game over.

Despite having led for more of the match than their opponents come the full-time whistle (35 minutes to 22), Porthleven had looked like a beaten side ever since Goldsworthy's first goal had gone in, and had the game gone on for another 15 minutes it could have ended up being a heavy defeat.

But it would be four come the final whistle, with Tucker sending Webster the wrong way from the spot to complete victory three minutes from time as the Blues made it a sweet 16 consecutive SWPL wins.

Porthleven can take heart from a determined first 50 minutes or so. Hugh Howlett did a good job in keeping former team-mate Goldsworthy quiet for long spells, which is no mean feat, while the energetic pair of wingers, Dan Stidwell and Kyle Fraser, who both impressed again on Boxing Day, should see them pick up plenty more points from their 23 remaining games.

But Helston eventually showed just why they have won every league game since August 17, and why they will be the team on many people's lips to be the ones lifting the league trophy in the new year.