WENDRON United suffered a nightmare start to 2020 with a comprehensive defeat at home to Torpoint Athletic in the fourth round of the Cornwall Senior Cup.

The ‘Dron shaded the first 20 minutes but found themselves four goals down at the break thanks to strikes from Danny Zalick, Gary Hird, Mike Lucas and Lewis Young.

Zalick added a second after the break before TJ Walter pulled one back for Wendron, with substitute Owen Raven completing the rout eight minutes from time.

The home side, who earned a late reprieve into the fourth round after Callington Town were kicked out of the competition, started brightly and could have led when Walter broke through in the third minute, but he saw his shot saved by Jason Peters.

Rory Jarvis skewed a shot wide for Wendron soon after before Hird tested Dan Stedman at the other end, but the visitors edged in front in the 25th minute when Zalick took advantage of Scott Palmer’s slip to run in and stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

History repeated itself four minutes later as Torpoint doubled their lead. The referee played advantage following a foul in the middle of the park, with Hird then taking advantage of another slip to run through and place the ball in the same spot as his team-mate had done.

The hosts tried to get a foothold back in the game, with Walter’s shot being saved by Peters, but found themselves three goals three down in the 33rd minute. Hird's looping header was proved awkward for Stedman, who could only parry it into the path of Lucas, who tapped in from four yards.

Young and Darren Hicks were then thwarted by Hayden Fuller and Stedman respectively as the Point searched for a killer fourth, which came three minutes before the break when Young received a cross at the back of the box and fired home.

Any hopes of a miraculous second-half comeback for the home side were put to bed three minutes into the half as Torpoint notched their fifth, with Zalick volleying a cross past Stedman from six yards.

The hosts finally had something to shout about midway through the second half when Jack Stocker’s driven cross was cleared as far as Walter in the six-yard box, who needed no invitation to power the ball home.

Wendron enjoyed a brighter spell as they looked for a second consolation goal, but the five-goal gap was restored eight minutes from time as Stedman tipped Hird's shot into the path of Raven, who slid in to convert from close range.

Wendron: D Stedman, F Robinson (L Potts 59), R Carroll, S Palmer, D Tarrant, H Fuller, R Tresidder (J Chapman 69), B Ringrose (R Shilvock 69), J Stocker, R Jarvis, T Walter. Subs (unused): C Mulroy, J Noy.

Torpoint: J Peters, D Hicks, L Bevan, S Hill, E Crawford, J Heveran, L Young, M Lucas, D Zalick, L Kershaw, G Hird. Subs: M Roberts, O Raven, H Bunning, P Bradley.