FALMOUTH Town manager Andrew Westgarth was happy with how his senior players responded to a pre-match challenge of his in their 5-0 win at home to St Blazey on Saturday.

Luke Johnson and Luke Brabyn scored two goals apiece with Martyn Duff scoring the other as Town recorded their biggest win of 2020 so far.

Johnson’s opening goal – his first strike at Bickland Park since joining the club in 2018 – came in the eighth minute of the game, following a challenge set by Westgarth to make a strong start to the match

The victory was even more pleasing given several first-team players were unavailable to play for various reasons.

Will Harding, Harry McMellon and Sam Bromley stepped up from the second team to help plug those gaps, with the latter making his first appearance in the first team since April 2015, but Westgarth was delighted with how his senior players had stepped up in their team-mates’ absence.

“It’s been a good week for us, a clean sheet’s always good and we were right up against it today,” he said. “We had some big players, obviously [Jack] Bowyer’s decided to move on, Mattie Buchan’s away, Nixey [Tim Nixon] was 50:50 on his injury, Chinner’s [Ryan Chinn] banned, young Sammy’s [Pickup] with the county [under-18s team], Ben Oliver’s injured, so we had to draft in three of the second team boys, including Will [Harding] who started.

“I thought the senior players really stepped up to the plate today and I challenged them before the game: we haven’t scored in the first 15 minutes all calendar year, and I know it’s only been a month but I thought we started the game so well today. I’m delighted for Jonno [Johnson] to score his first home goal for Falmouth and I thought we had a great all-round performance.

“I just thought we looked a bit more streetwise today: we won our individual battles, I thought we were quite good in front of goal and I thought last 15 we were just ruthless.”

Play was suspended for nearly five minutes midway through the second half when a visiting supporter let off a green flare amongst the Falmouth Town supporters at the Packet End of the ground and appeared to square up to them.

READ MORE: Police called to Falmouth Town match twice as flare lit and fight breaks out

Three members of the St Blazey team went into the stand to help separate the supporter and ensure he left the ground before play eventually resumed.

“I think the actions of today have completely masked over what has been a fantastic result for us today,” Westgarth said. “I’ve never witnessed anything like I’ve seen today in football in my life. It’s shaken me actually, how bad it was here today."

He added: “I’m just speechless with what I saw and it shouldn’t be happening at any ground let alone at this level of football. The F-Troop have worked so hard to get a good reputation, we’ve got women, we’ve got kids, we’ve got old people, young people, we’ve got families here.

“Overall, really pleased with the 5-0 win but I’m so disappointed with how things unfolded and what’s happened here today.”