The tale of Helston’s 2014/15 title: Part 4 – Unbeaten run propels Blues back on top of division

After three successive five-goal wins in the league, there was perhaps an air of expectation when the Blues welcomed Millbrook to Kellaway Park at the end of January.

Helston had put 16 goals past the east Cornwall side when they met at Jenkins Park in August, but they were limited to three this time as a Mikey Davies strike and a brace from Mark Goldsworthy secured a 3-0 victory.

With their Charity Cup second-round tie at Dobwalls sandwiched between two blank weekends, it was to be the Blues’ last league game for four weeks – something that frustrated manager Sid Taylor.

“It is disappointing to have gaps like we are about to have in the fixture list,” he said.

“We haven’t lost any of our last six league games, with five wins from them, so it could make our momentum suffer.

“But we’ll just have to work hard in training and perhaps squeeze in a friendly somewhere along the way to keep fresh.”

A 4-2 win away at Dobwalls saw the Blues progress to the final four of the Charity Cup, where they would meet either Penryn Athletic, Sticker or St Dennis.

Taylor said he was delighted to make it into semis, adding it is great to see other sides chasing the Division 1 West title also still involved.

He said: “I’m pleased because ever since we first took part in the competition, we have never really done well in it.

“With all the division’s top teams getting through, it says a lot about all four of us and proves we’re not in the top spots by luck.”

Mikey Davies celebrates after opening the scoring against Dobwalls. Pic: Phil Ruberry

A third successive weekend away from league action followed – with the Blues slipping to third as St Dennis beat Liskeard – before Helston returned to Lantoom Park to face Dobwalls in Division 1 West.

The result was the same as a Goldsworthy hat-trick – his fifth of the season – ensured a 3-0 victory and a fifth consecutive win as the Blues kept a fourth consecutive clean sheet in the league.

Goldworthy had now reached 44 goals in all competitions this season, taking him just 12 behind his previous best with a possible 12 games remaining for Athletic, should they make the Cornwall Charity Cup final.

Having set himself a target of 40 for the season, Goldsworthy admitted he did now have an eye on his record after reaching his original goal.

However, he added if it meant Athletic won the league and got promoted, he would not mind seeing his current tally stay as it was.

Goldsworthy told the Packet: “With ten league games left and a couple hopefully in the cup, I believe I can get to 56 again, although it will be very tough.

“I am just taking it game-by-game though and if someone said to me you won’t score again this season but Athletic will win the title, I’d take it straight away.”

A sixth successive win followed but the Blues had to work for it as Bude Town pushed them all the way.

The Blues headed to the north east corner of Cornwall without Jason Robertson, Jamie Thirkle or Hugh Howlett available while regular captain Jamie Thomson was only able to make the subs bench due to illness.

Town took the lead in the first half through Billy Hopcroft’s fine volley, but Athletic showed great resilience to battle back into proceedings with goals from Andrew Westgarth, Mark Goldsworthy and Mikey Davies securing them three points and moving them to second in the table.

Blues defender Ben Stidwell heads the ball away. Pic: Phil Ruberry

“It was a great performance from the lads,” Taylor said. “We had a few players out so it was a good chance to test out some of the squad players.

“I was really pleased with the effort they all put in, especially at a place like Bude, who are a tough side and have a good record at home.”

It was also confirmed that Helston had applied to the SWPL’s board to move into the Premier should they top the West table at the end of the season.

Alongside the Blues, other clubs who had said they would like to move into the Premier Division were St Dennis and Sticker, both of whom were with Helston in the top three spots of the table. Mid-table side Liskeard Athletic had also applied.

Athletic were also hoping to receive grant funding in the region of £90,000 to refurbish parts of their home ground, including installing floodlights and a grandstand with 100 seats.

The plans were put together to help the ground meet ground criteria standards for the SWPL Premier and much of the funding being granted is dependent on Athletic earning promotion.

With this in mind, Taylor said it really was crucial for the club to reach the league’s top flight.

He said: “Promotion for us at Helston is very important, not just for morale but also for what direction we are looking to take the club and the ground in.

“Our grant applications for the work we want to do at the ground do rely on us getting promoted.

“It is important for the club to keep moving forward, because if we stood still and stayed in the West Division, then other teams would eventually go ahead of us and what’s the point of that?

“All of this is a big reason I have stayed at Helston, because it is a club with ambition.

“I have had offers from other teams to come and manage them, but because of what we’re looking to do at Helston I have stayed and hopefully now we can get up in the Premier Division.”

Mark Goldsworthy celebrates his winning goal against St Dennis. Pic: Phil Ruberry

The Blues’ promotion hopes were given a huge boost the following weekend as they upended fellow title chasers St Dennis.

There was just one goal in the highly anticipated clash between the sides who started second and third at the beginning of the day.

Happily for Blues fans the strike came courtesy of top scorer Goldsworthy as he tapped home in the 34th minute to increase his club’s unbeaten run in the competition to nine games.

A four-goal victory at home to Holsworthy followed as strikes from Goldsworthy, Charlie Young, Hugh Howlett and Westgarth sent the Blues back to the top of the table.

Despite heading the pack again, Taylor told the Packet he is trying to keep the team’s feet firmly on the ground.

“Seeing us win and results go for us in other games was really pleasing,” he said.

“When I spoke to the lads about the situation three or four games ago when we put ourselves in a good position and it was very tight at the top, I told them to just to take each game as it comes and that is the same attitude I want now.

“We have gone ten games unbeaten in the league so we are hitting form at the business end of the season, but we have to stay focused.”

James Miller makes a tackle during the Blues' defeat to Vospers Oak Villa. Pic: Phil Ruberry

Goldsworthy certainly heeded that advice as he took his tally for the season to a remarkable 50 after bagging his sixth hat-trick of the season in a 4-0 win at home to Wadebridge. Young scored the other goal as the Blues maintained their position at the top of the pile.

With 20 minutes to go, Athletic gave a debut to Matt Lloyd, who the club had signed from fellow title rivals St Dennis earlier in the week.

The Blues welcomed Vospers Oak Villa to Kellaway Park in their final match of March, which up until the opener had been a stodgy affair with windy conditions making life difficult for both sides.

But it was the visitors who broke the deadlock midway through the second half when Lewis Young slipped his marker and slammed the ball past a helpless Jason Robertson.

Helston were back on terms only six minutes later when Young’s namesake Charlie headed home, which sparked another siege on the Vospers goal as the Blues looked to snatch all three points.

Then out of nowhere in the fourth minute of five added on, a clearance at the back found Hogan who spun on a sixpence to set off towards goal. He passed to Young, who managed to get past Howlett before sending a shot across Robertson and into the net, sparking even bigger celebrations than his opener.

“It was a typical snatch and grab in my opinion as there was only one team who looked like they wanted to win and that was us,” Taylor said after the game.

“Vospers were wasting time and we were throwing people forward, but then they caught us on the counter attack.

“Fair play to them they caught us out and the lad finished it well but I thought we were by far the better team.”

Despite Saturday’s defeat, Athletic remained on top of the league table after nearest challengers Sticker could only manage a 0-0 draw at home to Penzance.

Goldsworthy fires in his third goal for Helston in the 5-1 drubbing of Porthleven. Pic: Phil Ruberry

Next up was the small matter of a Good Friday derby duel against rivals Porthleven, who were to make the short hop to Kellaway Park.

Taylor said: “We’ve had our unbeaten run ended now and what I’ve said to the lads is that the only way it can really hurt us is we do not react to it.

“What we have to do is bounce straight back and we could not have asked for a better game to come up at this particular time.

“Derby games are always great to be a part of with the guys wanting to get bragging rights and all that, so the players will be pumped for it and want Porthleven to bring it on.”

But hopes of a happy Easter for the Fishermen were over by half time as Athletic’s leading marksman Goldsworthy bagged a hat-trick before the interval against a lacklustre looking visiting team.

The 23-year-old scored once more in the second half to bring his 2014/15 league tally to a remarkable half century after Charlie Young, who towards the end of last year spent time playing for Port’s reserves, got his side’s fourth.

Reece Allen grabbed a late consolation goal for the away team, but overall it was a miserable derby day for the Fishermen who had entered the clash having won their last three matches.

Taylor cut a happy figure at full-time, saying: “I couldn’t have asked for anything better. “I asked the lads to go out and put things right this week and there’s no better game to do that than a local derby game.

“It was tight for the first 20 minutes but after we got in front we controlled matters and fully deserved our win.

“A lot of us were still gutted about last week’s result but then people started to buzz about this game in the morning and I actually had to quiet them down before kick-off.”

A defeat for title rivals Sticker in their local derby against fellow promotion rivals St Dennis saw the Blues move two points clear at the top of the game and ensured a happy Easter indeed.