Report

Jolly’s Cornwall Combination League

St Ives Town 1-1 Newquay AFC Reserves

Match Report by Tom Howe

Alan Yendell’s youthful Newquay Reserve outfit completed their 2011-12 season with a deserved point at The Saltings against high-fliers St Ives Town.

After falling behind early in the second-half to Joel McWilliams’ close range finish it was talisman Sam McKune who ensured a share of the spoils returned to Mount Wise at the final whistle, turning in Dan Ball’s cross with three minutes of normal time to play.

Both sides were well supported on a light-hearted afternoon, with Town’s end of season presentation taking place post-match, with a total attendance of fifty-seven. 

In a match of few flashpoints it was The Peppermints who began the strongest – Micky Burns came closest, striking a free-kick into the Town wall. On a worrying note, Joff Bunt took a knock to his already tender nose which caused it to spew blood. The decision was made to take him off with Joe Davey-Taylor brought on in his place at left-back.

St Ives, who climbed to third in the table following this result, kept Sam Trudgian on his toes. Martyn Moon brought the best out of the goalkeeper, testing him with a fierce drive. It took fifty minutes for the breakthrough to be made – McWilliams tapped the ball past the despairing Trudgian from within a crowded penalty area. Chris Lock could have inadvertently doubled the home sides lead after his mishit cross bounced off the crossbar.

The Peppermints pressed the issue in the closing stages and were worthy of their equaliser. Ball was given time to whip a low cross into the area which fell to McKune who, after being introduced to the play in place of Andy Morris, duly crashed the ball past Dave Chard and into the net. It was the assistant manager’s eleventh goal of the season as he finished Peppermints top-scorer.

With honours even both sides jumped a place on the final day. As mentioned, St Ives leapfrogged Illogan RBL into third while The Peppermints pipped Perranwell to finish the season in a very respectable eighth position.

After beginning without a win in seven matches the clubs form picked up with four wins from four. This form was cut short by Falmouth Athletic at the end of October as The Peppermints had to go another eight matches before registering a win again – in this spell they also ironically crashed out of the League Cup at the hands of St Ives. Fortunes have improved since the turn of the year however with a healthy thirty-seven points taken from a possible sixty-three, whilst also reaching the semi-final of the Supplementary League Cup.

Sam Trudgian has done himself no harm this season putting in performance after performance and even earning himself first-team starts in their final two fixtures of the season. At the back Chris Sturgess, Sam Hill, Bunt and Ball have improved with each outing as have Jake Street, Jack Thompson, Paris Waller and Cameron Bidgood in the midfield. Micky Burns has done a fine job up front, bagging himself nine goals, as has Jack Bray-Evans who has burst onto the scene and Davey-Taylor who has chipped in with some important goals whilst Ashley Bradshaw and McKune have excelled again at this level. There are many others who can’t be mentioned, but a thank-you goes out to everyone who has been involved with the Reserves in 2011-12 for a productive season.

Andy Loos Man of the Match: Jake Street