Ashes have firepower to leave Tavistock feeling second best

Saltash Utd...3 Tavistock...0

SALTASH'S strikers continued their rich run of form as a third consecutive victory saw them take their goal tally to an impressive 17 in those games.

For the travelling Tavistock faithful, this was a strange game as they watched their side edge the possession stakes only to fail in the final third of the pitch.

In fact, Saltash keeper Ben Elphick was practically a spectator for most of the game.

And Tavistock manager Ian Southcott is well aware of his side's recent struggles.

He said: "We are missing key players and rock bottom on confidence at the moment.

"It is reflecting in our performances and we need to pull ourselves out of this rut."

He added: "We were very poor on Saturday, conceding soft goals and creating very little and, if I'm honest, Saltash were deserving winners in a game lacking quality."

Tavistock were rocked by conceding after just 42 seconds as Dimitri Kanaki gave the Ashes the perfect start by nipping in between the Lambs central defenders to fire home via the body of the diving goalkeeper Andy Meeds.

Lambs striker Ian Rooke had their best chances but he twice failed to convert excellent opportunities.

Toby Clark's header came back off the visitors' post with Matt Cusack forcing a fine save out of Meeds before Ashes finally beat the Lambs' custodian a second time.

The goal arrived four minutes after the break when Maddison was taken out by Meeds, who escaped with a yellow card, before Toby Clark powered his spot-kick past the Lambs custodian.

It was not until 11 minutes from time Ashes sealed victory with Kanaki putting in substitute Sam Hughes, who had been on the pitch less than five minutes, and he supplied a cool finish past Meeds.

Ivybridge Town...3 Torpoint Ath...0

IVYBRIDGE maintained their fine recent form with victory at Erme Valley against a Torpoint side who matched them for most of the game.

Bridgers have won eight of their last nine league matches while Torpoint have now lost three in a row.

However, for most of the game, it was an even contest and the Cornish side should probably gone in ahead at the interval.

In the 16th minute Lewis Kershaw swivelled in the area only to send his shot wide of the Bridgers' post from six yards.

Five minutes before half-time home goalkeeper Josh Oak produced a magnificent save to turn Dean Smith's well struck 15-yard effort onto the crossbar.

On the hour mark, the visitors almost opened the scoring when Billy Allen fired narrowly over from the edge of the area and this was to prove to be a crucial moment as, just two minutes later, Steve Sutton raced into the area where he was tripped by defender Shane White.

Todd Hanrahan converted the penalty and from this moment onwards, Ivybridge were much the better side and it was no surprise when they doubled their lead in the 70th minute through a close range header from Mike Summers.

With a minute remaining Torpoint striker Paul Baker was tripped in the area by Wayne Shailer only for Hicks' penalty to be saved by Oak and the visitors' woe was compounded in stoppage time when Mike Scott side-footed home a third for the hosts.

IVYBRIDGE will host what is likely to be a largely youthful Plymouth Argyle squad at Erme Valley tonight (7.30pm) in the second round of the Devon St Luke's Bowl.

Ivybridge (from): Oak, Hanrahan, Shailer, Summers, Westcott, Brown, Morgan, Saunders, Smallridge, Sutton, Scott, Parker, Cheetham, McClements, Widdicombe, Zimmerman, Middleton, Norrie, Walton

Plymouth Parkway...0 St Austell...1

PARKWAY suffered their third consecutive defeat of a season that promised so much, but is now turning into one where they face a fight if they are to secure any silverware come next May.

Wayne Hillson, the Parkway boss, felt there was plenty of effort from his players, but was left to reflect that Lillywhites' goalkeeper Jason Peters only had two real saves to make all match as the rest of the city side's efforts went wide of the mark.

Hillson said: "I cannot knock my players effort as St Austell defended very well but we just lacked enough quality, around their area, to break them down."

Mark Berry had hit the visitors' crossbar before matters worsened when Josh Bragg scored the game's only goal from a free-kick.

Parkway keeper Garry Penhaligon could only help the St Austell midfielder's effort into the corner of his net.

The referee let several tackles go unpunished which pointed to the game eventually exploding and it did on 74 minutes.

Sam Hillson was sent to the floor by the hands of Martin Giles, and when Tom Smith dragged the injured player to his feet a mass melée followed.

Giles was given a yellow card, but chose to ignore everything else that went on.

This must also have been a factor when, six minutes later, Will Stringer extracted revenge off the ball on substitute Phil Hutchins. But the misdemeanour was spotted by the linesman and a red card was issued to leave Parkway facing the final 10 minutes one man short.

Even then Parkway had the chances to equalise, but Hillson's early drive was pushed around the post by Peters before Jamie Bass sent an 18-yard drive straight at the St Austell custodian.

Liskeard Ath...1 Camelford...1

SIX league games without a victory was not the best preparation for hosting a Camels outfit who had won their last half-a-dozen matches.

However, it was Liskeard who came closest to taking all three points by the final whistle.

Both sides cancelled each other out in the first half, although Blues striker Robbie Almond did manage to blast the home side's best chance wide from six yards.

The Camels broke the deadlock on 65 minutes when Kevin Murt raced clear through the centre before releasing the ball for the onrushing Mark Gusterson to fire past Gary Richards from 12 yards.

Blues manager Martin Burgess rang the changes as he made a double substitution, bringing on Chris Clarke and Lyle Johnson.

This was the turning point for the Blues as they set about pulling that goal back and they were finally rewarded with an 83rd-minute equaliser.

Almond drove the ball in from the right for Clarke to meet it on the run and see the ball fly into the top corner of the Camels goal.

The home side now went for broke but were left cursing their luck when Clarke's 18-yard effort came back off the post before Andrew Neal saw his six-yard header come back off Josh Colwill's crossbar.

Joe Knight then saw his point-blank effort bravely blocked by Colwill as Liskeard finished the game on the attack.