CSWPL Premier Division: Lee Blatchford free-kick boosts Liskeard Athletic's survival hopes

Penzance...0 Liskeard Ath...1

LISKEARD went a long way to ensuring their Premier Division survival with this narrow victory at fellow strugglers Penzance.

The game should have been far easier for the visitors after Lee Blatchford failed to convert a 10th minute penalty but instead the home side were still in with a shout up until the final whistle.

Liskeard went into the match on the back of an 18-game winless run, but that was not as bad as their hosts who are still searching for their first league victory of the season.

Blues are now 10 points ahead of Penzance, who appear doomed to relegation

Both sides had early chances to open the scoring but the best fell to the Blues when Tom Hall was tripped inside the box, by full-back James Oakley.

However, skipper Blatchford's spot-kick came back off the left post and was cleared to safety.

Even then the Blues created more chances and only a fine double save from Magpies goalkeeper Paul Williams denied Ryan Wallace and Ben Collins.

Matt Hawes then went just wide with two decent efforts as the Blues ended the half strongly.

The Magpies posed much more of an attacking threat early in the second half, and Ryan Andrews' fierce shot was well saved by Blues keeper Brice Shield and Jeremy Blake crashed his follow-up attempt back off the underside of the bar.

Shield made another superb save at full stretch to deny Blake.

But the home revival was ended, 14 minutes from time, when Blatchford atoned for his earlier penalty miss by blasting his 20-yard free-kick into the right corner of the net to give keeper Williams no chance.

With the Magpies clearly frustrated, Street's late tackle on Shield earned him a second yellow card, and the visitors played out the dying moments with few alarms to record only their third league win of the season.

Bovey Tracey...1 Saltash Utd...1

SALTASH travelled to Mill Marsh Park well aware their hosts were enjoying their best form of the season, but their run of three consecutive victories came to a halt as the Ashes claimed a deserved point.

The scoring, which was over as early as the 12th minute, was opened by Saltash.

Danny Zalick flicked the ball into the path of Matt Cusack who sent a deft header past Bovey goalkeeper Tom Brooks at his near post.

Bovey had an instant response as straight from the restart Jamie Micklewright's shot was blocked by keeper Lee Carew, but the ball fell kindly into the path of Dan Taylor who made no mistake from 15 yards.

Both sides had chances to grab a winning goal with Hayden Roe for the Moorlanders beating Carew only to see his effort cleared off the line by Matt Godfree before Steve Sargison put in Zalick who fired across goal and just wide of the far post.

Torpoint Ath...1 Plymouth Parkway...1

TORPOINT followed up their victory over Saltash with a draw at home to second-placed Parkway, although both sides had enough chances to have won the game.

It was Parkway who struck first, taking a 10th-minute lead when Paul Heveran's 25-yard free-kick went under the Torpoint defensive wall and found the corner of the goal.

Torpoint came back with Darren Hicks shooting wide from 10 yards before they equalised on 18 minutes.

The hosts' assistant player-manager Karl Curtis crossed from the left flank to Paul Baker, who fired a low shot from 15 yards out past the on-rushing Ben Elphick.

Lewis Kershaw saw his free-kick cleared off the Parkway line but it was the visitors who came back strongly after the break.

Warren Daw cut inside and fired across Sam Borthwick, but wide of the far post and Paul Heveran's free-kick went though the Torpoint wall only for Borthwick to tip it over his bar.

Both sides had chances, with Kershaw and Baker both missing the Parkway goal, while close-range headers from John Heveran and Jamie Bass both went wide.

The game ended on a sour note for the visitors when assistant manger Darren Potts was sent from the dug-out after a disagreement with the referee on the stroke of full time.

Four minutes later Mark Bonney received a straight red after an incident involving Torpoint goalkeeper Borthwick.

Camelford...2 Ivybridge Town...0

IVYBRIDGE'S poor run of form continued with a defeat that leaves them seven games without a victory.

In fact, the last four matches have all resulted in defeats with the Bridgers scoring just once and conceding 11.

The Camels were also searching for their first victory in four games and it was they who succeeded, extracting ample revenge for their 2-0 defeat at Erme Valley last December.

The hosts opened the scoring midway through the first half when Mark Gusterson slipped a perfect pass to skipper Dan Balsdon, and he beat a defender to score with a perfect left-foot shot from 15 yards.

The visitors had a good share of the game with Ben Smallridge making a number of good runs together with Mark Berry sending over several good crosses.

However, good chances were few and far between for both sides. And with 20 minutes remaining the home side ensured victory when full-back Liam Sandercock scored with a left-foot drive from the angle of the area.

St Austell...1 Elburton Villa...1

ALTHOUGH Villa did not fully avenge their shock 7-2 home defeat to St Austell they put in a performance which fully-illustrated that earlier result was something of a fluke.

Third-placed Villa dominated for long spells and put in a performance which suggests they could yet challenge Plymouth Parkway for second place.

Parkway's lead over Villa is just four points, although the Manadon-based club do have the superior goal difference.

On Saturday Villa were rewarded for a lively start when they took an 11th minute lead through Sam Stevens' well-executed 20-yard chip.

Moments later Jack Alexander saw his shot cleared off the goal-line and before the half was out Ray Spear twice fired shots that went the wrong side of the St Austell woodwork.

Villa were made to pay for not taking their first-half chances as their hosts looked brighter in the second-half.

They were duly rewarded with a 65th minute equaliser when Dan Lean headed home from close range.

In an exciting climax to the game, both sides had chances to take all three points with Villa substitute Levi Landricome being denied by a fine save from home goalkeeper Jason Peters in the 80th minute.

At the other end, Chris Reski saw his last-minute shot cannon off the Villa post.

EAST CORNWALL LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Millbrook...1 Probus...1

MILLBROOK'S faltering push for promotion took another knock with a poor performance against a very hard working sixth-from-bottom Probus, who belied there league position.

The game started with Millbrook on the front foot and after a good passage of play they took the lead when Stuart Rickard let rip from 30 yards to leave the Probus keeper stranded.

Millbrook should have pushed on at this point, but they started to lose their way and resilient Probus got a strangle hold on the game.

After continuous pressure they got their just desserts with an equaliser from Liam Paddock, who rifled a shot home from the edge of the box.

Millbrook still sit second in the table, four points adrift of leaders Parkway with a game in hand.

But they will look back at several missed chances in the early stages of the game that cost them a further two points.