ILLOGAN kept up the pressure at the top of the Jolly’s Combination League table with this impressive away win at Hayle, which included a goal scored direct from a corner.

The visitors, who sit in third place, beat second from bottom Hayle despite the fact that the home side recalled some players from their Peninsula League side for the game.

The match was played in gale-force winds, which made it difficult for either side to control the game. On fifteen minutes Illogan’s Mark Pope forced a good save from the Hayle keeper who injured his hand in tipping the ball round the post and had to be replaced.

In a first half, which was being seriously affected by the weather, the only other real effort fell to Pope who fired an effort on target on 43 minutes which the substitute keeper Graham Gilbert saved to his right.

Gilbert was then called into action early in the second-half making three superb saves. The first came when Simon Ellis picked up the ball and fired a good shot at goal, then Craig Williams tested him with another fierce shot before Andy Cowper sent in an accurate drive from distance.

However, Cowper’s long-range effort had been tipped around for a corner, which Ryan Treloar took. He floated the ball into the area but the wind got hold of it and the ball flew into the goal without anyone getting a touch. Moments later Hayle were level. Illogan were caught napping as the ball was played into Mark Thomas who produced a good finish past Barry Wyatt.

With ten minutes to go Illogan started to press and a Treloar corner found Cowper who headed the ball to Adam Callaway who fired in to make it 2-1.

Illogan were on top at this point but their task was made easier when the referee ordered a Hayle player off the pitch after he spotted that he had been wearing a ring. As the player was unable to remove his ring and Hayle had played all their substitutes, the home side were forced to battle out the remaining ten minutes with just ten men.

So it was no surprise when Rob Bray played a ball over the top of the Hayle defence to allow Cowper to lob the keeper form 20 yards for 3-1. Illogan next match will be against Truro Reserves in the Cornwall Senior Cup Third Round. Kick-off at 2pm.