PENRYN ATHLETIC 2 FALMOUTH TOWN 1

FALMOUTH Town gained the Boxing Day honours in the Kernick Road Carlsberg SWL local derby and for the first time this season won back to back League games.

The game started off brightly with Town doing much of the attacking and after a few wayward attempts, they struck gold after ten minutes. A corner from Lee Blatchford was volleyed home from six yards by Mike Roberts to give Town a lead their play merited.

The home side came more and more into the game, but Joe Tickle, in the Town goal had an inspired game. Crosses came from both sides which he took them with great confidence. He also made a good save from James Miller's dangerous looking cross-cum-shot.

In the 27th minute though, he nearly turned from hero into villain! He managed to get a strong fist to a corner from the left but Penryn quickly regained possession and from Matt Salmon's cross, Tickle's punch was less successful and Harris's shot into the ground looped up and looked to be an easy catch. Tickle, however, did the unthinkable and after grasping the ball, somehow let it slip. Fortunately the ball squirmed into the path of Matthew Drummond and his care-free dig at the ball saw it rebound off the crossbar.

After 35 minutes Miller was fouled by Roberts 20 yards from goal. Harris' thunderbolt shot was met with a smart reaction save from Tickle with the ball cleared for a corner.

Athletic's goal survived a scare in the 43rd minute. Dave McGhee showed some of the skills and experience that he picked up during his spell at Leyton Orient and Brentford by beating three home players and shooting low from which keeper Chris Symons made a great save.

At the start of the second half good control by Blatchford went to pot when his volley from inside the area nearly cleared the clubhouse roof!

In the 50th minute, Roberts picked up possession after the Athletic defence failed to clear a cross, but his angled drive was superbly saved, one handed, by Symons.

In the 57th minute the home side had Tickle working again when he turned Miller's shot around the post for a corner.

Five minutes later it was Town's turn to pressure the home goal. Peter Davey got his head to Blatchford's corner but his effort was always too high.

In an end-to-end game, the second goal was going to be crucial, and it went to Town after 66 minutes. McGhee kept the ball in play and passed to Lee Beer whose low cross into the area found Roberts who flicked the ball into the corner of the net with his knee to give Symons no chance.

Athletic managed to pull a goal back in the 76th minute with Matt Drummond scoring from six yards.

Athletic had the better of the last five minutes and were desperately unlucky not to score when Mike Davies' goalbound header was deflected wide by James Miller.

Dean Harris' first attempt from a free kick struck Roberts who was booked for encroachment and the second effort saw the ball cleared to safety.

In the 90th minute the scores should have been level. Tickle struggled with a Miller cross and when the ball broke loose Drummond, on the turn, saw his effort roll agonisingly wide of a near open goal.

Athletic: C. Symons; A. Trudgian, B. Goldring, M. Moore (D. Richardson), L. Bradd, D. Harris, R. Young (D. Band), M. Salmon, S. Rowson (M. Davies), M. Drummond, J. Miller Town: J. Tickle; L. Beer, W. Brown, P. Davey, C. Davey, L. Blatchford, M. Roberts, W. Hewitt (S. Burt), R. Trudgeon, A. Bowker, D. McGhee. Subs (unused): D. Burchell & S. Rogers.