FOOTBALL: Late disallowed goal helps Penryn Athletic to point

The match between the sides who started in second and fourth positions on the table finished 1-1 with Ryan Reeves 87th minute strike cancelling out Lee Rickards’ first half penalty.

However, deep into injury time, Ryan Hayhurst thought he had secured a dramatic victory for the hosts at Boscowan Park when he found the back of the net.

Celebrations turned into despair though as Penryn linesman Tom Blewett had his flagged raised, much to the anger of home fans and players.

Abuse spilled over after the match onto social media where a home supporter tweeted a picture of Blewett along with disparaging comments.

This has since been removed and an apology issued by St Dennis to the visiting linesman.

Knowing a win could take them to first place, the hosts started positively and in the opening exchanges hit the woodwork twice.

Just as Athletic were getting into the game, a debatable penalty was awarded to the Saints after goalkeeper Chris Symons was judged to have brought down Carl Rickard.

Away players believed their stopper had got to the ball well before the striker, but the decision stood and Lee Rickard’s spot-kick went in after Symons parried it onto the crossbar.

After this, the hosts reverted back to two flat banks of four and Athletic looked to add an injection of pace into their attack.

They first brought on Ed Wilton and Tyler Cooke to freshen things up, but it was reserve team regular Reeves who would have the biggest sway on proceedings.

With ten minutes to go, he replaced Ollie Moody and after Ryan Martt’s pass found him out wide, Reeves sent a shot from a tough angle over Brett Allan and just inside the far post.

A late surge was mounted by the Saints, but their hopes of topping the table were dashed after Hayhurst’s effort was ruled out.

PENRYN: Symons, Blizzard, Johnson (Cooke 65), Martt, Oliver (c), May, Brabyn, Moody (Reeves 80), Palmer (Wilton 60), Broglino, Lawrence.