Penryn Athletic and Wendron United are still looking for their first win in the South West Peninsula League after the sides drew 3-3 in a thrilling affair at Kernick Road. 


Both sides missed glaring opportunities in the opening exchanges but it was the home side who took the lead with nine minutes played. Ryan Reeve was slipped in down the line and the striker had the confidence to bury a shot into the far corner with his left foot. 


It was a lead Penryn had deserved but their efforts to increase their advantage were dealt a blow when in the 28th minute when Wendron equalised in bizarre fashion. The Dron had a free kick which Penryn failed to clear the ball ricocheted around the penalty area before Wendron forward Jack Stocker shinned the ball into the sky. 


Penryn goalkeeper Adam Robarthan came to claim the high ball but felt he was upended by a Cameron Wheat as the ball came down from the sky and into the empty net, brushing its way off the forward on route to the goal. The referee disagreed and out of nowhere, Wendron found themselves back in the game. 

A minute later the match had been completely turned on its head when the visitors scored again. The ball was worked nicely down the left side with Wheat, a cross was played into the area and Jacob Grange had the composure to fire into the top left corner to put his side in the driving seat.

Penryn were shaken but instantly responded to going behind with a goal of their own in the 31st minute. Morgan Vallejo delivered a dangerous corner and Nick Boase diverted a header across goal which was tapped in by Jack Rapsey at the far post.

It had been an eventful 45 minutes but the drama was still to come for the onlookers at Kernick Road.

In the second half, Penryn retook the lead in the 58th minute from another corner. Vallejo again with the delivery, his deep cross was met on the volley by Jake Shaw who planted his effort into the bottom corner off the post to add yet another twist to the tale. 


The drama was not yet complete as in the 67th minute Penryn were reduced to ten men. Goalkeeper Robarthan misjudged a through ball which allowed the Wendron forward to have an open shot on goal, but the keeper dived back clumsily and brought the forward down for a stone wall penalty and an easy red card decision for the referee. 

Nick Boase put on the goalkeeping gloves and his first task was to try and save a penalty. But Wendron Captain Scott Palmer stepped up and cooly slotted his penalty into the bottom left corner to make it 3-3.

The hosts had to dig in and play over 20 minutes with ten men but despite this Athletic were resolute and disciplined in reducing Wendron to not many clear cut opportunities. 

In fact, it was Penryn who had the biggest opportunity six minutes from time. Reeve again broke away down the flank and was brought down in the area. The lines man flagged for the foul but the decision was overruled by the referee who waved play on to the disappointment of Penryn Manager Harry Pope and a lot of the crowd. 

Wendron dominated possession but failed to break down the rigid defence in the minutes that remained as the score finished level. 

Penryn Manager Harry Pope rued errors that cost his side three points, he said: "We played well but I'm disappointed we deserved to get more than that from the game. The silly mistakes cost us goals it's simple as that really.

"There are positives to take from Saturday against Launceston and here today but we have conceded seven goals and five of them have been our mistakes. 

"One thing I keep drilling into the lads is, in the league below we could make a mistake but score five goals here you make a mistake and you get punished."

Wendron Manager was satisfied with his side's performance but was slightly frustrated his side did not make the most of their man advantage: "First and foremost we came here and wanted to be hard to beat and I thought we were that today. I thought that there were occasions where Penryn threatened in the first half and I felt we didn't get to grips with that until 20/25 minutes into the game.

"Once you go a man up irrespective of it is more or less difficult to play against ten men there is space somewhere the space is out there and we didn't make the most of finding that space in the final stages."

Penryn Athletic: Adam Robarthan, Jake Shaw, Russell May, Nick Boase, Billy Williams, Bradley Leivers, Ryan Reeve, Jack Rapsey, Fraser Harris, Keegan McPhilbin, Morgan Vallejo.
Wendron United: Ethan Fearn, Billy Stone, Reece Carroll, Scott Palmer, Lee Padgeth, Ben Ringrose, Jackob Grange, Lucas Potts, Jack Stocker, Rory Jarvis, Cameron Wheat.
Packet Man of the Match: Jake Shaw - Played at right wing back and in midfield, always full of running and energy. He capped off a tireless display with a well taken volley.