A last gasp penalty from Martyn Webster secured a 2-1 win for Porthleven over Truro City Reserves to earn the Fishermen the St Piran League Cup at Underlane.
Port had gone ahead in the opening minutes when Truro goalkeeper Morgan Coxhead fumbled a Jared Lawrence cross into his own net under little pressure.
Truro levelled the scores as they flew out of the blocks after the break with a well-taken goal from Harry Phillips following cracking wing play from Josh Turner.
The young White Tigers continued the pressure to look for the game's third goal but lacked the clinical touch as it was to be Porthleven to have the last laugh in the dying moments.
A Sam Leslie cross looked to be gathered by the Coxhead in the Truro goal but substitute Martyn Webster intelligently got his body between the man and the ball as the goalkeeper consequently hauled down the striker with 87 minutes on the clock.
Following a consultation with the linesman, the referee pointed to the spot for Webster to rifle home a fierce drive from 12 yards to spark wild celebrations for Port who held on to win.
Webster smashes in a penalty to put @PorthlevenFC 2-1 up in the dying minutes! pic.twitter.com/Q3hP5rDj3g
— Tom Harris (@packet_tom) May 10, 2022
Port headed into the game without top goalscorer Dan Parker who was ruled out with an injury and named a youthful lineup with five-under 18 players in their squad.
The originally overcast skies parted as Truro got the game underway but both sides failed to establish any real possession of the ball in the early exchanges as the pressure of the occasion looked to show.
That lasted just six minutes though as with the game's first meaningful attack Porthleven took the lead.
Jack Charles was hacked down by a Truro defender on the edge of the area in a wide position gifting Port a free kick in a promising area. Jared Lawrence stepped up but his curled cross was seemingly safe for the keeper to catch, or so everyone thought. In a moment Morgan Coxhead will want to forget, the keeper lept for the ball but failed to gather it as it ended up bouncing back and into his own goal to make it 1-0 to Port.
Conor Bowman looked to double the advantage just two minutes later but his fierce drive was this time well gathered by the keeper.
Truro's Harry Phillips missed a glaring opportunity with ten minutes played when the striker was picked out unmarked in the area. But the forward could only direct his header straight at Shaun Jackson-Guy.
The early match nerves died down as the game became an intense midfield battle with several well-contested tackles flying in from both sides.
The White Tigers had an opportunity to level after 28 minutes when Danny Pearce stepped up to take a free-kick on the right-hand side around 25 yards out.
The effort, which favoured his left-footed strike, beat the keeper but could only bounce off the upright as the score remained 1-0.
In the 37th minute, Sam Leslie did superbly well down the right-wing in the corner for Porthleven to somehow beat two men in close proximity but his cut back to the edge of the area was blazed wide of the target by a Port midfielder.
In first-half stoppage time, Truro threatened to catch Porthleven on the counterattack as Josh Turner blazed down the right-wing. A sea of red shirts flooded the area but the winger opted to go alone, only to be denied by a deflection which sent the ball agonizingly wide of the goal as it remained 1-0 heading into the break.
It was apparent for all to see whatever had been said in the Truro City dressing room at the interval had paid off as the trailing side started the second period on the front foot and after a sustained spell of pressure got the equaliser with 48 minutes played.
Turner dashed down the line leaving two or three defenders in his wake before picking out Phillips in the box with a low cross. The forward confidently took the effort on first time and sent it flying into the roof of the net to bring the score level at 1-1.
The bombardment of attacks from the men in red continued as George Newton was denied by the post in the 50th minute before Turner had a scuffed volley hooked off the line a minute after as Port battled the Truro storm.
When the Fishermen could get out of their half poor passes or finishing let them down too often in the opening moments of the half. Captain Dan Greet had the ball laid back to him on the edge of the area after 55 minutes but blazed the strike wildly over the bar.
The theme continued of Truro looking for the all-important third goal of the game, but the Reserves lacked the clinical touch as Phillips prodded wide when sent through on goal after 58 minutes.
Sam Wickins also had a go with an audacious, but well-struck volley after 74 minutes but likewise to many of their other efforts it flew wide of the mark.
Porthleven substitute Martyn Webster was making his presence felt up front and had a sighter at goal from a free-kick after 82 minutes. But his powerful strike lacked accuracy as it blazed over the bar.
The game looked to be staring down the barrel of extra time but with 87 minutes played Port were handed a golden chance to win it after Coxhead brought down Webster in the box.
The coming together at the near post was initially missed by the referee, but not by the eagle-eyed linesman who had his flag raised to suggest the Truro goalkeeper got more of the man than he did the ball when attempting to collect a low Leslie cross.
Following a consultation with the linesman, the referee pointed to the spot offering Webster the opportunity to write his name in Porthleven FC folklore.
The forward truly obliged, shaking off any element of pressure or nerves by almost whacking the leather off the ball as it sent the keeper the wrong way and flew into the back of the net.
Cue spark mass celebrations between the players and coaching staff on the touchline as they knew they had one hand on the trophy.
Port still had two minutes plus a considerable amount of stoppage time to hold on but that task was made easier when Truro's Ross Fallens was sin-binned for the remainder of the game for dissent to the referee.
They still had to deal with an onslaught of attacks but the Port defence, as it had been so often in the game, fought with resilience and courage to see out the danger and jump for joy at the final whistle.
Full time scenes as @PorthlevenFC are crowned @StPiranLeague cup winners pic.twitter.com/uxEsRp8l8Y
— Tom Harris (@packet_tom) May 10, 2022
Players collected their medals before captain Dan Greet lifted the trophy in what was a memorable moment for the club that is on the up after darker days earlier this season.
Lineups:
Porthleven AFC: S. Jackson-Guy, F. Williams, J. Nolan, D. Greet, D. Bray, J. Greet, S. Leslie, J. Charles, C. Bowman, J. Lawrence, C. Webb.
Subs: J. Salter, J. Wharton, T. Jose, M. Webster, A. Matanatabu
Truro City Reserves: M. Coxhead, E. Fabby, J. Edwin, K. Gordon-Dunn, D. Pearcen, J. Swan, O. Marks, G. Newton, J. Turner, T. Dolan, H. Phillips
Subs: C. Bladon, J. Evans, S. Wickins, J. Grange, R. Fallens
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