Duchy Round Up 14th May

JJ Jones Duchy Football League Looe Town won the Premier Division Championship as a sixth successive victory secured the title in their final game of the season. Having moved back to the top in midweek when catching up their games in hand Looe started nervously against St Mawgan. The visitors were the better side early on and deservedly took the lead. Looe equalised when Jay Fisher picked up the ball in the area, turned and fired past the keeper. The home sides nerves were finally settled just before half time when Todd Buckler headed them ahead from a corner. Looe blitzed their opponents at the start of the second half. Cameron Patterson scored two great goals with Alec Cannon getting the fifth when a Buckler header from another corner was saved by the keeper but only parried out to Cannon. St Mawgan now knowing relegation was confirmed pulled a goal back but Looe scored twice more. The first a second goal for Fisher and the last a goal that deserved to wrap up the title. Tom Whitebrook cut through the St Mawgan defence and dinked the ball over the keeper.
St Minver after holding top spot for the vast majority of the season had to settle for runners up. Needing to win and hope that at the least Looe were held at home to take the title on goal difference St Minver started well at Torpoint. Robbie Green gave them a 17th minute lead with Steve Wootton firing a second in the 25th minute with a shot from the edge of the area that dipped just under the crossbar. Torpoint hit back from a Mike Roberts penalty and then equalised from a Justin Norman free kick. Torpoint were awarded a second penalty with St Minver keeper Chris Andrews receiving his marching orders for a last man challenge. Roberts scored again to give the hosts the lead. With their title chance all but lost, Green headed St Minver level, but the ten men couldn't hold out and Ben Woodmen struck to give Torpoint a 4-3 win near the end.
Edgcumbe look secure in third following their 2-1 win at North Petherwin. Joe Reeve was the Petherwin goal scorer.
Division One Champions Callington show no sign of letting off. They crushed Grampound 6-0 with Kieran Prescott and Dan Ashman scoring a brace apiece and Jamie Rowlands and Rob Jinman completing the scoring.
Sticker kept their promotion hopes alive with a 3-1 win at AFC Bodmin. There was no sign of end of season lethargy in this game with both sides playing attractive and attacking football. The visitors looked the more likely side to open the scoring but it was Bodmin who took the lead towards the end of the first half through Dan Chapman. Sticker really pushed on after the break and chances came and went. It was an own which brought the scores level. This spurred Sticker on and with constant pressure on the home defence Josh Yelland put Sticker ahead. Adam Cleaves completed the scoring with a neat finish near the end. An inspired performance by the home keeper ensured that the visitors score was not more.
LC Phoenix remain favourites for runners up after a 4-2 win at Premier Sixes. The home side desperate for points at the other end of the table played well. Goalless at half time the game turned on a referee decision. The ball appeared to pop up and strike a defenders arm in the area. The referee called it a deliberate handball, awarding Phoenix a penalty which Ryan Cox despatched to the net. Sixes pushed forward in their need for points and were caught on the break with Josh Barron doubling the lead. On the hour Dan Code floated in a free kick which caused confusion in the Phoenix defence and Jamie Leigh pulled a goal back. Two minutes later and another Code free kick again caused chaos with James Lynch netting an equaliser. Five more minutes passed but this time a free kick in a similar position to the two home goals was awarded to Phoenix. Ryan Cox missed everyone in the box but the keeper fumbled his shot and Darren Webber tapped in to restore the visitors lead. Webber sealed the game for Phoenix when from another free kick he hit a sublime goal. Sixes require four points from their last three games to escape the drop.
Division Two champions Veryan remain unbeaten after a 2-0 win at Calstock that keeps the home side in relegation trouble. Tyler Cheshire and Craig Phillips scored the goals.
Boscastle secured their place in the division and pushed Godolphin Atlantic closer to the drop. The one goal was scored by Jordan Sleep to the relief of the home support.
Mevagissey threw away a two goal lead at St Merryn as their Division Three title challenge surely crumbled to a halt. In truth St Merryn dominated a fair proportion of the game. A breakaway near half time forced Neil
Reekie into conceding an own goal to put the visitors ahead. Bruce Campbell then scored to double the advantage. Ryan Brown pulled a goal back for St Merryn and they were then awarded a penalty which Josh Dark missed. In the final ten minutes Mevagissey hit the self destruct button. A shot was handled in the box giving St Merryn a second penalty award. Some Mevagissey players reacted badly and they ended the game with three players dismissed. Dark kept calm through the mayhem to score the spot kick and earn St Merryn a 2-2 draw.
Tregrehan Mills now will win the title with a win in their last game. They won their penultimate league game at St Minver reserves 6-1 with Callum Chillingworth scoring four goals. Dean Dingle and Dom Swire completed the Mills tally with Adrian Ashton scoring the hosts consolation.
A patched up Grampound reserves team with manager Tim Topham playing his first game four four years beat Delabole United 7-2 as the visitors season ended on a disappointing note. Topham hit a diagonal ball to Matt Fletcher another player with little football in the past few seasons. Fletcher crossed in for Jamie Benjamin to head the opener. Benjamin scored a second and it was three by half time as a good run and cross from Ryan Orchard was finished by Paddy Crowle. Fletcher sent in a low cross for George Taryannikov to increase the lead before Glen Burrell pulled a goal back direct from a corner. Alex Rowe restored the four goal gap with a hard low shot which was followed by a Keir Walker through ball to Taryannikov to score his second goal. Benjamin was upended in the box allowing Topham to take the penalty which he struck home to complete the Grampound scoring before Delabole were awarded a penalty and Dan Van-Nuil scored.
Relegated Pelynt reserves picked up a third win of the season beating Tregony 3-2. The visitors had shown good form in recent weeks but with their safety confirmed in midweek probably their intensity levels dropped for this game which will give the host team a boost for their last two matches. Chris Thomas scored a brace for Pelynt with Luke Barnes adding their other goal. Tregony replied through Kevin Beel and a Carl David own goal.
Stuart Kesson-Smith hit a hat trick as High Street won 4-1 at North Petherwin reserves. Chris Lock completed their tally with Dan Hancock scoring the home goal.
Saltash United reserves dropped two crucial points in their challenge for the Division Four title when held two all at St Dennis reserves. James Carne scored both home goals with Curtis Lanfear and Ashley Hooper replying for Saltash.
Pensilva thrashed Padstow United 9-0 to retake top spot and guarantee promotion. Mike Rendle scored four goals and Jon Filbey a hat trick as the hosts now reconfirmed their position as favourites for the title. Martin Putt and Marc Tuck completed the rout.
Real Saltash still have outside hopes of the second promotion place. They won 8-1 at Rame Peninsula with Wayne Skeldon scoring four times. Andy Cromack, Luke Jamieson, James Mason and Steve Chapman completed their tally with Curtis Evans scoring the home consolation.
St Teath although mathematically not officially safe, has in effect secured the great escape with an 8-1 win at relegation rivals Southgate Seniors. Bottom throughout the season until last Wednesday four wins in the last five games all but confirmed Division Four football next season. St Teath would need to lose their last two games very heavily and Southgate and Kilkhampton to win their last games with large scores. Craig Thompson starred with four goals with the other St Teath goals shared by Dan Edwards, Connor Bridgway, Aaron Williams and Jake Williams. Sam Wade scored the Southgate consolation.