St Austell 1 Liskeard Athletic 8

Liskeard manager Dave Leonard was true to his word as his Blues side cruised to a victory that could and should have reached at least double figures at Poltair. Leonard was aware that his side were facing an unknown quantity after crisis club St Austell lost most of the first team squad. The Lillywhites are struggling to stay afloat and when the first team budget was abolished they found themselves without a first team squad and a manager. To be fair to Gary Penhaligon, though he had resigned as manager he still took his place in goal without receiving a penny in expenses. The game only went ahead because St Austell managed to postpone their second team game to release players but even then the pitch would not have been playable but for the generosity of neighbours St Blazey, who supplied their groundsman and the equipment to prepare the pitch. Liskeard, meanwhile, were in an awkward situation where they were expected to win by a landslide without any knowledge of the standard of opposition they would be facing. This is where Leonard's undoubted talents came to the fore as he prepared his squad immaculately and they carried out his and Trevor Rodd's instructions to the letter. St Austell were bound to pull players back on the defensive leaving the Blues requiring an early goal and they got it after just five minutes of play. Dominic Richardson raced clear and although Penhaligon did well to block his first effort the former Argyle striker followed up to slam home the loose ball. The massed ranks of home defenders held out for another 15 minutes before Paul Baker shot home and Richardson grabbed his second of the game on the half-hour. The game was over as a contest a minute before the break when midfielder Carl Curtis fired home their fourth to complete the first half scoring. The second half was just a minute old when Paul Baker grabbed his second of the game and Curtis quickly followed suit as he shot home from close range. A rare Sam Matthews header made it 7-0 before an even rarer St Austell attack saw Luke Patten firing home the Lillywhites' solitary reply. The Blues then contrived to miss two penalties. Home defender Dave Kitson was penalised for the first, which Jamie Morrison-Hill missed and then Curtis stepped up when goalkeeper Gary Penhaligon committed an offence minutes later, but he also failed to find the back of the net. Substitute Lee Harvey got in on the act when he lashed the ball home in the dying moments before referee finally blew time to save St Austell from further punishment.