Liskeard Athletic have appointed a new manager less than a week after their 2-2 draw at Bodmin Town which cost them the Carlsberg South Western League title. Allan Evans announced his departure immediately after that game and will join Plymouth Argyle's youth department, leaving chairman Chris Burchell managerless. However, by Tuesday evening Burchell had reached an agreement with former Ipswich Wanderers boss John Clarkson, who has returned to the area after just over a year away in Suffolk. Clarkson is well versed in both South Western and Devon League football having managed Crediton, Bodmin, Porthleven and Launceston. He led Porthleven to their first Senior Cup success before emulating that victory with Launceston and arrives at Lux Park after picking Wanderers up from the depths of Ridgeon's League and guiding them to their highest ever finish. He also took them to a semi-final against Championship side Ipswich Town and a county final against Lowestoft. Wanderers also reached the last 16 of the FA Vase under Clarkson, but lost 2-1 after extra time to beaten finalists AFC Totton. Burchell is delighted that the Launceston-based businessman has agreed to lead Liskeard into the new season – and in Premier Divison of the South West Peninsula League, too 'We are delighted to join forces with John and it was nice that the club did not take a lot of selling to him as we have been fairly successful in recent seasons,' said Burchell. 'We are building both on and off the pitch with new floodlights and further ground improvements under way as well as the work that is being done to the playing surface,' he added.' Burchell is one of the new breed of young chairman who have ambitions and in Clarkson he has a man who shares his vision of moving the club up through the leagues. 'I am looking forward to getting back into football in the South West and although I had a good time at Ipswich it was always my intention to move back down here,' revealed Clarkson. 'Liskeard are a club with ambitions to match mine and we will be looking to move upwards and not spend too long in the new Premier Division. 'I want to build a team that can compete in the Vase as reaching the last 16 has wetted my appetite in that competition,' he added. Clarkson has already enlisted Lee Harvey as his assistant, although he is convinced that the experienced striker is still good enough to lead his front line after watching him in the final game at Bodmin. 'I am looking forward to working with Lee and was delighted that he readily accepted the offer to assist me, especially as he had numerous offers to move elsewhere,' said Clarkson. q q q Bodmin Town 2 Liskeard Ath 2 Liskeard finally had to settle for runners-up spot in the last-ever Carlsberg South Western League after a match with reigning champions Bodmin at Priory Park which most definitely contained the good, the bad and the ugly. The good was the commitment shown by two teams, who both needed a win – Liskeard to take the League title and Bodmin to be in with a shout if other results went their way. The bad was the sending-off two minutes from time of Bodmin's vastly-experienced defender Sean Flynn for remarks made to referee Gary Cornish. The ugly: a 50th minute tackle on Bodmin's Craig Swiggs by Harry Richardson for which the Blues' skipper only received a yellow card. By then Liskeard were holding on to a 2-1 lead and, just for a tantalising while, the League title. After an understandably tense start Sam Matthews set the tone for the match by heading in Liskeard's first goal from an 18th-minute Brinton Nute cross. Both sides then settled to the task and each had chances to score before Luke Hodge, replacing the holidaying Danny O'Hagan, levelled for the home side with a 29th-minute close-range shot. The Blues thought they had struck an important psychological blow two minutes before the break when Richardson was on hand to finish from close- range after home goalkeeper Jason Chapman dropped Lee Harvey's header. Unfortunately Swiggs' sad departure from the field of play provided Town with all the inspiration they needed and Bodmin levelled with another rarity in the 80th minute. Richardson gave away a free-kick with a rash challenge and although Hodge's drive was blocked the ball ran to Robin Teagle who belted it first-time into the net from 25 yards. There remained enough time for Flynn's departure and several more narrow squeaks at either end before the final whistle which brought, ultimately, disappointment for both sides at the end of a long season. While Blues boss Allan Evans had: 'Nothing to say', his assistant Lee Harvey was much more gracious. 'We are absolutely devastated as it's been such a hard campaign, especially after three managers and major upheavals at Lux Park, but I have to say the players have done the club proud. 'Congratulations must go to Trevor Mewton and St Blazey as they stuck to their task and their ten-goal win at Millbrook was a real cruncher. 'In the it was a fitting send-off for Trevor (Mewton) as he leaves football and for the South Western League,' he graciously added. 'Runners-up is not that bad, our destiny was in our own hands, and it all gives us a good platform to build on in the new league next season,' concluded Harvey.' But runners-up could have so easily have been the championship but for another three goals which is all that divided the Blues from the Green and Blacks. Callington Town 0 St Blazey 2 St Blazey rounded off their season – and manager Trevor Mewton's 10-year association with the Blaise Park club – winning their seventh title after this hard-won victory at the Ginster's Marshfield Parc. 'We have rebuilt this side and not had the best of luck with injuries, which have left us down to the bare bones at times, but all credit to those who have come in and have won a championship for the first time,' said Mewton. 'People like Gary Penhaligon and Nicky Campbell have been around for a while and it is magnificent for them to have something to show for their efforts,' praised the Blazey boss. Both clubs can look back upon this season with pride – St Blazey for keeping going and coming from behind to win the League and Callington, who have well and truly ended their reputation as one of the League's pushover sides. With both sides finding it hard to break each other down – and finding the weather and conditions underfoot a hinderance – it took a real stroke of good fortune to give the visitors the lead. A Justin Harrington 68th-minute cross did not seem to carry much threat but, to home goalkeeper Dan Johnson's horror and embarrassment, the ball drifted through his hands into the net. Championship sides do not look gift horses in the mouth and despite several spirited Callington forays, St Blazey settled the game in the final minute of the match – and this time luck was not involved. Substitute Steve Ovens, so often the goal scorer, turned provider and worked his way down the wing before providing the cross from which Campbell fired home their second goal. Having won the game, St Blazey put Saltash out of the running for the championship and, after a nervy 35-minute wait, the news that Bodmin and Liskeard had draw meant that the champagne could be opened with the Green-and-Blacks claiming the last-ever Carlsberg South Western League title. 'Congratulations to St Blazey as they have deserved the title over the season,' said Callington manager Geoff Battams. 'That said, St Blazey had their little bit of luck today which we didn't get when we needed it, but none- the-less, considering we played with a new system today, I thought we took the game to them today. I am proud of the season-long efforts of my side,' he concluded. Saltash Utd 5 Penzance 0 After a long and hard season Saltash just failed to bring the League title back to Kimberly Stadium after a 21-year wait, losing out by a point to rivals St Blazey and Liskeard for third spot. The Ashes realistically went into the game needing to beat Penzance by a huge score, while hoping that St Blazey failed to beat Callington and that Bodmin and Liskeard would draw. It didn't happen. Nevertheless, Ashes manager Tim Halford, like many of his side – in their first South Western League season – felt things had gone pretty well. 'First things first, congratulations to St Blazey for winning such a close-fought League,' he said. 'If I'm honest I'm pleased and at the same time disappointed with third place. Pleased because the squad has acquitted itself so well in its first season in this League yet disappointed because we were leading the League with less than a month ago and then we let it slip.' The match against the Magpies went reasonably to plan for Saltash, who needed as many goals as possible to boost their goal difference. Despite an almost totally dominant first-half display, they only went into the break one goal to the good after Marc Thorne had bagged his 25th goal of the season with a 12-yard shot in the 15th minute. The second goal Saltash craved came in the 59th minute with Mark Chapman slotting the ball home from a Carl Pender cross. Now it was a case of how many more goals Saltash could score as events unfolded elsewhere. Two became three in the 74th minute when Daley Simpson netted a rebound after a Thorne shot was blocked by the now overworked Penzance defence, who were well-served by their goalkeeper Paul Williams. The final goal came in the 80th minute and went to Chapman, who coolly finished from 10 yards after Simpson's header had been well parried by Williams. 'It's been a really good season for us and now we look forward to the new challenges ahead in the Premier Division of the South West Peninsula League – and to maintaining and even exceeding the standards we have set for ourselves this season,' said Halford. Penryn Ath 2 Torpoint Ath 3 As unlikely as it may have seemed halfway through the season Torpoint's excellent run of form now appears to have gained them qualification for the Premier Division of the South West Peninsula League next season. This win at Kernick, against one of their rivals – for what looks likely to be the final qualifying spot – means that the men from The Mill have lost just three times in the last three months. 'Everybody wrote us off but we have come from nowhere,' said Torpoint assistant manager Gary Tiffany. Torpoint had to do it the hard way at Kernick, surrendering the lead twice before grabbing a late winner to the joy of their travelling faithful. A foul on Luke Avis-Riordhan saw Bradley Yeo open the scoring, at the second attempt, after his 34th minute penalty kick had been saved by home goalkeeper Chris Symonds. Penryn were level 10 minutes after the break when Matt Drummond setup Richard Young to fire home. Torpoint restored their lead on 65 minutes when Darren Edwards thumped the ball home from close range but that lead only lasted 10 minutes as Dale Band fired the hosts level for the second time. It looked as if the game was destined for a draw when Gary Williams struck the Penryn bar five minutes from time. But the Torpoint contingent were left to enjoy the long journey home when Chris Maskell's pass allowed Darren Hicks to score with a peach of a shot a minute from time. 'We have not spent huge sums of money, like some others, but we have kept the faith with our squad throughout the season and they have done us very proud,' added Tiffany. Millbrook 1 Tavistock 2 Millbrook will probably be happy to bring down the curtain on a season that saw them concede a massive 101 goals and finish in a lowly 17th place out of 19 teams. 'The main difference between the two sides was Glynn Hobbs who was dangerous throughout the game. 'He is something special and is capable of running the best of teams ragged,' enthused the Millbrook boss. Millbrook had the first chance in the game, after 10 minutes, when a 18-yard shot by Andy Harris brought out an excellent save from Lambs' goalkeeper Andy Meeds. But the Millbrook bubble of optimism lasted for just one more minute. A quickly-taken Tavistock free- kick found Hobbs and his equally quick thinking saw him slip the ball through home goalkeeper Dave Painter's legs to give the Lambs the lead. Five minutes later Tavistock appeared to be giving their hosts a helping hand when Will Stringer was sent off for a foul on Gary Bridgeman Millbrook did their best to try and make the extra man count and did so on the half-hour when Dan Poleston and Robbie Stephens set up Bridgeman to successfully lob Meeds for the equaliser. Tavistock used their interval time in the dressing room to good effect and quickly asserted their authority in the second half – but were seemingly unable to find a second goal thanks to a firm Millbrook defence. The home resistance was ended a minute from time when a cross from Neil Kinsman was headed home by James Cole. Jones added: 'We showed good spirit as always but were up against a very good side today.' DURNING LAWRENCE CORNWALL CHARITY CUP FINAL Bodmin Town 2 St Blazey 2 (St Blazey win 11-10 on penalties after extra time) IT was past 10.30 pm when Matt Parsons calmly fired home the 24th penalty of the night to confirm that the Green and Blacks had retained the Durning Lawrence Cornwall Charity Cup. It a game that had everything, including an incredible 11 yellow cards and one red – for Bodmin skipper Darren Gilbert, and it was not just the players who were drained by the final whistle. The kick-off was delayed until 7.45 pm as the Wadebridge groundsman worked hard to repair two patches that the referee had rightly declared unsafe. Blazey had all the early play with Steve Ovens denied by Bodmin goalkeeper Jason Chapman before the Saints' striker had his effort, from the edge of the box disallowed for a foul. Paul Madden should have done better after Jay Isbell's free-kick had found him unmarked at the far post before Mark Vercesi's 25-yard angled drive flew past Chapman's far post. It was against the run-of-play that Bodmin opened the scoring on 36 minutes as Blazey failed to clear Glenn Squires driven cross for Luke Hodge to lash the ball home from the edge of the area. Hodge should have doubled the lead three minutes later but he shot wide from 18 yards with just Gary Penhaligon to beat. Blazey were deservedly level a minute before the break as skipper Vercesi lashed a low shot across Chapman and into the far corner of the net from 18 yards. The second half was just seven minutes old when Ovens found Dominic Richard free on the right and he drove the ball into the danger area. Chapman dived full length to parry the ball but it fell conveniently into the path of Nick Campbell who had the simple task of firing home from close range. Back came Bodmin with Mark Berry racing onto a long ball to skip around the onrushing Penhaligon and shooting into an empty net to level the scores on 67 minutes. Ovens somehow steered the ball wide at the far post with an empty in front of hime before Hodge raced in but failed to beat Penhaligon with a weak lob. Extra time saw both sides fashion chances with Berry missing the best, firing over with just Penhaligon to beat, before Gilbert received his second caution of the game which then went to the inevitable penalty shoot-out. The first 18 were all converted before Dominic Burn fired Bodmin's 10th over the bar but Penhaligon saw his effort saved by Chapman as the players began taking their second penalties. Shane Powell and Vercesi were both successful before Penhaligon saved Squires effort to leave Parsons to calmly slot home the winning effort before being buried under a mound of bodies.