Division One West

This narrow victory at Dean Cross not only completed the double over the Plymouth based-side, but also kept Dobwalls level on points with West Division leaders Porthleven.

Port were busy beating Godolphin 5-2, in the second of only three West Division games to beat the wet weather, as the leading pair opened up a three-point gap over third-placed St Austell.

Dobwalls may have defeated Plymstock 4-0 just a month earlier, but they found this U's outfit a far different proposition in the corresponding fixture.

'Plymstock have improved since they played us at Lantoom Park, and it was a hard game and very good victory,' said Dobwalls joint manager Martin Hodge.

'They (Plymstock) will take points off most sides at their place, so this is certainly one we can chalk off as a success – especially as they had more chances than us in the first half.

'We had one or two words to say to the players during the interval, and in the second period we defended very well and attacked with more purpose; in Nick Souness and Danny Tapper we had two of the best players on the pitch. We are scoring goals and keeping it tight at the back and that made it especially pleasing as central defender Andy Davey and striker Jack Bartlett were both missing.'

The soft conditions underfoot soon turned the pitch into a morass, but that did not stop both teams putting in a full-blooded performance.

It was the visitors, however, who started the brighter and, with less that a minute on the clock, home goalkeeper Ben Elphick was forced into a sprawling save following a Stuart Dunn snap shot.

Both Dunn and fellow striker Martyn Hake were proving to be a lively handful, but the U's were not without their moments, Joe Jasper proving to be equally tantalising for the home side.

The vital goal arrived after just eight minutes when U's central defender Duncan Watson hauled back Dunn as the Dobwalls striker burst in to the area, allowing Tapper to step up and send in a well struck spot-kick that left Elphick groping thin air.

The U's hit back, though, and it was only a well-timed challenge from central defender Jeff Dillon that stopped Joe Ridgeway in his tracks as the young striker threatened to break clear.

Plymstock were now beginning to take the game to their opponents and, following a fine Joe Knight run and cross, Kevin Francis shot just wide from an acute angle at the far post.

Visiting goalkeeper Ellis Glassup then came to the rescue when he produced a fine double save to deny Jasper before play switched to the other end.

Dunn fired just over the bar after outpacing the home defence, and the striker repeated his feat less than 60 seconds later after latching on to a Tapper free-kick.

Dobwalls commenced the second period just as they had started the first, and Tapper's right-wing cross was met by Barry Crane, only for his first-time volley to fly inches over.

Next it was Chris Stoffell who came to the U's rescue, clearing a Spencer Wilson effort off the line after Elphick had made a hash of collecting a through-ball.

The visitors then lost Hake, after a clash with Elphick, but his replacement Dave Cole should have done better after he glanced his header wide from a Dan Murdoch cross.

Dunn was then thwarted by a fine saving tackle from Sean Byrne, but this was to be the defender's last meaningful contribution to the game as shortly after he was sent off after picking up his second yellow card.

The U's had one more chance to salvage something from the game, but substitute Joe Ingram's shot was cleared off the line by Tapper just before referee Chris Evans' final whistle brought proceedings to an end.