LISKEARD Athletic joint manager Darren Gilbert has revealed he gave the players a ‘rollicking’ at half-time and at the end of their 1-1 draw against Penzance on Saturday.

The South West Peninsula League Premier West leaders need a maximum of only six points from their remaining four games to clinch promotion to the Western League after this result and Elburton Villa’s 4-1 defeat to Camelford on Friday night.

It means the Blues are 16 points clear of Villa, who have three games in-hand.

But Gilbert said: “I think the boys saw the Elburton result and thought it’s all over now in the race for the title.

“Well it’s not all over. We dropped two points on Saturday and it could have been three. We have faded away at the end of the last two seasons and I don’t want it to happen again.”

He went on: “We didn’t play well as a team on Saturday – maybe that was credit to Penzance, who are a very good team.

“They are well organised by Cheesey (Mark Vercesi), they train twice a week, and they’re not in two cup finals for no reason.

“I saw their player, Charlie Willis, come off near the end and he’d given his all – that’s the way our players should have been.”

Penzance became the first team this season to deny Liskeard a victory at Lux Park. Before Saturday, the Blues had won their previous 11 home games and last failed to pick up three points there back in April.

But Saturday’s result stretched Liskeard’s unbeaten home league run to 29 matches, with 26 wins and three draws. Their last home defeat was 2-1 by Newquay on April 11, 2024.

Gilbert said: “That’s a phenomenal record, we’ve made Lux Park a fortress, and hopefully we can finish our home fixtures against Holsworthy and St Day in style.”

Some of the decisions on Saturday left Liskeard bemused – claiming that the officials got two big calls wrong which had a big influence on the outcome of the match.

Penzance’s 80th minute equaliser, direct from a corner by Jacob Trudgeon, was given by a linesman despite a Blues player appearing to head off the line. Gilbert said: “I’ve watched the video and the ball is not over the line.

“And earlier Matty Andrew was booked when he won the ball in a tackle, which meant for the rest of the game he was having to be careful and couldn’t make the same impact.

“These are big decisions and they’ve got to get them right.”

The next chapter in the title race comes tomorrow evening when Liskeard face Holsworthy at home, while Elburton take on Callington Town at Haye Road. Both games start at 7.30pm.

Were Elburton to lose and Liskeard to win, the celebrations could start at Lux Park.