WESTERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Newquay 2 Liskeard Athletic 0

NEWQUAY got one over on their old foes Liskeard at Mount Wise on Wednesday night after two goals in the opening 12 minutes laid the foundations for all three points.

For their part, the Blues must still be wondering how they failed to score after dominating the second half and seeing two penalties saved by Newquay’s man of the match Shaun Semmens.

Newquay had been two goals down in nine minutes against Bridgwater on Saturday but their start to this game was the opposite as they swarmed all over Liskeard.

A Jack Bray-Evans penalty after only four minutes set them on their way and Callam McOnie doubled the lead eight minutes later with a superb curling left foot shot from 20 yards which gave Ollie Chenoweth no chance.

The visitors thought they had got a goal back immediately when James Lorenz fired into the net from close range, but the assistant referee had the flag raised for offside.

Two minutes later it was close to being 3-0 when Bray-Evans tried his luck from wide on the left and his shot caught the wind, beat Chenoweth and struck the bar.

The Semmens heroics started in the 34th minute when a Max Gilbert free-kick looked destined for the far corner of the net, before the Newquay keeper somehow got his fingertips to it and pushed the ball around the post.

Those heroics continued after the break. Liskeard were awarded a 59th minute penalty after Cam Turner tripped George Marris, but Harry Jeffery’s spot-kick saw Semmens flying to his left to tip it out for a corner.

Jeffery was presented with an easier chance five minutes later when the outstanding Jack Crago laid the ball on a plate for him, but the midfield man somehow lifted his shot wide.

A minute later a Josh Robins shot from distance flew inches wide as Liskeard piled on the pressure in their search for a goal.

They were presented with another big opportunity in the 68th minute when Semmens blotted his copybook by bringing down Crago – but he recovered immediately by diving low to his right to keep out Lorenz’s spot-kick.

The Blues’ night of frustration was summed up by a sin-bin for Max Gilbert which left the visitors playing a man short for the final 10 minutes, and just after that an unmarked Bray-Evans should have made it 3-0 but headed wide.

Liskeard seemed to have a good shout for a third penalty in the 82nd minute when substitute Bailey Gamble was tripped, but referee Will Annear waved away strong appeals to complete a very frustrating night for the visitors.

NEWQUAY: Shaun Semmens; Jamie Edlin, Harry Downing (capt), Cam Turner, Tom Moxham; Ross Fallens (Sam Fearon, 85), Tom Shepherd, Jack Bray-Evans, Tim Nixon (Al Ahmed, 88), Callam Mconie (Ben Shaw, 77), Louis Price. Subs not used: Alex Cole, Joe Baker.

LISKEARD ATHLETIC: Ollie Chenoweth; Ben Cross, Josh Robins (Ben Collins, 73), Harry Jeffery (Bailey Gamble, 75), Matt Andrew, George Marris (Harry Probyn, 73), Max Gilbert, James Lorenz, Scott Sanders, Toby Hayley, Jack Crago. Subs not used: Bailey Mabin, Josh McCabe.

Men-of-the-match: Newquay – Shaun Semmens; Liskeard Athletic – Jack Crago.