Helston Athletic 4, Torpoint Athletic 1

SCOTT Beattie scored twice as Helston Athletic ran out comfortable 4-1 winners over Torpoint Athletic at Kellaway Park on Thursday night.

Phil Cattran opened the scoring before Beattie’s brace gave the Blues a three-goal lead at half-time. A Hugh Howlett own goal gave Torpoint a glimmer of hope until Jamie Thirkle’s late strike.

The hosts immediately put themselves about the opposition and should have been a goal up inside nine minutes, when Cattran's strike looked destined for the back of the net but for a brilliant goal-line clearance.

Only a minute had elapsed before they were in again, as Beattie tried to beat Jason Peters with a dipping half-volley from inside the box which struck the crossbar.

Helston then scored what was an inevitable opening goal in the 18th minute, with Cattran heading Kyle Marks’ corner kick into the corner from the middle of the box.

A deserved second goal then arrived four minutes later following a foul on Tyler Oliver, with the referee playing a nice advantage for Kai Cornish to cross to Beattie who slotted home from six yards.

The home side came within a post’s width of a third on 27 minutes when Charlie Young’s nicely-weighted through ball put Cattran in on goal, whose effort struck the outside of the upright.

But the third did come before half-time with Beattie being afforded the freedom of Kellaway Park to run with the ball and try his luck from the edge of the box, which found the bottom corner.

Helston failed to match their first-half intensity after the break, which allowed Steve Rogers and Rory Simmons to test Barrie Wyatt but they couldn't find a way past the Helston keeper.

Torpoint grabbed a bizarre consolation in the 81st minute as a long diagonal ball struck Howlett on the back of the head, wrong-footing Wyatt as the ball deflected into the opposite corner.

But the hosts restored their three-goal cushion in the final minute with substitute Thirkle rounding off the scoring in a game which Helston never looked like losing.

Packet Pick: Kai Cornish – the young winger was a constant danger on the right flank and deservedly grabbed an assist.

Helston: B Wyatt, K Davies (c), S Beattie (T Russell 70), R Beattie, H Howlett, H Jewell, K Marks (J Thirkle 52), C Young, P Cattran, T Oliver, K Cornish (A Wharton 66).

Helston host Stoke Gabriel tomorrow afternoon before travelling to St Austell on Tuesday night (7.30pm).