NEWLY-REFORMED Ruan Minor Football Club enjoyed their first taste of league action at Four Lanes on Saturday.

The club, which folded several years ago, has been resurrected after a successful grant from Sport England enabled a new pavilion to be built in the parish.

Secretary Gary Pollard said: "We decided to set up the team again as it would have been a real shame if we had the pavilion but no football in the village.

"We have around 20 players signed on with ages ranging from 16 to 49. We had to start from nothing, the old posts looked like something from the 1950s and we didn't have any kit, nets or balls."

Thanks to sponsorship from Ruan Minor Stores, Leggy's Pasties and "Mr Fish" - Kevin Pennington's mobile fish and chip shop - the club is now fully kitted and their Trelawny League Division 5 season is underway.

They almost had a dream start to their return, leading Four Lanes 3-2 with 20 minutes to go thanks to goals from Johnny Smith (2) and Will Trewin, before the hosts rallied to run out 5-3 winners.

Gary, aged 44, still plays for the team, while Wayne Briggs is the player-coach and Tony Bennett skippers the side. Former Mullion school teacher Tony Roberts helps to coach the team.

Councillor Peter Freeman and Moira Hurst have been instrumental in securing the funding for the pavilion, which is not yet finished.

Ruan will play their first six games away while work is completed, before staging their first home match on Saturday, October 15. They will also renew their Boxing Day derby with Lizard Argyle, when they will play for the Old Boot.