Falmouth Town 0, Helston Athletic 3
HELSTON Athletic took full advantage of a depleted Falmouth Town side to run out comfortable winners in the Good Friday derby at Bickland Park.
Goals from Ryan Chinn and Billy Tucker gave Helston a two-goal lead at the break before Scott Beattie's late header sealed the bragging right for the Blues.
The visitors started the match as favourites with Town opting to rest a large number of first-team players ahead of Monday's Cornwall Senior Cup final against Saltash United.
Helston were not prepared to take the weakened Town side - which still included first-team players Jack Bowyer, Matt Buchan, Luke Johnson, Andrew Westgarth and Ryan Martt - lightly and almost led inside three minutes. Phil Cattran raced on to a through ball and lobbed Town 'keeper Adam Robathan but the ball landed on the top of the crossbar.
Cattran was in confident mood after last week's hat-trick at Bodmin Town and almost turned provider when he surged into the box shortly after, but his pass inside was cleared from danger.
Town eventually got a foothold in the game and almost bundled in from Luke Johnson's corner, before Jamie Thirkle headed Matt Bye's free-kick wide for the Blues.
The majority of the first half was a balanced affair with both sides. Thirkle fired over and Beattie volleyed wide from close range for the visitors, while Town's captain for the day Jack Webber drilled a shot over Barrie Wyatt's crossbar.
Wyatt was involved on the half-hour mark when he collided with Falmouth's Matt Buchan when trying to claim the ball on the very edge of his box. Town screamed for handball while Helston shouted for a free-kick, with the referee agreeing with the men in blue.
The next meaningful action saw the Blues open the scoring. Billy Tucker, introduced from the bench just seconds earlier, saw his corner headed on by Ryan Beattie towards the near post where Chinn was lurking to poke it over the line from six yards against his former club.
Tucker made an even bigger impact four minutes later, turning from provider from scorer to double Helston's lead before the break. The super-sub reached Cattran's pass on the left and fired at goal, with the shot having too much power for Robathan.
Town struggled to turn things around after the break with, a couple of dangerous crosses from Buchan and Westgarth aside, the visitors looking intent on extending their advantage.
Tucker was still the danger man for Helston, first teeing up Matt Bye to shoot wide on the counter before going it alone and testing Robathan from distance later in the half.
The visitors completed an excellent morning's work with a third goal in the 80th minute. Bye's free-kick was tipped away from the bottom corner by Robathan but Beattie was on hand to head in the rebound.
Joel Allen almost pulled one back late on when his header was cleared off the line, but it was not going to stop Helston from completing a rare double over Town.
Falmouth: A Robathan, L Chinn, J Penhallurick, F Harris (L Brabyn 52), R Martt, J Allen, A Westgarth, J Webber, M Buchan (B Kellow 85), J Bowyer (K Thomas 27), L Johnson. Subs (unused): J Ward.
Helston: B Wyatt, K Davies, A Williams (M Hallibone), R Beattie, L Tonkin (B Tucker 35), R Chinn, K Cornish (J James), M Bye, S Beattie, P Cattran, J Thirkle. Subs (unused): S Young, K England.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here