ANOTHER week and another win for Helston Athletic, who swapped Peninsula League points for an FA Vase victory on Saturday as they defeated Axminster Town in the second qualifying round.

Playing just their seventh home tie in any competitive cup competition since the summer of 2015, the Blues ran out 2-0 winners over their South West Peninsula League Premier East opponents to reach the first round proper.

Scott Beattie, fresh from bagging his first of the season in midweek, doubled his tally for the season to give the hosts a half-time lead, before Mark Goldsworthy finally made sure of the win from the spot in the final minute of the 90.

Blues are red-hot

It has been a wonderful start to the season for Helston, who racked up their ninth win in a row with victory over Axminster on Saturday.

Their run of seven league wins and two cup success has seen them rise to fourth in the SWPL Premier West and reach the first round proper of the Vase for only the second time.

I mentioned in my final word of Helston's defeat to Liskeard Athletic in their second game of the campaign that they cannot afford to have too many more of those if they are to challenge this season, and they have certainly heeded those words with that defeat a distant memory now.

It is the first time they have won at home in the Vase and it is also the first time they have won two games in the competition. You could not count out a cup run with the team in the winning form they are in at the moment.

Goldy loves goals

On an individual basis, one of the stars of the show has been Goldsworthy, who netted his 12th of the season in Saturday's game with a well-taken penalty in the 90th minute.

Goldsworthy has been in fine form since returning to the club from St Austell in the summer, and while he failed to hit the back of the net in the first two games against Newquay and Liskeard, he has done so 12 times in the eight games since. He will hit 35 goals by Christmas if he keeps that kind of scoring rate up.

I thought the one key thing missing from their squad last season was a regular goal scorer. There were plenty of games where Helston would dominate possession but fail to stick it in the back of the net – a goalless draw at home to Callington Town sticks to mind as being one of the big games for that.

Helston boss Steve Massey shared that belief and has brought in two proven scorers in both Goldsworthy and Liam Eddy, and while the latter has spent much of the season sidelined by injury so far, the former has been in fine scoring form. I fear for the rest of the league when the two are reunited on the pitch.

Cornish clattered

Kai Cornish is second in the Blues' scoring charts this season with six strikes this season, and the youngster's newfound goal scoring ability is another feather in the cap of a player beginning to really show what he can do.

Aside from his goal return, which is a big positive, Cornish has demonstrated the bags of ability that he possesses on the left side of Helston's midfield this year, with his skill on the ball, turn of pace and ability to turn defenders inside out.

He was doing that once again on Saturday and regularly managed to sprint down towards the byline, before cutting inside to beat his man and either tee up a teammate or get a quick shot away.

The cutting inside is far from the only trick in his repertoire, however, with the youngster equally happy with a first-time cross on his left foot – something he did regularly in the second half.

He was involved in a big moment in the first half when he raced through on goal and collided with Axminster 'keeper Jason Hutchings just inside the box.

I thought it was a penalty at the time – and still think so after looking back on the excellent highlights provided by Piranfilms – but the referee waved play on.

Cornish may quite well have gone on to round Hutchings and fire into the empty net had there not been contact, but luckily the decision did not affect the result.

Super stopper

Another player to impress on Saturday was Blues 'keeper Jason Robertson, and while he wasn't called into action often enough to warrant the man-of-the-match award that he received at full-time, there was one moment which more than made up for that.

With the score at 1-0, Axminster captain John Hurford struck a sweet free-kick from 25 yards that looked for all the world that it was going to nestle into the top left corner and level the scores.

But Robertson had other ideas, and the goalkeeper, at full stretch, leaped to his right to claw the ball away and keep his side's lead intact.

I thought to myself at the time that you won't see a better save this season, but Massey went even further and proclaimed that it was the best he had ever seen live. High praise indeed.

Next up

Helston will look to make it a perfect ten out of ten on Saturday when they return to SWPL matters with a trip to Godolphin Atlantic (Newquay).

The G have won just twice this season, with one being at bottom side Sticker, but did manage to see off Falmouth Town at their Godolphin Way ground in the other, which is no mean feat.