FIFTEEN wins from 16 league games, 14 of those in a row, second in the league and another three points on Saturday. The Helston Athletic train keeps chugging along nicely.

Their latest victory, a 4-0 triumph at home to Camelford on Saturday, will not rank as the most memorable, exciting or emphatic, but you don’t get three points for any of those.

They did get three points thanks to another pair of goals from red-hot striker Mark Goldsworthy, and one from each of Ed Timmons and Bill Tucker, as Helston moved to second in the South West Peninsula League Premier West after Saltash United’s game at Bodmin Town was postponed.

It was yet another profitable afternoon in front of goal for Goldsworthy, who netted his 31st of the campaign in the fifth minute to get his side off to an excellent start, converting Timmons’ low cross with a first-time shot from six yards to settle the Blues in nicely.

It was a welcome assist for Timmons, who was making his second appearance in a blue shirt after signing from local rivals Porthleven last week.

No doubt eager to make an impression, the right back switched from provider to scorer in the 20th minute when he got in front of Camels ‘keeper Luke Gwillam at his near post and rose to nod Tucker’s cross past the helpless ‘keeper. That will do wonders for endearing himself to his new supporters and team-mates.

There was not a lot to write home about besides those two goals, in truth, as Helston struggled to convert possession into meaningful attempts on goal, while Camelford failed to make the most of their chances when they did get them.

Cameron Wheat and Phil Cattran came close for the home side, but Goldsworthy had a better chance go begging, powerfully heading Alfie Flack’s cross into the body of Gwillam from six yards.

That missed opportunity to kill the game off the first half was superseded by the final chance of the half, when Matt Bye took a tumble inside the box in first-half stoppage time.

We were into the third minute of added time by the time the penalty was taken, with referee Derek Hughes having to appease the visiting dugout, who felt the ball was not correctly on its spot.

Was it delaying tactics or a genuine grievance? Either way it worked, as Goldsworthy promptly saw his spot kick saved by Gwillam.

Camelford were still in the game, then, as the teams returned for the second half. They did not look like scoring, though. Neither team did, in fact, throughout a pedestrian first half of the second half.

That was almost changed in sensational style as Goldsworthy saw his goal of the season contender denied by the fingertips of Gwillam. Tucker’s inswinging cross found the in-form forward in the centre of the box, with his flying scissor kick seeming destined for the bottom corner, but for a superb stop from the ‘keeper to tip the ball onto his left post.

Camelford reminded their hosts that they were still in it, with Kian Burns firing into the side netting on 73 minutes. That only served as a wake-up call to Steve Massey’s side, who scored the all-important killer third less than a minute later – a fine solo finish from Tucker.

Game over, points in the bag, up to second in the league, job done for the Blues.

There was still time for Goldsworthy to volley in Helston’s fourth, his second of the game and 32nd in all competitions in a stellar first half of the season for the striker.

Goldsworthy has reached 32 goals in all competitions – 27 in the league, three in the League Cup, one in the Cornwall Charity Cup and one in the FA Vase – in Helston’s 22 games this season.

The Blues still have a minimum of 24 games left to play this season – and a maximum of 30 depending on cup performances – so a 50-goal campaign is very much a possibility for the former St Austell man, which would be a stupendous achievement.

As for the team itself, they may have laboured to victory on Saturday, but the victory never really looked like being in doubt.

Fourteen wins in a row, four points off leaders St Austell with five games in hand and some exciting festive derbies against Wendron United and Porthleven to look forward to on the horizon.

The Helston train is chugging along very nicely indeed.