Helston Athletic reserves 2, Wendron United reserves 0

HELSTON Athletic reserves secured back-to-back wins in the St Piran League for the first time with a 2-0 victory at home to Wendron United reserves.

Fred Williams gave the Blues the lead at half-time of a very wet encounter at Kellaway Park, with Steve Jenkin making sure of victory midway through the second half.

The defeat leaves Wendron still searching for their first win since the end of September.

The early kick-off of 12.30pm was intended to allow people to watch Helston and Wendron’s respective first teams do battle in the South West Peninsula League at 3pm, but the weather forced the latter game off, with the early clash one of very few games across the county.

Heavy rain greeted the players as they made their way out onto the Kellaway Park turf, which looked rather worse for wear come full-time.

Jake Yates and Williams had early chances for Helston inside the first ten minutes, before Michael O’Neil tested Bryan Scoffin and Jack Noy fired wide at the other end for the Dron.

Helston took the lead shortly after Noy’s miss, with Jenkin cutting the ball back to Williams in the centre of the box, who drove the ball past Wendron ‘keeper Joe Richards.

Wiliams thought he had doubled the lead a couple of minutes later when he raced on to a through ball and slotted it past Richards, but the flag had long since gone up.

Wendron began to get a foothold in the game midway through the half and had a golden chance to level when Scoffin spilled a catch at O’Neil’s feet, but the striker could only send it over the crossbar.

The visitors’ pressure continued, and they missed another good chance to get on the scoresheet when a superb counter ended with Will Paul firing over Noy's cross at the back post.

Jenkin relieved some pressure, cutting inside and forcing a save out of Richards at the other end, before Billy Stone did the same with Scoffin, forcing the Blues ‘keeper into backpedalling and tipping his shot over his bar.

Scoffin almost undid his good work by spilling Paul's low cross, but his blushes were spared by a defender, who cleared before Noy could tap the loose ball in.

Helston started the second half brightly and saw two goals ruled out within two minutes of each other. Williams was the striker in question both times, taking his tally of disallowed goals to three for the afternoon.

His first saw him race on to a through ball and beat Richards, but was flagged offside, before finding the net a minute later, but fouled the Wendron ‘keeper whilst doing so.

Wendron started to enjoy a spell of pressure but could not translate it into a shot on target, with substitute Max Bowden twice missing the target when through on goal.

Seconds after Bowden missed the second chance in the 63rd minute, Helston went up the end and doubled their lead. Jenkin rounded the onrushing Richards outside the box, before lobbing the ball past the despairing Wendron defenders and into the corner from 25 yards.

James Moseley came close to pulling one back for the visitors, heading wide at the back post following a corner, before Blues substitute Al Williams missed a chance to seal the points when through on goal, with an excellent sliding challenge from Dale Bowden denying the youngster as he prepared to pull the trigger.

The visitors spurned a final chance to get on the scoreboard four minutes from time, with Noy getting in behind the defence and pulling it back to Max Bowden, who fired wide again.

Helston: B Scoffin, P Reynolds, K Leathley, D Jenkin, F Conway, M Hallibone, S Jenkin, T Russell, F Williams, J Yates, M Everall. Subs: A Williams, J Blatch, O Classey, I Dryburgh, H Jewell.

Wendron: Joe Richards, B Andrew, Josh Richards, J Moseley, E Webb, W Paul, B Stone, M O’Neill, L Pawley, J Noy, G McIvor. Subs: D Bowden, M Bowden, L Hunter, L Potts, S Care.