RYAN Reeve's first-half strike secured victory for Penryn Athletic in their Boxing Day derby at home to Falmouth Town reserves.

Reeve fired in the only goal of the game in the 22nd minute of the St Piran League West game at Kernick Road as Penryn earned their third successive win and moved up to sixth in the table.

Falmouth's Reggie May had the first shot of the game, testing Penryn 'keeper Andrew Butcher in the fifth minute, but Reeve missed a golden chance to open the scoring a few minutes later when he rounded the visiting 'keeper and fired at goal, only to see his effort headed off the line.

The visiting goalkeeper did well to deny Reeve and Jake Shaw from separate one-on-ones soon after before Connor Powell headed narrowly wide as the hosts turned the screw.

And the opening goal soon came in the 22nd minute when Powell's long pass split the defence and found Reeve, who raced through before planting the ball past the 'keeper and into the net.

Reeve could have had a first-half hat-trick but saw his next effort, a first-time strike from Russell May's cross, fly high and wide before another shot was superbly blocked by a Town defender.

Former Penryn man Will Harding came close to levelling against the run of play just before the break, finding space to curl a shot inches wide of the far post from the corner of the box.

The early throes of the second half were end-to-end as Bradley Leivers nodded agonisingly wide from a corner before Reggie May was thwarted by a superb last-ditch block from brother Russell at the other end.

James Daniel was then denied by the Town 'keeper before Butcher had to be alert to save substitute Regan Hull's excellent free-kick, while Reeve saw another chance go begging as the match opened up further.

Reggie May's dangerous cross flew through the Penryn six-yard box before a huge moment in the match came in the 70th minute. A Penryn corner wasn't cleared and fell for Daniel to strike at goal from 12 yards, with his shot being headed off the line by Reuben Talbot.

The hosts, adamant that the ball had crossed the line, pleaded with the referee to award the goal but their appeals fell on deaf ears.

That nearly came back to bite them when a Falmouth free-kick flew off a Penryn head and towards the hosts' goal deep into injury-time, but Butcher was able to claim it as Athletic held on to secure their second successive Boxing day derby win over their nearest neighbours.

Penryn: A Butcher, N Boase, R May, C Powell, J Shaw, L Osborne, M Vallejo, A Hayhoe, B Leivers, J Daniel, R Reeve. Subs: R Jones, K McPhilbin, J Rapsey, T Cooke.

Falmouth: C Southworth, C Saunders, R Talbot, S Owen, R Carroll, T Clayton, L Davies, C Donlevy, W Harding, L Jarvis, R May. Subs: J Blakeston, L Brown, C Edney, R Hull, O Pickup.