St Newlyn East travelled to The Mill to face a Torpoint 3rd team who were undefeated in their previous 5 games and left feeling deflated that the performance they put in did not ensure they came away with the three points it deserved.

Newlyn started well – moving the ball quickly across the pitch that was left heavy following the recent heavy rain and using their wide players to attack the Torpoint full backs. Dan Ball, in particular, was a big threat down the right wing and it took him just 5 minutes to force Martindale in the home goal to save well from his shot. Nathan Prentice in the visitors’ goal was also then called into action making a good block from an attack on 15 minutes.

Ross London then reacted first to another Ball cross when he leapt and sent a glancing header just wide 5 minutes later before brother Owen saw his strike partially blocked by a defender allowing Martindale a comfortable save.

On 24 minutes Newlyn right back Cam Burt send a curling, deep cross into the Torpoint area where Ross London again met it to plant his header into the bottom of the net to give the Saints a deserved lead which he then doubled 4 minutes later after a mix up from the home goalkeeper and defender - from yet another pinpoint Ball cross - allowed him to stab home from close range.

Newlyn were playing the better football and Torpoint had found themselves on the backfoot for most of the half and had made early substitutions in an effort to change the one way flow of the game. Harry Mugford’s shot was well saved when he found space on the hedge of the penalty area as Newlyn seemed to be cruising into half time with a two goal advantage but were cruelly undone when with a little over 5 minutes left in the half Jadon Gotthardt attempted to slide to block a shot but it deflected off his outstretched leg and flew into the net past Prentice for an own goal.

Newlyn started the second half on top in much the same way as they had been for most of the first half – pressing Torpoint high and forcing them to play deeper and make mistakes. With Sam Eglinton and Sean Kinsella now on as second half substitutes they looked to increase their lead and were unlucky not to do so on 51 minutes when Mugford linked up well with Ross London who hit a ferocious left foot shot that cannoned back off the crossbar and away to safety. Owen London again shot just wide before the elder London brother completed his hat trick on 65 minutes following a great run that saw him round the keeper and cooly finish.

The game’s turning point came on 76 minutes when Newlyn’s Sean Kinsella was sinbinned for disputing a free kick awarded against him when it appeared the Torpoint player injured himself by kicking his shin in the first instance. With Newlyn down to 10 men they failed to deal with the delivery that was met by Zak Pearce who had a free header to reduce the arrears. This galvanised the home side and they posed their greatest threat to Newlyn who mounted a valiant and determined rear guard action to keep the home side at bay.

With Kinsella returned after his serving his sinbin Newlyn then lost both full backs to injury as the home side pushed harder for a late equaliser. With just 3 minutes remaining another free kick against the visitors was launched into the penalty area and again Newlyn failed to attack the cross, leaving Payne to head a late equaliser low into the bottom corner for his second of the game.

Although Newlyn secured their first ever points against a Torpoint side they left knowing their performance – in their opinion – deserved more and will feel it was two points dropped rather that one point gained.

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