Newlyn completed their first season’s fixtures in the Kernow Stone St Piran Leage with a hard-fought draw at home to a talented St Blazey Reserves side bolstered with the addition of their talented young Western League player George Newton.

St Blazey started brightly and had three early chances that called Newlyn’s custodian Nathan Prentice into action by making good saves. Newlyn were then dealt a blow on 5 minutes when a foul on Cam Burt went unpunished but left Newlyn’s full back in pain and struggling to continue.

Russ Brooker almost opened the scoring for the home side when his shot from fully 45 yards almost caught the Visiting keeper unawares but he recovered to make the important save. Burt was finding it harder to continue and a clumsy challenge in the corner that resulted in a caution for himself on 18 minutes signalled the end of his match and he was replaced by Sean Kinsella.

Despite warnings that St Blazey were prepared to press Newlyn still tried to play out from the back and this resulted in a wayward pass on 32 minutes that allowed Newton to break into the penalty where he was fouled for a penalty by Kinsella that was then duly dispatched to give the visitors a half time lead that on reflection was probably what they deserved despite Newlyn giving notice for the last 10 minutes that there was more to come from the home side in the second period.

Newlyn started well in the second half and substitute Owen London was frustrated not to have scored when he was presented with a simple tap in from 3 yards that somehow evaded his out stretched right boot after just 4 minutes of the re start.

With the referee letting several challenges go unpunished it seemed harsh on London when he was then booked for an innocuous shirt pull minutes later. Kinsella then picked up an injury of his own and Newlyn’s substitute had to be replaced by Jackson Rochford.

Harry Mugford scored a contender for Newlyn’s goal of the season when he leapt high to strike a volley on the outside of his right foot that flew over the goalkeeper into drop into the net to give Newlyn a deserved equaliser after 55 minutes.

Jake Watson headed wide from a superb Sonny Summers-Evans cross before Baulch also shot wide with the goal at his mercy following a fine run from Will Perry.

Newlyn were now pushing for the winner and were the team who looked most likely to find one but were ultimately unable to do so, finishing the season with a deserved point against a team that has been consistently in the top four all season.

Newlyn wil know that the form they took into the final 14 games of the season is what they needed to deliver in the opening games – almost winning double the points tally – and gives them hope when looking ahead to the new season in August.

Newquay Osteopaths Man of the Match: Harry Mugford

Referee: Alan Smith