St Newlyn East extended their winning league run to six games with victory over Liskeard Reserves at Cargoll Road that sees them maintain their current position at the top of the league.

The Saints opened the scoring on 13 minutes when a corner was swung in with his right boot from Jay Manning and the cross deceived everyone as it sailed into the net at the far post. Liskeard equalised within 2 minutes when Joe Short held off Sam Eglinton’s challenge and turned inside before hitting a shot from 35 yards that sailed over Nathan Prentice’s head and dropped into the goal.

Harry Mugford almost restored Newlyn’s lead within a minute when he won the ball on the edge of the penalty area and hit a left foot shot that flew inches wide of the post. Russell Brooker hit a rocket from just over 30 yards on 18 minutes that dipped and smashed to safety off the cross bar with the goalkeeper well beaten. The home side were rewarded for their pressure on 28 minutes with a second goal when another Manning corner was met at the far post by Chris Sturgess who headed powerfully home.

Newlyn increased their lead on 34 minutes when Mugford won the ball, fed it to Russell Brooker who swept play out to Manning on the right wing. Manning controlled the pass and sent over a pinpoint cross for Ross London to head back across the goalkeeper and into the net.

However as the half drew to a close Liskeard were gifted a lifeline when the stand in referee awarded the visitors a penalty much to the disbelief of almost everyone as Will Perry seemed to play the ball out for a corner. Short stepped up and calmly scored from the spot low to Prentice’s left.

Newlyn introduced Jack Thompson and Sonny Summers-Evans at the half time interval for Brooker and Mugford with Jake Watson moving from the wing and into a more central role.

Newlyn turned up the pressure in the second half and after 58 minutes Ash Bradshaw won the ball on the halfway line where he calmly passed to Watson who found Sturgess. Newlyn’s midfielder then sprayed the ball out to Manning who found Watson’s run across the penalty area. Watson kept possession and passed back to Dan Ball. Ball then ghosted past two defenders before squaring to Thompson to shoot. His Shot was only half-saved by the visiting goalkeeper and London pounced from close range for his second goal of the game.

The home side added a fifth goal on 63 minutes – Sturgess playing a defence splitting pass through to Watson to race clear and strike a low finish with his left foot into the corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Newlyn completed the scoring from the penalty spot on 88 minutes when Watson was fouled and 18-year-old Sonny Summers-Evans stepped up to score his first goal for the club to the delight of his teammates and watching home supporters.

Newlyn now face a tricky cup tie in the CCFA Intermediate Cup when they host Premier Division Millbrook Reserves at Cargoll Road.

Newquay Osteopaths Man of the Match: Jay Manning

Match Referee: Shaun Pritchard