Wadebridge Town 1, Helston Athletic 2

HELSTON Athletic put the icing on the cake of a memorable week with victory over their promotion rivals at Bodieve Park, writes LEE HALL

On Tuesday the Blues reached the final of the Cornwall Senior Cup for the first time since 1937 by beating Premier Division Newquay 3-2 after extra time.

And on Saturday they clinched a crucial win over their promotion rivals. 

Helston though do remain 11 points adrift of leaders Godolphin, who were 2-1 winners at home to Callington, but they have three games in hand.

 Victory has, however, opened up a three-point lead on third-placed Wadebridge.

Helston dominated the first half, with their hosts well below their best. 

They led through Tom Russell's sixth minute strike, and should have added more goals before the break.

Wadebridge improved in the second half, but after failing to cause Helston too many problems, the visitors doubled their lead in the 67th minute. 

After Liam Eddy's effort was saved, Mark Goldsworthy followed up with a diving header from only a couple of yards out.

Substitute Paul Cox gave Wadebridge a glimmer of hope when he pulled a goal back in the 79th minute.

But Helston comfortably saw the game out to clinch a massive win in the Division One West title race.

Wadebridge: T Vercoe, A Ahearn, D Metherell, S Gerken, M Cook, B Richardson (N Cudmore 45+3), L Ames, N Dowling, P Menhinick, D Jennings, S Looker (P Cox 65). Subs (not used): P Clarke, S Wheatman, G Reynolds.

Helston: J Robertson, K Davies, D Stidwell (C Strike 76), J Thomson, A Collick, H Howlett, J Adlard, M Fox (J Miller 61), L Eddy, M Goldsworthy, T Russell. Subs (not used): M Webster, N Thwaites, F ***ming.

Other Division 1  West results: Godolphin 2 Callington 1; Holsworthy    7 Foxhole 0; Perranporth  0 Penryn 1;  Porthleven  2 St Dennis 4; Sticker  3 Mousehole 0; Truro City 0 Dobwalls 4.

Bromley 4 Truro City 0

City boss Lee Hodges admitted his wide were beaten by the better team as they conceded the league double to a Bromley side still with an outside chance of promotion.

The writing was on the wall for City as they conceded after just 34 seconds with home skipper skipper Ali Fuseini netting for Bromley.

Dogged defence kept Bromley at bay until half time, with recalled keeper Paul Hider making some important stops. Hider who had been released earlier in the week was re-registered in place of the unwell Luke Payne, in the only change from the side that beat Hayes & Yeading last week.

But City conceded a second at the start of the second half, with Louie Theophanous on target and the game as a contest was effectively over.

And a brace of goals from Pierre Joseph-Dubois in the 65th and 68th minutes  ended any slim hopes City might of hand of staging a come back.

In the closing stages, City did at least threaten a consolation goal, but it was not to their day as their hopes of back to back wins for the first time this season were brutally ended.

After the game Hodges said: "We were beaten by the better team on the day. Bromley are a very good team with plenty of pace and power,

"It was an awful start, but we kept battling and gave it a real go. I changed things about to try and get back into the match but it did not really work."

City are next in action at Sutton Utd on Tuesday evening at Sutton Utd (7.45pm) with Joe Broad a major doubt after coming off early on with a stomach problem, but Jake Ash, who was on the bench, could well return.

Redruth 19 Hartpury College 26

Redruth finally lost their unbeaten home record this season after giving themselves a mountain to climb in a poor first half against an impressive Hartpury side, writes Dick Straughan.

After a bright start the Reds fell behind to a Craig Jackson penalty and then conceded a try as former Exeter Chiefs wing Sean Marsden set up flanker Liam Wilkinson to race in at the corner. Bad then turned to worse for the home side as Billy Burns chipped through and Jackson won the foot race for a second try.

Two further penalties dispatched by Jackson kept the scoreboard ticking over and the Reds, disrupted by the early loss of Steve Evans to injury, took until first half stoppage time to find their feet with a try of their own.

Greg Goodfellow took a quick tap penalty and raced 60 metres before slipping a pass to Lewis Vinnecombe to run in under the posts. Paul Thirlby converted to cut the arrears to 21-7 at the break but Hartpury added a third try early in the second half.

Wilkinson ran in his second touchdown after fine work by Gloucester dual-registered Number 8 Gareth Evans and it looked as if the contest was over. The men in red shirts disagreed.

Finally the home pack found some extra forward gears and a level of intensity to worry the Students and a series of attacking 5 metre scrums and repeated penalties was finally rewarded with a penalty try converted by Thirlby.

A tempestuous final ten minutes saw yellow cards for Hartpury`s skipper Chris Fortey and replacement hooker Dylan Rodrigues, whilst Murray Westren's 75th minute try had the crowd on the edge of their seats.
But Hartpury held on and Redruth will have to fight to the wire to secure a place in the end of season play-offs.

Redruth

C.Bonds, Notman, Vinnicombe, Evans (Westren 6), Simmons, P.Thirlby, Goodfellow; Jacques, Brown, Williams, Cook, Collins, Priddey (Duncan 48), Hambly, Fuca (capt)

Replacements (not used) – B.Drew, Turner, Rayment

Tries – Vinnecombe, Penalty, Westren

Cons – Thirlby (2)

Hartpury College

Jackson, Reynolds (Haile 6), Dancer, Rodwell, Marsden, Burns (Stevenson 70), Field; Gibbons (Cano 70), Fortey (capt) (sin bin 71), Crompton, Graulich, Raven, Thomas, Wilkinson (Walker 63, Rodrigues 73 sin-bin79), Evans

Tries – Wilkinson (2), Jackson

Con – Jackson

Pens – Jackson (3)

Yellow Cards – Fortey, Rodrigues

Referee – D.Richards (RFU)

Parts of the Westcountry were waking up to a covering of crisp white snow this morning after the weather took a turn back towards winter.

The Met Office yesterday upgraded parts of the region from a yellow to an amber alert as it was reported parts of Devon and Somerset were experiencing heavy snowfall.

Forecaster Steven Keates said the outlook was for a very chilly day as snow was accompanied by a bitter north-easterly wind.

"All eyes will be looking towards the south as a band of wet weather turns into snow," he said. "As a result, a good part of the South West could see some snow."

Mr Keates said the worst of the weather this morning would be over Dartmoor, which could see 10cm of snow. Parts of North Devon will see snow and the high ground between Exeter and Plymouth could witness a fall of up to 7cm.

More westerly towns will also see a scattering of snowfall, said Mr Keates. "There could be a couple of centimetres in Penzance and there may even be a dusting on the Isles of Scilly, which is quite rare for there."

Yesterday, heavy snow was reported as falling around Okehampton, creating difficult driving conditions on the A30. Snow was also falling at Wrangaton, south Dartmoor.

In a truly traditional scene the East Cornwall Hunt held Saturday's meet outside Jamaica Inn at Bolventor, in the heart of Bodmin Moor.

The meet took place after the annual hunt breakfast at the ancient inn, when 30 members sat down for a full Cornish repast before heading off into the mists of the moor to follow four draglines.

"It was an absolutely marvellous breakfast which should keep us going all day," said the Master and huntsman Graham Higgins, as he thanked the inn's staff. "I think we're going to have a good day as scenting conditions are ideal."

Since the introduction of the foxhunting ban the pack, in common with 200 others in England and Wales, has followed scent trails laid by a member of the hunt mounted on a horse or a quad bike.

With the season drawing towards a close, there were just a dozen mounted followers riding behind the 25 hounds with Mr Higgins and his two whippers-in. They included visitors from the neighbouring Four Burrow Hunt. The season closes on March 23 with the meet at St Neot, followed by the end-of-season dinner at the Jamaica Inn, when the guest speaker will be WMN columnist and Dartmoor farmer Anton Coaker.

Whatever Wilder says, as things stand – Saturday's 3-1 loss at Plainmoor was Torquay United's eighth defeat in nine npower League Two games and their fifth on the trot at home – they are heading in only one direction.

The one department that Torquay have been able to rely on for most of this season has been the heart of their defence, but even that wilted worryingly as the fog drifted in over Plainmoor.

It would be harsh to lay all the blame at the feet of Aaron Downes, for the Australian has probably been Torquay's most consistent defender and a definite candidate for player of the year.

The Gulls have been asking for trouble for some time, failing so tamely up the pitch and then expecting their back four and goalkeeper Michael Poke to bail them out.

It was the same again on Saturday. Torquay, with new loan signing Joss Labadie bringing some much-needed presence to midfield, were half-decent for half-an-hour.

They went at Oxford as if they meant it, Billy Bodin lively on the left wing, and passed the ball with intent. But then Oxford, trying to pick themselves up from a 4-0 home hammering by Rotherham United in midweek, suddenly got their act together.

In the space of nine minutes before half-time strikers James Constable, recalled by Wilder, and Alfie Potter started pulling Downes, back from a hamstring injury, and Brian Saah about.

Twice Poke pulled off top-class saves to keep out the Oxford pair, with Potter firing a third chance wide.

Oxford's former Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick did have to pull out a smart stop to deny Ryan Jarvis, after a one-two with Rene Howe, but the alarm bells were ringing for Torquay. Sure enough, it all went seriously wrong within minutes of the restart.

It was one thing to lose possession, as they did again deep in Oxford's half in the 50th minute, it was another to be beaten as they were by one long ball which followed.

It was not a great pass by any means, but Constable made the most of it, brushing Downes aside and then rounding Poke before rolling in his 12th goal of the season.

Four minutes later Constable found himself in a three-against-one minority as Downes, Saah and Poke all converged to deal with another long ball. Downes actually sorted that moment out, but, instead of clearing the ball, he tried to turn back inside near the by-line.

Constable nicked the ball off him and Downes' only resort, as Constable headed back into the area, was to pull him over.

There were no protests as referee Stephen Martin pointed to the spot, and Damian Batt sent Poke the wrong way with his penalty.

Torquay had to respond quickly, and they did. In the 58th minute, after McCormick tipped over Labadie's 25-yard free-kick, captain Lee Mansell delivered the corner from the left and Downes scored his fifth goal of the season with a downward header.

There was at least hope that Torquay, and Downes, could repair the earlier mistakes, and Mansell did have a goal-bound shot blocked from a good move between Saah and Bodin. They still had half an hour, as it turned out, to save themselves, but they never really played well enough, and certainly did not create enough chances, to do it.

Good passing buys time on the ball. But, with nerves jangling, too many passes were helped rather than drilled towards team-mates, who found themselves closed down and under pressure as a result.

Oxford sensed Torquay's discomfort and started to catch them on the counter.

Knill tried to inject some pace on the right wing, sending on Lloyd Macklin for Jarvis. Wilder pepped his attack, introducing striker Deane Smalley for left-winger Sean Rigg, switching the lively Potter to the left.

Constable and Josh Parker, who had replaced Tony Capaldi early on, both went close to killing the contest.

As the game moved into stoppage time, Torquay finally threatened an equaliser, the subdued Howe denied by McCormick and Saah firing wide on the turn. But the final word went to Oxford.

Simon Heslop, who had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes, swapped breakaway passes with fellow substitute Smalley down their right and drove the ball across Poke and into the net.

There are now ten games left for Torquay to turn around this dreadful run, and the next two are away from home this week – Dagenham and Redbridge tomorrow and SouthendUnited on Saturday.

Any points in the East End and deepest Essex will feel like manna from heaven.

"We can't blame anybody else apart from ourselves, and we're the only ones who can put it right," said manager Alan Knill after Torquay United slid deeper into relegation trouble – they are now only a point ahead of Plymouth Argyle at the bottom – with a fifth successive home defeat, 3-1 to play-offs outsiders Oxford United.

Knill did whisper "Wow!" and draw a deep breath before starting his post-match interview, as he tried to put a brave face on some catastrophic defending and the lack of confidence which cost the Gulls so dear.

He will seek to push through an extension of striker Elliot Benyon's one-month loan from Southend today, even though Benyon will not be able to play against his parent club at Roots Hall next Saturday.

Knill plans to squeeze in a couple more scouting missions, either side of tomorrow night's trip to Dagenham and Redbridge, before making his next moves into the loan transfer market.

He was clearly worried by the way in which Torquay had gone under in the second half against Oxford.

"The two goals in a few minutes at the start of the second half killed us," said Knill. "For the first, a short pass in their half and they're into us with one straight ball. We lost the ball, but it's still got to go a long way before it goes into our net.

"For the second, Aaron Downes should have put it in the stand, tries something different and it's a penalty.

"Aaron then got us back into it, and we still had a chance then.

"But that's the second time in the two home games since I've been here that we've conceded a second goal straight after letting in the first – the same happened against Wycombe [in a 2-1 defeat] – and it's cost us.

"It's plainly obvious that the players are edgy at home, but it doesn't matter whether it's away or home – we have to be better than we were today.

"In bits, we were OK in the first half, but I've not seen us put a whole game together yet.

"It's unbelievably disappointing, but you've just got to get over it and move on quickly."

Of new loan midfielder Joss Labadie, who made his debut, Knill added: "I thought Joss did quite well.

"He got cramp near the end, which is why we brought him off, but he's strong and powerful, and I'm sure he's going to be a good addition."

Oxford manager Chris Wilder was Knill's assistant at Bury five years ago, and the pair have been friends for many years.

Wilder said: "I go back a long way with Alan – he's a class act and an excellent manager, and I know how things can go when teams are on a losing run like Torquay are. But they will get out of it.

"They are going through a few issues, but I don't envisage them going down – they've got too many good players."

POLICE have raised concerns for the welfare of a man last seen in the Stithians area.
The appeal for assistance from the public comes after the male was seen at various locations in the village in the early hours of today.
He was last seen in the village shop on Crellow Lane at around 8am.
The man is described as being in his early 20s, around 5ft 6in tall, and of slim build.
A spokesman said: "He was dressed in a black baggy jumper but was not wearing any shoes. When he was first seen, he was wearing dirty, cream-coloured trousers, but these were later discarded.
"Officers are anxious to trace and identify the man as they are concerned about his welfare in the current cold weather. It is believed that the man may have been sleeping rough in local outbuildings."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the police on 101, quoting log number 0118 of 110313. Members of the public are asked not to approach the man directly.

More than 100 people attended a rally at Carn Brea Leisure Centre on Saturday morning, amid claims that it could be "asset stripped".

Councillors from across the political spectrum and concerned users held hands to show their support for the leisure centre.

Cornwall Council wants to sell the centre's car park and running track to a developer. Some of the proceeds would be used to build a new running track and to refurbish the centre. The remainder would be used to prop up ailing leisure centres around the county.

Local politicians and centre users want all the proceeds of any deal ploughed back into Carn Brea, preferable with a new facility built.

Camborne town councillor Stuart Odgers said: "There's strong cross party support  for this and we want to ensure there's a good leisure centre for the future and a running track. The running track must have the facilities to go with it to enable whoever uses it to stage proper events."

Wendron Cornwall councillor Loveday Jenkin said: "I was portfolio holder when this centre was handed over to the trustees. We know what a state it was in then and it's been patched up and patched up and it's time they built a new facility."

Carn Brea Leisure Centre Trust's chairman, Jeff Marston, said:  "Although this community event was not organised by the trust, we are extremely appreciative that the community showed their support for the leisure centre and the athletics track. We continue to have positive discussions with Cornwall Council on the future of both the leisure centre and athletics track and look forward to being able to update the community on the outcome in due course."

RESIDENTS in Mousehole cleared litter and debris from the village's beach and surrounding drains, in the first of what will now be monthly meetings.
More than 15 villagers responded to the call of LOVE Mousehole on Saturday.
The informal group, which met for the first time last month, was set up to discuss issues and organise community events.
And following the success of the first Mousehole Walkabout to help tackle flooding problems in the village, the group has now decided to make it a monthly occurrence.
Alice Maddox, who helped organise the first meeting, said:  "I think it went really well. We went on to the beach and cleared away  all the plastic and weeds, and started work on a flower bed in the car park.
"It was a really good community event, quite a few people who came to the first meeting came as well as few people who read about it."
The group will meet on the first Saturday of every month at 1.30pm at Mousehole Memorial to sweep the village for debris.
For more see this week's Cornishman.

A famous childrens' artist living in North Cornwall sexually abused young girls after blindfolding them and dressing them in Victorian-style nighties, a jury heard today.

Graham Ovenden, 70, is accused of paedophile crimes against four children aged from six to 14 between 1972 and 1985.

Ramsay Quaife, prosecuting, said the offences took place at his homes in London and Cornwall and the alleged victims - all now adults - had similar accounts of the alleged abuse.

He added that the accused told police he still has 'a very major reputation' for painting some of the best portraits of children in the last 200 years.

Mr Quaife told Truro Crown Court that the offences took place as the youngsters modelled for Ovenden, who is also a renowned fine art photographer.

He said: "What we say is that Mr Ovenden is a paedophile, that is a sexual abuser of children, and we say in this case the target of his abuse was young girls."

He described how Ovenden would dress the children up in Victorian style nighties before leaving them naked and blindfolding them.

He said: "The defendant would put the tape down over her eyes. She could not see anything. The tape was black, stretchy and smelt of glue.

"Although she could not see, she could hear the defendant and she could remember the sound of his belt buckle.

Mr Quaife said Ovenden then performed an indecent assault on the children.

He said in some cases the naked girls whose eyes were taped were moved into different positions and pictured where their genitals could be seen.

He described another incident when one of the complainants was having a bath with Ovenden's daughter when they were around five and six years old.

Mr Quaife said Ovenden stripped and got into the bath himself and forced the child to touch him before taking photographs of the youngsters.

Ovenden, from Pantersbridge, nearr Bodmin, denies six charges of indecent assault and three of indecency with a child.

The trial continues.

The Cornish Pirates are set to confirm that their Chief Executive, Rod Coward, will step aside from his role at the end of the month, Dick Straughan  reports exclusively.

Mr  Coward joined the club in 2006 first in the role of General Manager where he set about bringing financial stability to the club before taking over as CEO and leading the Stadium for Cornwall project.

He has overseen the most successful period in the on-field history of the Cornish Pirates with silverware in the British & Irish Cup in 2010 and places in the last two RFU Championship play-off finals.

During his tenure there have also been major logistical challenges with the club relocation from Truro to Camborne and then back to the Mennaye Field in Penzance.

The Pirates have yet to name his successor although former Harlequins CEO Mark Evans has in the past been tipped as a possible candidate. However Mr Coward will remain at the Cornish Pirates in a new role as Director of Penzance & Newlyn Rugby Ltd.