PENZANCE are through to their first Senior Cup final in 45 years after scoring twice in extra time to end Saltash’s resistance in a pulsating tie at Blaise Park on Tuesday night.

The Magpies finally broke the deadlock on the stroke of the first half of extra time with a well-worked goal from Ollie Butler.

And seconds after Fin Wilkes had missed a great opportunity to equalise with two minutes left, Penzance broke to the other end where Hayden Waters kept his cool to score the clinching goal.

It was harsh on a young Saltash side who gave it their all, but their failure to take chances when they were on top came back to bite them in the end.

Defensively Penzance, led by the evergreen player-manager Mark Vercesi and inspired by Ben Palmer, were excellent and in midfield Charlie Willis had a magnificent match and hardly looked like he had broken sweat when he was substituted near the end, having covered every blade of grass.

The Ashes had their stars too, with Ben Goulty a stand-out performer in central defence while left-footed midfield man Wilkes again showed why he is so highly-rated.

The story of this semi-final could have been different had Saltash taken their early chances with the best falling to Reece Thomson, who headed straight at Penzance keeper Will Trenoweth from six yards after six minutes.

A ninth minute corner caused havoc in the Penzance penalty area, but somehow the Magpies managed to clear their lines.

Penzance finally got out of their half in the 12th minute when an excellent right wing cross found Tyler Tonkin on the far post, but his shot was cleared off the line.

The rest of the half was pale by comparison as defences settled and chances were few and far between.

Saltash lost Jack Jefford to injury on the stroke of half-time but his replacement, Rhys Connew, almost made an immediate impact when providing a superb 47th minute cross which Deacon Thomson header over the bar.

There was a big chance for Penzance just after the hour when a poor goal kick from Ashes keeper Tyler Coombes caught his defenders off guard and Wade Brown was presented with a one-on-one opportunity, but he lifted his chip wide.

Then two pieces of goalkeeping excellence from Trenoweth kept Penzance in the tie. A 74th minute free-kick from Wilkes was bound for the corner of the net before it was kept out.

Three minutes later Reece Thomson tried his luck from 20 yards and his shot was going in before Trenoweth got his fingertips to it, turning it around the post.

It was then the turn of brother Deacon Thomson to have two good chances as the Ashes poured forward looking for a winner in the last 10 minutes.

He fired over the bar after a sweeping move in the 80th minute, and had a better chance five minutes later when played through by Wilkes’ excellent pass from inside his own half. With perhaps too much time, the teenager smashed his shot wildly over the bar.

So to extra-time and two moments which turned the game just before half-time. In the 103rd minute Willis made a goal-saving tackle to deny Deacon Thomson a tap-in.

Two minutes later play switched to the other end and a sweeping move along the right ended with Butler providing a quality low shot from 15 yards to break the deadlock.

The drama in the second half of extra time was saved for the last two minutes. Saltash were desperately close to equalising when Kieran O’Melia’s left wing cross picked out Wilkes, whose close-range shot was kept out by Trenoweth.

Within 30 seconds Lewis Caspall played a slide rule pass from the halfway line which set Waters clear and he took the ball to the edge of the penalty area before coolly rolling it past Coombes into the net.

Cue delirium among the Penzance players and supporters – and broken hearts for the Ashes.

SALTASH UNITED: Tyler Coombes; Max Everall (Kieran O’Melia, 80), Alfie Wotton (Tyler Yendle, 85), Ben Goulty, Hayden Greening (FreddyTolcher, 106), Charlie Elkington, Cole Fisher (Joe Preece, 69), Fin Wilkes, Deacon Thomson, Reece Thomson, Jack Jefford (Rhys Connew, 46).

Yellow card. Fin Wilkes (120).

PENZANCE: Will Trenoweth; Ollie Butler, George Molcher (Jacob Turner, 80), Mark Vercesi, Ben Palmer, Tyler Tonkin, Ewan Trevains, Charlie Willis (Luke Carroll, 120+1), Wade Brown (Hayden Waters, 94), Lewis Caspall, Silas Sullivan. Subs not used: Sam Young, James Butler.

Yellow cards: Wade Brown (40). Ben Palmer (62), Will Trenoweth (62).

Attendance: 211.

Men-of-the-match: Saltash United – Ben Goulty; Penzance – Charlie Willis.