Ashes impress despite being held in Cornish derby at Newquay

GOALLESS draws in the Western League are about as rare as hens eggs – and when they do happen, most people jump to the conclusion that they must have been dull affairs.

This was certainly not the case at Mount Wise on Saturday as two of Cornwall’s biggest clubs produced a game full of thrills and spills.

There was a goal ruled out for offside, a penalty save, two red cards and a sin-bin for the visitors plus a bucket-load of opportunities spurned from both teams.

The excitement started in the first minute when Saltash winger Kieran O’Melia burst clear along the left and produced an excellent low cross but there was nobody there to finish.

O’Melia had the ball in the net after nine minutes, but the effort was ruled out for offside, and six minutes later Freddie Tolcher sent a fierce volley inches wide as the Ashes made an impressive start.

Newquay came to life after that and started to ask questions of their own with Callam McOnie seeing a goal-bound shot deflected over the bar, and five minutes later he cut in from the right to fire a left-foot shot towards goal that Saltash keeper Jordan Duffey was equal to.

Home keeper Shaun Semmens needed several minutes of treatment to a leg injury before he could continue, and he played a significant part in keeping the game goalless in the 38th minute.

Saltash’s hard-working striker Deacon Thomson was bundled over in the penalty area and picked himself up to take the resulting spot-kick, but Semmens dived to his right to save it.

The visitors started the second half brightly and a superb pass from Hayden Greening sent Jack Jefford clear along the right. However, Thomson was unable to force the cross in.

Things started to go against Saltash in the 51st minute when manager Lee Britchford was shown two yellow cards in a minute for asking referee Tom Anstice-Mitchell why the linesmen had swapped sides for the second half.

Worse was to follow for the visitors when they were reduced to 10 players on the pitch in the 68th minute as a late challenge from Greening led to the referee, surrounded by angry Newquay players, delivering a straight red.

Experienced defender Sam Hillson soon followed off the pitch to serve 10 minutes in the sin-bin, and suddenly Saltash were down to nine players.

The momentum of the game turned dramatically, and it took a magnificent save from Jordan Duffey to prevent Louis Price putting Newquay in front with a powerful close-range header.

Saltash were then reduced to eight players for a couple of minutes when defender Sam Joce had to go off after treatment to a head injury, and it seemed a question of when, rather than if, Newquay would score.

The visitors, defending their penalty area heroically, relied on breakaways and they had two golden opportunities to turn one point into three as the game entered added time.

Substitute Dylan Holgate burst clear along the left and drilled the ball across the face of goal. But with the net gaping, Thomson just couldn’t stretch enough to tap it in.

A minute later another sub, Frazer Ferris, created space for himself and looked certain to score, but he shot straight at Semmens.

NEWQUAY: Shaun Semmens; Sam Fearon, Harry Downing (capt), Cam Turner, Tom Moxham; Connor Paine (Tom Shepherd, 82); Callam McOnie (Ross Fallens, 63), Matt Searle (Al Ahmed, 77), Tim Nixon, Jack Bray-Evans; Louis Price. Subs not used: Jamie Edlin, Alex Cole.

SALTASH UNITED: Jordan Duffey; Jack Jefford (Frazer Ferris, 82), Alfie Wotton (capt), Hayden Greening, Sam Joce, Charlie Elkington (Ben Goulty 61), Kieran O’Melia (Dylan Holgate 59), Freddie Tolcher (Joe Preece 82), Deacon Thomson, Fin Wilkes, Sam Hillson. Sub not used: George Powell.

Men-of-the-match: Newquay – Shaun Semmens, Saltash United – Alfie Wotton.