St Blazey 3 Sticker 2

St Blazey clinched the South West Peninsula League premier west title tonight with victory over local rivals Sticker at a buoyant Blaise Park.

The Green & Blacks needed only a point to make sure of being champions but recorded their 25th win in 29 league games to move six points clear of second-placed Wendron United with only one game to play.

The final whistle launched wild celebrations among supporters, players and officials of St Blazey which went on long into the night at the club's headquarters.

St Blazey are now promoted to the Western League premier division for next season, the highest level of football the club will have played at.

They will complete their SWPL campaign at home to Wendron on Saturday when they will be presented with the league championship trophy.

It was a strangely subdued first half tonight with few chances but Blazey made the breakthrough 10 minutes before the break with a superb goal from top scorer Luke Cloke.

That should have settled any nerves the home side had but they were pegged back with the last kick of the half as Haiden Chapman took advantage of some sloppy defending to equalise.

Chapman then had an excellent chance to put Sticker ahead in the first minute of the second half but he was denied by goalkeeper Shaun Semmens - and 60 seconds later it was Blazey who took the lead.

River Allen's fierce low drive could only be parried by goalkeeper Ethan Elwell and livewire striker Sam Buckley was on hand to find the net from six yards.

But it took until the 85th minute for Blazey to get a third goal which virtually sealed the points, with young substitute George Newton heading over Elwell from a pinpoint cross from the right by another substitute, Kyle Marks.

Sticker, who belied their second from bottom position in the table with a fine performance, had the final say with a superb free kick which deceived Semmens, which left Blazey to play out a nervy few minutes of time added on before they could start the party.