By Kevin Marriott at Lux Park

SWPL PREMIER WEST

Liskeard Athletic 2 Dobwalls 0

IT WAS a happy Easter weekend for Liskeard in their quest to finish as champions of SWPL Premier West and therefore secure promotion to the Western League.

Rivals and leaders St Austell suffered a 2-1 home defeat against Newquay on Good Friday to leave them five points ahead of the Blues but having played three games more.

Twenty-four hours later the lead was reduced to two points after Liskeard, who hadn’t played for eight weeks, saw off neighbours Dobwalls in a typically feisty affair at Lux Park.

The bumper crowd of 508, bolstered by groundhoppers from all parts of the country, saw Ruben Kane break the deadlock midway through the first half.

And man of the match Max Gilbert doubled their advantage in the 51st minute, barely four minutes after Kaycee Ogwu missed a golden chance to equalise.

Club officials and volunteers worked tirelessly in the days before the game to get the pitch fit and before kick-off it looked a picture from the sidelines.

But following heavy showers at the start of the match, the playing surface was close to being waterlogged and cut up fairly badly. This made it difficult for players to keep their balance, particularly in the first half when conditions were at their worst.

Credit to both teams for producing a highly watchable encounter; credit, too, to the referee who took conditions into account when judging some of the tackles.

Dobwalls made a bright start but Liskeard swept ahead when Max Gilbert presented a low cross from the left which Kane gleefully turned into the net at the far post.

But the visitors should have equalised in the 35th minute when a ball from the right evaded several players before falling at the feet of Ogwu, who lofted his left foot shot over the bar.

Two minutes into the second half Ogwu was presented with another golden opportunity, this time running through the Liskeard defence with only Cory Harvey to beat. But the Liskeard stopper rushed out to make a fine stop.

Dobwalls were made to pay four minutes later as a sloppy backpass left goalkeeper James Morley struggling and Max Gilbert nipped in to take the ball around him and roll it into the far corner of the net.

Dobwalls rarely threatened after that and it was Liskeard who almost scored again eight minutes from time.

Substitute Jarrad Woods fired a superb shot at goal from 20 yards. Morley got in the way of it but the ball broke to another sub, Sam Carter, whose close range shot was also kept out by the keeper.

LISKEARD ATHLETIC: Cory Harvey, Harry Jeffery, Matt Outtram, Harry Bell, Dylan Peel, Ruben Kane, Max Gilbert, Will Gilbert (Jarrad Woods 63), Charlie Young (Tom Savigar 68), Dan Jennings (Sam Carter 63), Ben Collins. Subs not used: Josh McCabe, Sam Borthwick (gk).

DOBWALLS: James Morley, Alfie Wotton, Taylor Davey (Hayden Baugh 76), Anthony Davy, Joe Cook, Tom Strike (Cameron Patterson 62), Gino Garside, James Forrest, Josh Johnson, Charlie Castlehouse (Ryan Geach 76), Kaycee Ogwu (Jeff Forkuo 62).

Referee: Paul Redding.

Attendance: 508.

Men of the Match: Liskeard – Max Gilbert; Dobwalls – Joe Cook.

Remaining games in the title race: St Austell – Saturday, April 6 – Bude h; Sat 13 – Holsworthy a; Wed 17 – Dobwalls a; Mon 22 – Holsworthy h; Wed 24 – St Dennis a; Sat 27 – Truro City Res a.

Liskeard – Wednesday, April 3 – Newquay h; Sat 6 – Sticker h; Sat 13 – Newquay a; Tues 16 – St Dennis a; Fri 19 – Callington a; Mon 22 – Wendron h; Wed 24 – Holsworthy a; Sat 27 – Mullion h.