By Kevin Marriott at Blaise Park

FA VASE FIRST QUALIFYING ROUND (SATURDAY) St Blazey 3 Saltash United 1

A JAYDEN Gilbert goal three minutes into time added on gave the scoreline a more comfortable look than the tie was for St Blazey at Blaise Park on Saturday.

Gilbert’s excellent strike was out of character with much of Blazey’s performance as they saw off a Saltash side who produced some spells of quality without being able to make it count.

Before Gilbert’s goal, Saltash had been pushing hard for an equaliser and only a couple of excellent saves from Shaun Semmens prevented them from getting one.

But it is the Green & Blacks who progress to the next round where they travel to old foes Wendron United on September 21.

Saltash had started the tie strongly and it was no surprise when midfield man Jack Wood fired them into a 15th minute lead.

The visitors continued to dominate, with young strikers Deacon Thomson and Kieran O’Melia working hard, but there seemed a reluctance to have a go at goal, and it proved costly.

Blazey, who had hardly featured in the visitors’ penalty area, were gifted an equaliser in the 38th minute when hesitancy by Saltash keeper Jordan Duffey on the edge of the area allowed Alfie Fothergill to dispossess him and he took the ball towards the byline before passing square for Jacob Rowe to tap into an empty net.

Saltash came close to regaining the lead three minutes later when a scramble around the penalty spot ended with Blazey central defender Freddie Walter clearing off the line.

But a minute before half-time Blazey went ahead with a goal of high quality from Ryan Downing, who cut in from the left wing and curled a right foot shot past Duffey into the net off the far post.

Saltash came close to equalising eight minutes into the second half when a superb run along the left by Ethan Wright ended with Tom Payne firing inches wide.

The half, in which St Blazey were much improved, developed into an end to end affair but there was a lack of quality where it mattered until Saltash turned up the heat as time started to run out. Then, Gilbert’s goal ended their hopes.

Saltash boss Macca Brown said: “It’s a difficult moment for us and we can beat around the bush as much as we like but at the end of the day we are getting what we deserve because we aren’t performing well for 90 minutes and we are definitely falling short in areas of the game that has to be better. 

“For half an hour I thought we were excellent, in control of proceedings, passing the ball really well with Aaron and Kia getting on the ball and causing Blazey lots of problems running at their back line, 

“And we deservedly took the lead and it could have been more than one. We then conceded two goals out of nowhere really, and we weren’t necessarily the same team after that.”

ST BLAZEY: S Semmens, W Tinsley, M Wilson, C Hambly, F Walter, S Sanders, N Maund (E Evans 61), S Clifton, J Rowe (J Gilbert 78), R Downing (G Newton 78), A Fothergill (A Wotton 78). Sub not used: L Hill (gk). SALTASH UNITED: J Duffey, T Huyton, E Wright (J Preece 67), T Yendle, E Crawford, J Wood, K O’Melia (J Jefford 67), T Payne, D Thomson, A Goulty (J Curtis 80), J Toulson (J Kelsey 72). Sub not used: H Greening. Men of the Match. St Blazey – Mark Wilson; Saltash – Jack Wood.