By Kevin Marriott at Mount Wise

SWPL PREMIER WEST (SATURDAY)

Newquay 1 Callington Town 0

TEN-MAN Newquay maintained their two-point lead over Liskeard at the top of the table with four games to go as they held out for a precious victory at a dry, windy and bumpy Mount Wise on Saturday.

And it was a bump in the pitch which claimed an assist for the only goal of a poor game as Callam McOnie’s free-kick from wide on the right appeared to hit it and fly over Callington keeper Jake Mead-Crebbin into the net.

That came in the third minute and the playing surface – like most pitches at the moment after a prolonged dry and windy spell – proved hard for both sides to string together any quality.

I’ve seen both of these teams regularly this season and they like to pass the ball. But it simply wasn’t possible on this occasion.

In front of another 400-plus crowd, the Peppermints, having got the early breakthrough, looked strong going forward with McOnie, Tom Shepherd and Louis Price testing a resolute Callington back-line.

The visitors responded with some promising attacks and they should have equalised in the 22nd minute when Kieran Ryall mis-kicked six yards out – perhaps another victim of the conditions as the ball bobbled in front of him.

Newquay continued to hold the biggest threat but that changed when the division’s top scorer, Price, saw himself on the end of a controversial straight red card decision in the 26th minute.

A ball over the top had Price racing forward to try to get on the end of it with Cally keeper Mead-Crebbin sprinting out of his penalty area to try to stop him.

The keeper stooped to head the ball clear just as Price raised his boot, although he appeared to make no contact with the player. And there was certainly no intent to injure Mead-Crebbin.

But the referee, still in the Newquay half, ruled it as dangerous play and wasted little time in dipping into his back pocket to brandish the red card. In reality it was barely a yellow.

Newquay suffered a further blow eight minutes later when midfield man Jacob Grange was forced off with a hamstring strain to be replaced by Dan Carne.

The second half was something of a non event with the home side happy to sit on their slender lead, which meant Callington saw a lot of the ball but did little with it.

There were a number of corners from the right but skipper Harry Downing dealt with most of the crosses with a commanding display of central defending.

As the game entered its last few seconds, Callington defender Harvey Barrett went in hard and late on a Newquay player and was fortunate that the referee decided to blow up for full-time just as the player crashed to the ground.

Callington face Liskeard next on Wednesday evening (7.30pm) and a win for the Blues would lift them above Newquay by a point, albeit having played a game more.

But on the evidence of Cally’s performance on Saturday, it will be a tough task for Darren Gilbert’s men.

CALLINGTON TOWN: Jake Mead-Crebbin; Jamie Rowlands, Adam Patterson, Harvey Barrett, Harry Southcott, BenLangton (capt), Will Elliott, Calum Courts, Kieran Prescott, Fin Skews, Kieran Ryall. Subs: JJ Gill, Rhys Lindsell, EdHarrison, Elliott Haxell, Kevin McCallion.

Callington Town man-of-the-match: Fin Skews.