By Kevin Marriott

SWPL PREMIER WEST (SATURDAY)

Liskeard Athletic 2 Newquay 1

A TWICE-TAKEN penalty by Liskeard substitute Dan Jennings in the 11th minute of time added on kept the title race alive after a dramatic, controversial and incident-packed game at Lux Park.

Jennings saw his first attempt from the spot saved by Brodie Cole but a linesman judged that the Newquay keeper had moved off his line so it was ordered to be retaken. Photographic evidence seen later appeared to confirm it was the right decision.

Jennings, the club’s official penalty taker, hesitated briefly about stepping forward again but teammate James Lorenz persuaded him to do so and this time he made no mistake, launching wild scenes of celebration among the home crowd.

It was an extraordinary end to a match Liskeard felt they had to win, having been five points behind leaders Newquay before kick-off in the race for promotion to the Western League.

The gap is now two points and, with five games each to go, the title race has been blown wide open. Both teams have a weekend off before they are next in action on March 29 when Newquay are at home to Callington while Liskeard travel to Camelford.

Saturday’s clash was not for the faint-hearted, with a red card each, plus six yellow cards for Liskeard – which will bring an automatic Cornwall FA fine – and two for Newquay.

There was some unsavoury behaviour on and off the field, with last month’s unpleasant clashes at Mount Wise after Newquay’s 3-0 win still fresh in the mind.

Newquay ended up with three bad injuries and were justifiably upset by some of the officiating, which from a neutral’s point of view seemed to lean heavily in the home team’s favour.

Phil Lowry suffered a dislocated shoulder, Aaron Dilley needed 12 stitches for a head wound and Josh Evans will need to have his nose reset after a flailing Liskeard elbow left it a bloody mess.

It may be a good thing that these two clubs won’t be playing each other in league football next season.

When skipper Harry Downing headed the Peppermints in front just before half-time from Dilley’s classy chip, Liskeard faced an uphill task but two positive substitutions from manager Darren Gilbert swayed the outcome.

Jennings came on for midfield man Will Gilbert just after the hour and when Lorenz equalised in the 76th minute with a cross from the right which caught the wind and floated over Cole into the net, the Blues brought on another striker, Cam Patterson, in place of central defender Scott Sanders, to try to find a winner.

The much-anticipated match started well for Liskeard with Luke Cloke missing a second minute chance before creating one with a glorious cross which nobody could finish as it flew across the six-yard box.

Newquay suffered an early blow when experienced striker Lowry was forced off with a shoulder injury in the sixth minute to be replaced by the fit-again Callam McOnie.

After an even opening half hour, Newquay took the initiative and Downing should have put them ahead in the second minute of time added on at the end of the first half when he was picked out unmarked from a corner but headed the wrong side of the post.

But two minutes later, with centre-half Downing still up in attack following another corner, he was well placed to connect with Dilley’s dink to send a glancing header past Luke Gwillam.

Gwillam was back in the action immediately after the break, keeping out a thunderbolt from McOnie, before play switched to the other end where a superb defensive header from Cam Turner denied Cloke the chance to equalise.

Louis Price, the division’s leading scorer, was always a threat with his pace but it wasn’t his day in front of goal; twice he missed good opportunities to get a crucial second goal before the hour, the second of which brought out the best in Gwillam.

Then came a crucial two minutes. In the 75th minute Price outpaced Josh McCabe to work his way into the penalty area but again Gwillam denied him.

A minute later the ball was switched to the right of Liskeard’s attack and Lorenz, presumably trying to find Cloke or Jennings on the far post, watched as his cross floated over Cole into the net.

A clear sign that the Blues were going to go for it came with the introduction of another striker in Patterson for defender Sanders as the game entered its closing stages.

Newquay countered by bringing on Bray-Evans and he had a great chance to score the winner after 89 minutes but uncharacteristically lifted his shot over the bar from 12 yards.

Play switched straight to the other end where Lorenz produced a fierce shot from 20 yards which Cole had to punch away from danger.

As the game moved into four minutes of time added on, as indicated by the referee, both teams were reduced to 10 men when Liskeard skipper McCabe and Newquay sub Bray-Evans clashed near the halfway line and were shown red cards.

Then came an unbelievable finale. After Evans had received lengthy treatment to his bloodied nose inside the Newquay penalty area, the visitors and most of the crowd expected play to restart with a contested drop ball where play had been stopped because of the head injury.

Instead referee Steve Annis allowed Liskeard an uncontested drop ball just inside the Newquay half and the ball was lifted into the penalty area where Patterson was tripped and a penalty awarded.

It was left to Jennings, who hasn’t been starting matches recently, to be villain then hero within seconds from the penalty spot.

LISKEARD ATHLETIC: Luke Gwillam; Josh McCabe (capt), Darren Hicks, Scott Sanders (Cam Patterson, 79), Ben Collins; Macauley Thorp (Tom Payne, 36), Will Gilbert (Dan Jennings, 62), James Lorenz, Luke Cloke, Max Gilbert, Jarrad Woods. Subs not used: Matt Outtram, Cory Harvey (gk).

NEWQUAY: Brodie Cole, Jamie Edlin, Tom Moxham, Aaron Dilley (Josh Evans, 90+1), Harry Downing (capt), Lucas Potts, Tom Shepherd (Jack Bray-Evans, 83), Cam Turner, Phil Lowry (Callam McOnie, 6), Jacob Grange, Louis Price. Sub not used: Ollie Butterworth.

Men-of-the-match: Liskeard – Luke Gwillam; Newquay – Harry Downing.