East Cornwall premier

Plymouth Parkway 5

Bere Alston United 3

BERE Alston opened their fourth season in the league with a difficult away game at much fancied Plymouth Parkway and came away pointless but ruing a host of missed chances and sloppy defending. Bere gave debuts to Jamie Court and Ryan McShane.

The visitors should have taken the lead in the second minute as Jason Cordice raced clear but his attempted lob went straight to the Parkway keeper. Within five minutes Bere were behind as Phil Daniel's midfield run was not tracked and he waltzed through a static Bere defence to calmly slot the ball past Jack Dixon.

The shock of going behind early spurred Bere to life as they slowly took a grip on the game and deservedly drew level on the half hour when Will Westlake drove a 25 yard free kick into the top corner.

Bere continued to press with Marcus Pethick, Chris Bray and Euan McCall all going close. They eventually took the lead five minutes before the break when Will Westlake's teasing cross was headed against the bar by Jason Cordice, who reacted quickest to ram home the rebound.

However, Bere's joy was short lived when after a succession of Parkway corners Paul Simpson mistimed a headed clearance allowing Lance Bailey in to equalise on the stroke of half time.

Bere started the second half as slowly as they had in the first and when Mark Wheeler's pass was intercepted, Lance Bailey put in Lee Card who curled his shot over Dixon to put Parkway back in front.

Bere came storming back and they should have equalised when Chris Bray was sent clear but he shot wide. From their next attack, Bere did draw level when from Marcus Pethick's cross, Jason Cordice got across his marker to head home.

Bere were now back on top and they were unlucky not to regain the lead when Chris Bray's splendid volley was well saved by Parkway's Ian Evans. Then Jason Cordice thought he had notched his hat trick but the goal was disallowed as Chris Bray was adjudged offside.

The game finally turned back in Parkway's favour when Jack Dixon misjudged a Dan Worth corner and Dean Webb ghosted in at the far post to head home through a ruck of players on the goal line. Five minutes later and a lapse in the Bere defence from a Parkway free kick saw Lance Bailey nip in unchallenged to head home their fifth and give them a two goal cushion for the first time in the match.

In the closing stages Marcus Pethick and Paul Simpson both had shots blocked and Jason Cordice inexplicably screwed wide when well placed and with it went any hope Bere had of getting anything from the game.