DJM Rodney U16s

Tavistock Thistles U16s 12

Hooe Rovers U16s 0

THISTLES were fired up from the start, knowing a win would see them climb two places in the league and guarantee them a fourth place finish — and they produced their performance of the season.

Ben Langton opened the scoring when he rose to guide home a Sam Walker corner after five minutes.  

Thistles' second came from another corner, this time played short by Jonny Hake to Jay Lambert, whose ball into the box was driven home by Cadan Lowther.

It soon became three when Lambert split the defence with a wonderful ball into the path of Hake, whose first-time strike was perfectly placed into the corner of the net.

The fourth was created down the left hand side and, following passes between Louis Wilson and Lowther, Wilson cut inside and lofted the ball over the helpless keeper from the edge of the box. To prove it was no fluke, he repeated the trick for Thistles' fifth.

The first half scoring was completed by Josh Vernon who, having had three earlier efforts saved by the keeper, left nothing to chance as he rounded the keeper before sliding the ball home.

Thistles were rampant in the second half with Sam Newton and Ian Harvey driving forward. The seventh goal came quickly after the restart, when Lowther clipped a ball over the defence and Josh Vernon was on hand to finish the move.  

Isaac Cooper claimed the eighth with a solo effort; he ran at the Hooe defence, which parted like the Red Sea, leaving a clear path to goal and calmly slotted the ball into the net. He doubled his goal tally later with another surging run, rounding the keeper and sliding the ball home from a tight angle.

Vernon completed his hat-trick, thanks to some sublime skill from Langton who, having dribbled his way to the by-line, pulled the ball back to Vernon who smashed it into the roof of the net.

The eleventh goal came from a solo-run by Langton beating the Hooe defence and keeper. Wilson nicked the ball off his toe to tap home and grab his hat-trick. Langton completed the rout, moments later, when again he broke through the Rovers rearguard, this time grabbing the glory.

Jack Quinn, Ed Argles, Cadan Lowther and Nick Cunningham formed an impregnable defence, and while keeper Jack Haigh notched up another clean sheet.

DJM Raleigh U14s

Saltash United Jnrs U14s 3

Tavistock Thistles U14s 2

BOTH teams had to contend with a strong wind, but this did not spoil what was an enjoyable game.

Thistles applied pressure in the first half, as Saltash struggled to move the ball forward.

Corey Hancock was persistent and, having missed a golden opportunity early in the game, was on hand to open the scoring midway through the half.

The wind gave Saltash an advantage on occasions as long balls were held up, causing problems for the Thistles defence, which succumbed in the last minute of the first half when Utd equalised.

Outstanding performances from Will Lane, Corey Hancock, Dean Lambert, Nathan Holland and man of the match Roger Blandford, just back from injury, inspired Thistles and they took the lead again following an excellent passing move which released Hancock who passed the ball over the keeper and into the net.

With five minutes remaining the game took an unfortunate twist. United broke down the Thistles right and a hopeful shot across the goal beat keeper Holland and crept in at the far post.

In the dying seconds the Thistles defence was pierced by a through ball which Holland rushed out to clear but it cannoned off the back of a Saltash forward and ricocheted into the Thistles goal – a cruel blow in what was the Thistles best performance this season.