Duchy league two

St Dennis 0

Gunnislake reserves 0

IN January Gunnislake Football Club set the wheels in motion to field a third team playing in the Duchy league division five and after much time and effort this team's entry to the league was secured.

This new team was being started to give many youngsters the opportunity to start playing men's football while supplementing the club's first team playing in the premier division and reserve team playing in division two.

With less than two weeks to go to the opening day of the season Gunnislake's first team management team of four years left the club and as is often the case in such scenarios Gunnislake have been left with no first team squad.

On Saturday Gunnislake's premier and division two sides were scheduled to start, the division five team had previously not been given a game.

With no first team squad to talk of Gunnislake's original reserve team squad stepped up to play the premier division fixture at home to Mevagissey and achieved a good 2-2 draw thanks to a brace from Kieron Jasper. Gunnislake's 'third' team travelled to St Dennis to play the division two match and also gained a point as they came away from Boscawen Park with a goalless draw.

The match at St Dennis, which saw Gunnislake's squad of 13 including nine lads aged 16, was played on a good surface and in near perfect conditions. Gunnislake started brightly and played some neat football in the opening 25 to 30 minutes of the game albeit with no end product. The much more experienced Saints team started to impose themselves on the game and finished the half the stronger but also with no goal scoring opportunities.

The first 20 to 25 minutes of the second half saw Saints shading what was a fairly even encounter and with both sides cancelling one another and defences very much on top chances remained non- existent but for the occasional unthreatening long range efforts.

Saints really stepped up the pressure in the final 10 to 15 minutes but Gunnislake's youthful squad aided by a handful of experienced players stood firm and while it was a rearguard action for the visitors they ensured that not once did Saints create a clear or decent scoring opportunity.