By Kevin Marriott

WESTERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

Oldland Abbotonians 1 St Austell 1

A DEPLETED St Austell returned from their 300-mile round trip to Bristol with a hard-earned point – and it could have been more.

Ryan Downing gave the Lillywhites a perfect start by curling in a superb 20-yard free kick after only five minutes and they held that lead until midway through the second half when Cash Vinall equalised.

But St Austell continued to press and had a great opportunity to restore their lead in the 76th minute when they won a penalty but Adam Carter, standing in for regular spot-kick taker Neil Slateford, lifted the ball high over the bar and out of the ground.

Carter thought he had made amends six minutes from time when he headed in a cross from the left, but he was ruled offside to complete a frustrating afternoon for the big striker.

Carter also had a great chance to make it 2-0 just before Oldland equalised, but dragged his right foot shot on the heavy playing surface wide of the post.

St Austell boss Chris Knight said: “The fact that I’d never met three lads that were in the squad yesterday and we had Henry Wilson playing centre-half tells you all you need to know about what a brilliant point on the road it was.

“Our longest trip of the season on a pitch that, fair play to them, they got the game on, but let’s just say it was ‘tricky’. The lads from 1-11 were magnificent.”

Knight went on: “Away games in this league are a war, every single team is strong at home up there and they were big, aggressive and in our faces but we dealt with it brilliantly, couldn’t be happier.

“Yes of course we should have won the game with a missed penalty and a very marginal offside disallowed winner, but at 3pm I’d have bitten your hand off for a point and we got one.

“We had no Slates, Brokes (Olly Brokenshire), Eds (Liam Eddy), Rhys (Hooper) or (George) Marris, yet we stuck together to get something.

“Most people would probably think I’d be driving back down the M5 raging at missing a pen and not winning, but I was delighted.

“We showed real character and it shows how far we’ve come as a group! Four months ago we’d have got hammered yesterday, we are getting there.”

The Lillywhites gave a first start to former St Blazey favourite River Allen, the Willand Rovers midfield man who has signed on dual registration.

ST AUSTELL: Andy Collings, Jake Shaw, Martyn Duff, Henry Wilson, Tom Whipp, Callum Watson, Matt Searle, River Allen (Rio Ward), RyanDowning (Alex Hamley), Adam Carter, Kieron Bishop. Subs not used: Fin Ellacott, Josh Caddy.