By Kevin Marriott

WESTERN LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

St Austell 1 Shepton Mallet 2

LILLYWHITES manager Chris Knight cut a frustrated figure after watching his side slip to another narrow defeat in front of their own supporters.

An unmarked Will Banks headed Mallet into a 53rd minute lead from a corner and after Adam Carter levelled things up on the hour, the visitors clinched all three points 15 minutes from time in bizarre fashion when Charlie Bateson’s wind-assisted cross from the right beat the defence and found the far corner of Andy Collings’ net.

Adam Carter.
St Austell scorer Adam Carter challenges for the ball. Picture: Paul Williams (Paul Williams)

Knight said: “Every weekend feels like groundhog day at the minute and I’m pretty sick of it to be fair. You can’t keep being ‘unlucky’; at some point you have to admit you aren’t doing enough and that’s what we need to do.

“I’ve backed the lads all season and I love them, but we are miles off it at the moment I’m afraid. Yes, their winner is a cross from nearly in the car park which wouldn’t happen 99 times out of a hundred, but their first goal is a free header from a corner, it’s unforgivable.

Ryan Downing.
St Austell winger Ryan Downing tangles for the ball. Picture: Paul Williams (Paul Williams)

“I have to take the blame I guess; we haven’t strengthened at the start of the year and it’s now killed us with three centre-halves injured and no attacking option off the bench, and as for the goals we concede clearly I’m not setting us up right.

“It’s disappointing but we’ve been on runs before and we need to get a mini one going again or we’ll have no momentum at all for the Cornwall Senior Cup final.”

ST AUSTELL: Andy Collings, Jake Shaw, Martyn Duff, Henry Wilson, Tom Whipp, Callum Watson, Neil Slateford (capt), Matt Searle, Adam Carter, Kieron Bishop, Ryan Downing. Subs: Kyle Marks, Damon Mulready, Josh Penrose, Kaden Stephens.