By Kevin Marriott at Mount Wise

SWPL PREMIER WEST (SATURDAY)

Newquay 0 Dobwalls 1

Dobwalls set the cat among the pigeons on Saturday when they inflicted on leaders and title favourites Newquay their first home league defeat of the season after nine successive victories at Mount Wise.

In front of a crowd of 403 – Newquay’s best of the season – Josh Johnson’s strike in first half injury time was enough to secure three valuable points and complete the league double over the Peppermints, having beaten them 1-0 at Lantoom in late October.

The result also went down well with Dobwalls’ local rivals Liskeard, who remain six points behind Newquay but now have two games in-hand after their fixture at Callington was washed out.

But don’t take your eyes off Dobwalls – they’re 11 points behind Newquay but have three games in hand on them. And if they continue to play as well as they did on Saturday, they won’t lose many of their remaining 12 games.

This result was no fluke, no smash and grab. Dobwalls were the better side from start to finish (which turned out to be the 100th minute) and they should have added a couple more goals.

It was impossible to single out a man of the match because theirs was a team effort, including goalkeeper James Morley having to make a brilliant save in the eighth minute of time added on to prevent an equaliser from Jacob Grange.

Newquay v Dobwalls
Action from a sunny Mount Wise where Newquay were beaten 1-0 by Dobwalls. Picture: Paul Williams (Paul Williams)

For Newquay, it was one of those days when they never got out of second gear. A slow start didn’t help their cause and they never found the momentum needed to turn things around.

Dobwalls came close to taking a 17th minute lead when Kaycee Ogwu forced the ball past keeper Brodie Cole towards an empty net but Tom Moxham raced back to clear inches from the line.

Nine minutes later there was another great opportunity for the visitors with Kai Burrell bursting through the middle. Johnson was unmarked to his left but he chose to shoot and his effort went inches wide.

Newquay’s first chance came four minutes before the break when Callam McOnie fired in a right foot shot which Morley did well to tip around the post.

The crucial moment arrived in the first minute of time added on as a free-kick from the right was only half cleared and the ball fell to Johnson, who sent his shot towards the net, deflected in by a defender trying desperately to clear off the line.

Newquay suffered a blow just after the hour when the influential Cam Turner was forced off with a hamstring strain and it then took a fine save from Cole to prevent Ogwu making it 2-0 in the 70th minute.

Tom Shepherd, who had done as much as anyone in the Newquay side to try to turn things around, had a great chance to equalise in the 82nd minute but snatched at his volley and the ball flew high over the bar.

The home side’s hopes of salvaging a point were further hit after 86 minutes when substitute Alex Cole saw red after collecting two yellow cards in three minutes for mistimed challenges.

It was something of a surprise when the referee indicated nine minutes of time added on and in the eighth of those Newquay came close to an equaliser.

The ball was delivered into a crowded penalty area and fell to Grange, whose fierce shot from 15 yards was brilliantly tipped clear by Morley at full stretch.

NEWQUAY: Brodie Cole; Jamie Edlin (Josh Evans, 57), Tom Moxham, Aaron Dilley, Harry Downing (capt), Lucas Potts (Alex Cole, 57), Tom Shepherd, Cam Turner (Ross Fallens, 62), Callam McOnie (Coen Briggs, 67), Phil Lowry, Jacob Grange. Sub not used: Cody Hill (gk).