The new look Street side hit the ground running on Saturday with a resolute and entertaining opening performance in the Western League Premier Division, writes Kerry Miller.

It was newness all round as the Cornish side were making their debut in the league after last season’s success in the SW Peninsula but Ben Watson and Scott Laird’s squad, a mixture of experience and youth, held off a comeback after going two goals up in the first half and in the end fully deserved the three points and a joyful coach journey home.

St Austell’s line up included some well known Southern League players on dual registration, plus the little matter of Adam Carter and Liam Eddy on the bench, two Cornish strikers who have somewhere around 1,000 senior goals between them.

On a sticky afternoon and on a superb looking, if undulating pitch, both sides looked to get the ball forward early on with George Marris and Cobblers’ Toby Stephens watching half chances go astray but it wasn’t long before a crisp ball in to Harry Foster saw him turn and hit a sweet left foot drive over home keeper Andrew Collings after good work from Stephens.

Will Pope then did well to hold an awkward cross shot from the dangerous Jake Miller and that set up  the visitors to double their lead around the half hour mark when Shay Corrick set up Joel Jackson who tucked his astute pass under Collings.

Corrisck was then just wide with another effort but the home side were always going to cause problems and Martyn Duff took advantage of some square defending to tuck a left foot shot under Pope to half the deficit with ten minutes left of an excellent half.

Miller was then kept out by the hard working Lewis Morgan then Neil Slateford’s drive was held at the second attempt by Pope as the home side hrew in strength and confidence.Just on the break Callum Laird drove just over from distance but the Cobblers were good value at half-time.

Predictably St Austell came out of the blocks in a rush but a raft of substitutions on the hour shored up a grafting defence and midfield with Sandro Constanza looking very lively.

Slateford’s dipping shot was somehow shovelled away by Pope then at the other end Scott Laird’s diving header from a corner was not far away.

Laird then somehow got a wicked Duff cross away for a corner as the pressure mounted but in the end referee Andy Hobbs’ whistle was a welcome sound and the Cobblers move on to Tuesday when they entertain Paulton Rovers, who have returned after a long spell in the Southern League.

Team: Will Pope, Callum Laird, Eli Collins, Scott Laird, Jake Horsey, Archie Heywood, Joel Jackson, Lewis Morgan, Harry Foster, Shay Corrick, Toby Stephens. Subs: all used: Callum Corbridge, Dan Linham, Jakob Dickens, Sandro Constanza, Josh Radford.