By Matt Gillett / 6th April

Everyone loves a Cornwall trip – especially when returning home with 3 points. Portishead Town with a textbook away performance, and a collective will to win, beat St Blazey 3-1 in a potentially tricky fixture.

With Hamish Hurst and Ethan Feltham suspended Jason Quick started, Louis Morrison came into midfield and Jay Murray pushed up alongside Dean Griffiths.

Beautiful warm sunshine but the strong wind was a factor as the sides battled for supremacy. Sean Keet made a strong challenge by his own area and Ryan Thacker cleared outside the box as St Blazey went long. The influential Morrison, tackling strongly and playing forward, created Portishead’s first chance releasing Murray on 10 minutes, with his shot blocked by the keeper. Just a couple of minutes later Portishead scored. Griffiths showed strength to win the ball on the right, sending a measured cross to the far post with Murray converting.

St Blazey, in a relegation fight, pushed to level. David Thorne and Toby Lawrence made key interventions by their own goal, and Thacker dealt well with a couple of difficult crosses. But with a 37th minute first real effort on goal St Blazey equalised. Tom Hensman, their most dangerous player, cut in from the left finishing well.

First class response from Portishead, restoring their lead in added time. After St Blazey cleared Kyle Egan’s free kick Posset kept the move alive. As the home team attempted to clear Mitch Osmond, typically energetic all afternoon, hit a superb low drive into the corner for 2-1.

It got even better in the 47th minute. It’s a feature of this Portishead team how quickly they close opponents and defend from the front and it reaped rewards here. A Murray twisting run took him into the box, as St Blazey scrambled to get the ball away Griffiths’ block flew in for the third goal.

A spirited St Blazey pressed again but Posset, defending resolutely, snuffed out any threat. Portishead’s control increased as the game wore on. Murray’s pace was a constant threat and  measured balls from Egan and Tom Llewellyn sent him beyond the defence. The No7 brought a 71st minute save from St Blazey’s keeper and volleyed just wide from Keet’s long ball a minute later

There were good shifts from substitutes Callum Eastwood and Calum Townsend, winning tackles and  retaining possession.  With the satisfaction of a job very well done, Posset saw time out camped by St Blazey’s corner flag .

The result maintained the 4-point lead at the top. Edging closer to the Championship but it’s unlikely anyone in Portishead’s dressing room will be mentioning the C word, focussed instead entirely on Ivybridge Town at home next Saturday.