St Martin’s 2, Sylvans 1

DOMINIC HEAUME’S goal-scoring exploits were crucial in St Martin’s successful Priaulx League campaign last season and the signs are that he has no intention of letting up. It is too early to say just how important the young midfielder’s brace against Sylvans at Blanche Pierre Lane was on Saturday, but the way the 95th-minute winner was celebrated indicated that the champions saw this as a hugely-important win.

And this was a victory built on far superior fitness and an awful lot of spirit – the qualities that are becoming so familiar with this young side that is being led by two great motivators.

But even Saints coach Colin Fallaize had to admit that he was very content to go into the interval on level terms.

There can be no doubting that Sylvans were the better side in the first half as they enjoyed much more possession and constantly had the territorial advantage. But the westerners could not convert chances into goals.

As early as the second minute, new signing Matt Drillot came close with a low shot that was well saved by Nathan Pattimore and that opportunity was followed by one each for Matt Warren and Carl Wallbridge in the opening exchanges but both blazed their volley wide.

Drillot, who covered most of the pitch in an energetic debut after his move from Rovers, would later volley over and Ryan Tippett also managed to get a shot off following some good persistence but it was comfortable for Pattimore.

The one time Sylvans managed to get past the Saints number one, Sam Rowe was on hand to clear the danger after Wallbridge had beaten the keeper to Paul Nobes’ delightfully-weighted ball into the box.

At the other end, Sylvans goalkeeper Paul Ozanne had only one meaningful stop to make in the first period and he did that smartly when Dominic Heaume’s effort from 20 yards took a slight deflection off John Nobes.

After exerting all that pressure, it seemed only a matter of time before Sylvans made the breakthrough and it came six minutes after the turnaround.

Tippett and Etienne Ogier challenged for a Wallbridge through ball, it fell to the striker’s feet and he laid it off to the onrushing Drillot who found the far corner of the net.

However, there was not much left in the Sylvans tank and Saints came into the game more and more from that point.

Kevin Gilligan was instrumental in a couple of threatening moves from which the home side came close before the equaliser arrived in splendid fashion.

Danny Good worked a one-two with Gilligan on the left before threading the ball through to substitute Rob Pickford. He delivered a pinpoint cross and Heaume was there to thump his header home back across the keeper.

Ten minutes later and five into stoppage time, the unfortunate Ozanne, who did nothing wrong all afternoon, was picking the ball out of his net again.

This time it was Heaume himself on the left wing, seemingly looking to pick someone out with a cross, but somehow he found the top corner instead to give the game the most extraordinary of finales.

‘The result says a lot for having a good level of fitness and good strength of character,’ said Fallaize.

‘We were extremely disappointed with the way we played technically, especially in the first half. We were well pleased to come in at 0-0 but I think some of the younger ones were perhaps a bit overawed because they were playing Sylvans. Once we got that out of them, they were all right.

‘We are going to have to improve, but the players know that better than us coaches and they are going to work on it and they are keen to work on it and that is what’s good about this club at the moment.

‘But I am delighted that some special boxes can be ticked in terms of character, team work and commitment. No one gave up out there.’

His Sylvans counterpart, Joel Avery, was keen to look at the positives he could take from the game.

‘We could have been two or three up at half-time, that’s for sure,’ he said.

‘We faded in the second half fitness-wise, but we have had only a couple of friendlies before this and we need more competitive games.

‘Overall, I am quite happy with that as a start. It did not help that we had three key players in Matt Le Cras, Tony Vance and Adie Exall missing because that meant we were limited with our subs, but I was pleased generally.

‘The lads are just a bit upset that that goal won it because it was a fluke, but those things happen,’ added Avery.