Words provided by Matt Friday - Falmouth Town

Boss Andrew Westgarth was happy with how his youthful team performed on Wednesday night in spite of their 2-0 defeat at home to Western League table toppers Saltash United.

After an entertaining but goalless first half, Ashes defender Sam Leary opened the scoring in style four minutes after the turnaround when his 25-yard howitzer flew in off the inside of the far post.

Town huffed and puffed as they tried to find an equaliser, but the league leaders secured their sixth successive victory in the 86th minute when substitute George Spencer nodded past Ryan Barnes from close range.

The defeat leaves Town in ninth position in the Western League Premier Division, but the Town boss was delighted with his team's display while missing several key attacking players.

A mixture of injury, holiday, and work commitments meant Town were without their entire regular attacking quartet of Luke Brabyn, Olly Walker, Tim Nixon and Luke Barner, while midfielder Andreas Calleja-Stayne was also rested after picking up a knock.

Youngsters Oliver Pickup and Max Everall, the latter making his debut, came into the line-up, while 16-year-old Ethan Jorey made a late appearance from the bench, and Westgarth was happy with how his young charges performed despite their baptism of fire against the league leaders.

"With the situation we find ourselves in with personnel, it was always going to be difficult, but I was really delighted with the boys," he said after the game. "I thought the way we conducted ourselves, the way we went about it [was excellent].

"They're going for the league title, and unless I'm being biased I didn't think there was a lot between the sides. I thought we defended really, really well.

"It was a little bit of déjà vu from the last two games [against Buckland last week]: the first goal was so important. Away from home [last Tuesday] it was from a mistake, Saturday was from a dubious penalty and tonight was from an absolute wonder strike, and it does knock the stuffing out of you.

"Defensively, we looked really, really solid, and I thought we did well in midfield, and nothing against the forwards as such but it was a tough night. We didn't really look like cutting them open and I don't think we had anything meaningful on goal which is disappointing, but we are sort of fighting with one hand behind our back."

Falmouth: Barnes, Kellow, Everall, Webber, Annear, Ward, Pickup, Hambly, Rowe, Swan, Hutchison. Subs: Gordon-Dunn, Calleja-Stayne, Martt, Edney, Jorey.