TORPOINT closed the gap on leaders Clevedon to two points with four games in-hand after a gritty performance in the energy-sapping mud at The Mill on Saturday afternoon.

It wasn’t pretty but sometimes you just have to roll your sleeves up and dig deep for 90 minutes to earn three points, which is exactly what the Point did.

As the players walked off, muddied, battered and bruised – substitute James Rowe was sporting a swollen eye – there was a sense of a job well done against tough opponents.

While scoring lots of goals is exciting to watch, it is often just as rewarding to defend a slender lead, which is just what happened after Dave Barker edged the home side ahead on the stroke of half-time.

Freddie Chapman received the club’s official man-of-the-match award for an outstanding and determined individual contribution at right-back, but there wasn’t a weakness throughout the team which is rare to see.

Clevedon were disappointing – it took them until the 81st minute to get a shot on target – but you have to give Torpoint enormous credit for that. They didn’t give the opposition an inch and defended so well that goalkeeper Ryan Rickard was rarely involved.

The first victory for the home club was getting the game on while most others in Cornwall were washed out after another week of damaging heavy rain. The decision of referee Luke Dennis to give it the go-ahead at a morning inspection was arguably his best of the day.

The playing surface looked decent as the match started but it was clearly heavy underfoot which meant any thoughts of pretty passing football were banished.

It made for a scrappy first half in front of a crowd of 365, but Torpoint had the better of it and came close to breaking the deadlock from their first serious opportunity in the 33rd minute.

A free-kick from the left by Tom Payne picked out skipper Elliott Crawford on the far side of the penalty area and his header back across goal forced Clevedon keeper James Dunn to turn it over the bar, although a goal-kick was awarded.

Torpoint are strong at set-pieces and they made it pay three minutes into time added on at the end of the first half when Crawford’s inswinging corner from the right was flicked on by Curtis Damerell and Barker arrived at the far post to touch the ball over the line.

Clevedon enjoyed more possession in the second half but Torpoint carved out the best chances with Payne and Chapman going close to doubling their advantage.

They came even closer in the 76th minute when a tantalising cross from the left by Payne drifted over to substitute Joe Rapson at the far post, and his low shot zipped inches wide.

Clevedon’s best effort came nine minutes from time with Jacob Sloggett getting himself a yard of space before firing a 20-yard shot at goal, but Rickard was equal to it.

This was Torpoint’s sixth successive league win and they haven’t lost in the Premier Division since mid-November.

TORPOINT ATHLETIC: Ryan Rickard; Dave Barker, Freddie Chapman, Owen Haslam, Callum O’Brien, Elliott Crawford (capt), Tom Payne (Sam Morgan, 90+5), Rikki Shepherd (Joe Rapson, 66), Curtis Damerell, Sam Pearson (James Rowe, 86), Darren Hicks. Subs not used: Gary Hird, Sam Murray.

Torpoint Athletic man-of-the-match: Freddie Chapman.