Downing's hat-trick keeps Torpoint's fine run going

BOSS Dean Cardew hailed another ‘big three points’ as Ryan Downing’s second half-hat-trick saw Torpoint record a third straight league victory at Langsford Park.

The Point were leading 1-0 courtesy of a 35th minute James Rowe goal when the former Camelford and St Austell striker, who is dual-registered with Southern League Division One South side Bideford, was introduced from the bench on the hour.

He doubled Torpoint’s lead in the 70th minute after being played into the penalty area, his looping effort taking a slight a deflection on the way towards goal, fooling Tavistock keeper Dan Holman.

The Lambs pulled a goal back in the 82nd minute through Scott Piper, but a minute later the point restored their two-goal advantage with Downing running past the hosts’ defence to fire home past Holman.

In the final minute of normal time Piper scored his second goal as Tavistock chased an unlikely point.

The match went into stoppage-time, with Torpoint playing in the corners to stop the hosts trying to break clear, when Downing won possession and raced down the wing, before shooting home from a very acute angle to complete a remarkable hat-trick.

The Yellow and Blacks had started the game brightly, and in the 11th minute Joe Rapson was thwarted by Holman from Ethan Wright’s left-wing cross.

Six minutes later, Elliott Crawford had a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area, but Holman saved at full stretch down to his left.

Just before the half-hour, Rowe had penalty a appeal waved away by the referee, but soon after scored after being sent clear by the midfield.

Kian Burch sent a shot inches wide for the hosts before the break, and after a midfield battle in the opening 20 minutes of the second half, the contest sparked into life.

Torpoint visit SWPL Premier West side Launceston on Tuesday night in the Cornwall Senior Cup before resuming their league campaign at home to Shepton Mallet on Saturday (3pm).

Boss Dean Cardew felt his side started slowly but were deserving of all three points.

He said: “We didn’t really start the game as well as I was hoping and you could tell that we hadn’t played for a little while. But after the first 10 to 15 minutes I thought we did start to feel our way in and took control, but without really working their goalkeeper too much. They had a gameplan to sit off us and then hit us on the break, and they almost caught us once or twice. But apart from that I thought we defended really well. “

He continued: “We did finally get our breakthrough from a really good touch and finish from James Rowe which we probably did deserve by this time, but we had a good chat at half-time about needing to be more ruthless in the last third and that we didn’t really expect them to change too much while the scoreline was still 1-0. That’s what happened really, Tavi just kept sitting off us and tried hitting us on the counter.

“But the introduction of Ryan was obviously a big one as he went on to score a hat-trick which was needed as we did concede two really sloppy goals when we were in complete control of the game, which was really disappointing. That said, it was another big three points away from home which I was delighted about.”

TORPOINT ATHLETIC: Josh Flower; Dave Barker, Lewis Flowers (Sam Hepworth, 78), Sam Morgan, Callum O’Brien, Elliott Crawford (capt), James Rowe (Tom Payne, 73), Sam Pearson (Josh Jansen, 85), Owen Haslam (Darren Hicks, 73), Joe Rapson (Ryan Downing, 60), Ethan Wright.

Torpoint Athletic man-of-the-match: Sam Morgan.