TORPOINT Athletic recorded their first-ever victory at Shepton Mallet and made it three wins on the spin with a 4-1 success in Somerset.

The Point headed to The Playing Field off the back of a 3-1 victory over Street and named an unchanged side as they looked to close the seven-point gap on leaders Clevedon Town who saw off St Blazey 3-0.

After an even start, the visitors took the lead 10 minutes in when a Elliott Crawford corner found Dave Barker to head home from close-range past Marko Radovanovic.


Nine minutes later the hosts drew level. Luke Wilkinson’s free-kick from the edge of the area was deflected off the Torpoint wall and bounced off the post, only for the loose ball to drop to Conrad Peck to fire home from close-range.

Just past the half-hour mark the Cornishmen re-took the lead as good build-up play found Joe Rapson on the left to fire a cross into the area which was glanced in by a leaping Curtis Damerell.

In the final couple of minutes of the first period the hosts had chances through Rush Walker-Brown and Tom Ovigne, but both efforts were tipped over the bar with fantastic saves from Ryan Rickard.

Five minutes after the restart Torpoint was awarded a free-kick just outside the area and Crawford’s rasping effort from 20 yards rattled the bottom of the post.


On the hour mark, Torpoint doubled their lead when Crawford’s cross released centre-half Callum O’Brien to fire home in off the crossbar from the edge of the area. It was the former Saltash and Helston defender’s first goal since returning to the club.


The Mallet had a couple of half chances in the final 20 minutes through Monty Burgess and Lewis Coleman, but Rickard was on hand to easily save both efforts.


Luke Wilkinson’s sin-binning in the final minute of normal time meant the hosts finished the game with 10 men, and there was still time for Torpoint to add a fourth as Gary Hird laid the ball on to fellow sub Tom Payne to fire home past the keeper.

SHEPTON MALLET: Marko Radovanovic; Harry Barter, Solomon Padmore, Monty Burgess, Luke Wilkinson, Simon Prangley (Finlay Koppa, 66), Rush Walker-Brown (Samuel Hodges, 78), Conrad Peck, Lewis Coleman, Ethan Cannings, Tom Ovigne
. Subs not used: Blake Watts, Bradley Pfupa, Oliver Russell
.

TORPOINT ATHLETIC: Ryan Rickard; Dave Barker, Sam Hepworth, Owen Haslam, Callum O’Brien (Fred Chapman, 63), Elliott Crawford (capt), James Rowe (Tom Payne, 70), Sam Pearson, Curtis Damerell (Sam Morgan, 85), Joe Rapson (Rikki Shepherd, 61), Callum Martindale (Gary Hird, 30)
.

Torpoint Athletic man-of-the-match: Elliott Crawford.