TORPOINT Athletic joint manager Dean Cardew heaped praise on the club’s ground staff and players after another successful day at The Mill on Saturday.

It was a team effort all round as hard work on the rain-sodden pitch in the morning led to a 1-0 victory over Western League Premier Division leaders Clevedon Town in the afternoon thanks to a Dave Barker goal.

The result closed the gap on Clevedon to two points – and the Cornish side have four games in-hand.

Cardew said: “After not playing since January 3 due to the weather, the most important thing for us was simply getting back to playing football.

“Huge credit has to go to our ground staff and committee volunteers for the incredible work they put in to get the pitch playable.

“Considering the conditions, it held up very well, although it was always going to be a tough game rather than a pretty one.

“We knew the conditions would dictate the type of game it would be, so we went in with a clear gameplan to suit that.

“I thought every single one of the lads put in an incredible shift. The effort, commitment, and togetherness shown throughout the match were outstanding.”

He went on: “We scored at a really crucial time, right on half-time, which gave us something to build on going into the second half.

“At the break, we spoke about the importance of carrying on everything we did in the first half and defending as a unit, and the lads delivered that perfectly.

“We still managed to create a few chances in the second half, but more importantly we kept Clevedon at bay. Our goalkeeper didn’t have a save to make, which shows just how well we defended as a team.

“To beat the league leaders, keep a clean sheet, and take all three points at home is a massive result for us and a real credit to this group of players.”