Liskeard Athletic 7 St Blazey 2

James Lorenz scored five goals at Liskeard produced another master class at Lux Park on Saturday to record their ninth successive league victory.

Lorenz has now scored 29 league and cup goals this season, and this was his fifth hat-trick.

The result lifted Liskeard into second place in Carlsberg South West Peninsula League division one west, a point behind Wadebridge, who they play at Bodieve Park next Saturday.

The Blues received rave reviews last week for their 5-2 win over St Dennis and remarkably they were able to reach the heights again against a makeshift St Blazey side.

The Liskeard goal fest started in the fifth minute from an unlikely source – with left back Sam Gilbert smashing in an unstoppable right foot shot from 20 yards.

Liskeard’s second goal, in the 19th minute, was worthy of a higher level of football. Rob Cleveland controlled an aerial clearance on the halfway line, and he passed inside towards Macauley Thorp, who dummied the ball, and left it to Jarrad Woods.

He sent an inch perfect through ball into the path of Lorenz, who latched onto it, ran wide of St Blazey goalkeeper Ben Hurst and fired the ball into the net.

Five minutes later Woods produced another delightful pass. This time Lorenz was clear on the left side of the penalty area and chipped the ball around the advancing Hurst into the net.

Lorenz then missed a great chance, lifting a shot over the bar from 10 yards, before he completed his hat-trick in the 29th minute with a low shot which Hurst should have kept out.

St Blazey were simply unable to deal with Lorenz, who made it 5-0 in the 37th minute to complete a remarkable first half display.

It should have been 6-0 in the first 30 seconds of the second half as Lorenz, bursting into the penalty area, squared the ball for Ben Waters, whose shot drifted inches wide of an open goal.

St Blazey reduced the arrears with an unfortunate Rob Cleveland own goal in the 52nd minute but it served only to spur on Liskeard, who added two more goals in the next six minutes.

Woods’ corner was headed towards goal by Macauley Thorp, defenders attempted to clear the ball off the line but substitute Tom Cleveland forced it over the line.

Then Cleveland did all the leg work for the seventh goal, refusing to give up on a lost cause wide on the left wing, winning the ball and crossing for Lorenz to bag his fifth goal.

With half an hour left, it seemed likely that Liskeard would add to their tally but the closest they came was with a Thorp shot which rattled the bar.

The scoring was completed by St Blazey, with Ryan Oxley taking advantage of a lapse of concentration by Adam King to pull another goal back for the visitors five minutes from time.

Liskeard: J Blatchford, A King, S Gilbert, J Podmore (S Jones 66), D Peel, M Thorp, R Cleveland (D Guild 69), J Lorenz, B Waters (T Cleveland 53), J Woods, B Collins. Subs not used: J Cribb, C Mote (gk).

Goals: S Gilbert (5), J Lorenz (19, 24, 29, 37, 58), T Cleveland (55).