LISKEARD stayed top of the table with a comprehensive victory over Falmouth Town Reserves at a wet and windy Lux Park on Saturday afternoon.

The result was never in doubt after George Newton scored twice in the opening 15 minutes and James Lorenz made it 3-0 before the break.

The second half turned into the Max Gilbert show and he engineered two goals for himself, finished off with the usual precision and power.

The Blues have now won five of their opening six league games and this was their fourth successive clean sheet.

On an uninviting afternoon with rain being swept down the pitch by a strong wind, Liskeard came out of the traps firing on all cylinders and could have been 2-0 up before Newton’s fifth minute opener.

Lorenz missed a sitter a minute earlier after a chance was put on a plate for him by Dan Jennings, who then went on another blistering run down the left wing. This time his delivery across the penalty area was finished off by Newton.

Jennings then spurned a couple of chances before the home side doubled their lead in the 15th minute. After a Gilbert shot was brilliantly kept out by Ethan Fearn, the resulting corner by Gilbert was tapped in at the far post by Newton.

The former St Blazey striker had a great opportunity to complete his hat-trick two minutes later when played through on the right by Harry Jeffery, but he fired a low shot across the six-yard box and wide.

Having been battered for 20 minutes, Falmouth were thrown a lifeline when the referee spotted a handball from the visitors’ first corner, but Liskeard keeper Cory Harvey dived to his right to keep out the resulting penalty.

Seven minutes later, at the other end, Fearn pulled off a brilliant double save to deny Gilbert and then Newton as Liskeard looked to finish off their opponents early.

But they had to wait until three minutes before the break for their third goal as Lorenz, looking back to his best, weaved his way past two defenders before finishing with confidence.

The second half was only a minute old when Gilbert collected the ball on the edge of the Falmouth penalty area. There were shouts from the opposition bench to watch his right foot – and that’s all they could do as Gilbert smashed his shot into the net for 4-0.

Gilbert came close from two free-kicks, one from 20 yards flying inches wide, and another from wide on the left evading everybody and hitting the far post.

Huck Enticknap, promoted from the second team and sent on for his senior debut 13 minutes from time, should have scored inside two minutes, but he blasted over the bar from 10 yards.

It was left to Gilbert to show how it’s done as he smashed in his second and Liskeard’s fifth goal in the final minute of normal time to round off an impressive performance.

LISKEARD ATHLETIC: Cory Harvey, Harvey Mullis (Dane Hewings, 62), Ben Collins (CJ Pritchard, 67), Harry Jeffery, Scott Sanders, Jordan Powell, Max Gilbert, James Lorenz, Matt Andrew (Darren Hicks, 63), Dan Jennings, George Newton (Huck Enticknap 77). Sub not used: Luke Gwillam (gk).

Liskeard Athletic man-of-the-match: Max Gilbert.