Haslam's brace ensures successive victories in the Western League Premier Division for Torpoint Athletic

TORPOINT Athletic made it two league wins on the bounce on Tuesday night as Owen Haslam’s double earned them a 2-0 success in East Devon.

The hosts started the brighter, pressing the visiting defence with a flurry of half chances in the first ten minutes of the half, but the Cornishmen came into the match with Sam Pearson and Haslam both going close.

Three minutes past the quarter-hour mark, Torpoint took the lead. Good work by Joe Rapson’s cross found Haslam in the area to blast home past Lewis Layton.

With ten minutes remaining of the first period the away side went close again with a shot from 18 yards from midfielder Tom Payne, however Layton was able to put the ball around the post.

The Vikings responded well and forced a series of half chances, but they couldn’t get back on level terms.

Torpoint nearly doubled their lad in first half injury-time as Haslam played a pass through to Rapson whose low effort from 15 yards was saved.

Five minutes into the second half, Sidmouth’s Isaac Furness had a shot from distance which was well saved by Ty Rowe, and just before the hour they went close again as Ryan White’s 18-yard shot went inches wide of the far post.

Torpoint responded again. On 63 minutes, Damerell played in Payne but his effort was blocked by Layton, before the former’s well-taken half volley from the edge of the area went just over the crossbar.

With 20 minutes remaining good build-up play by the visitors saw sub James Rowe, Sam Morgan and Callum O’Brien all have shots on goal, with Layton making an incredible treble save.

The hosts responded soon after as White put a 20-yard effort wide, but with less than 10 minutes remaining the visitors doubled their lead. Good build-up play down the left wing between Payne and Pearson found Haslam to fire home past Layton for his second goal of the evening.

Torpoint nearly added a third in the second minute of stoppage time as Damerell picked up possession and ran clear of the Sidmouth defence, but the impressive Layton was once again in the way to deny him.

A delighted Dean Cardew admitted building on their weekend victory over Bovey Tracey was important, later telling the Cornish Times: “I was delighted with the performance last night. I thought it was a superb team performance where we showed great maturity in weathering pressure they put on us and offering a big threat at the other end as well.

“It’s not an easy place to go, which we found out last season. but we thoroughly deserved the three points last night which takes us into another really difficult game against one of the title favourites in Clevedon on Saturday.”

TORPOINT ATHLETIC: Ty Rowe; Dave Barker, Sam Hepworth, Owen Haslam, Callum O’Brien, ElliottCrawford (capt), Tom Payne, Sam Pearson, Curtis Damerell, Joe Rapson (James Rowe, 51), Sam Morgan (Josh Jansen, 82). Subs not used: Fred Chapman, Tom Hensman.


Torpoint Athletic man-of-the-match: Owen Haslam.