TORPOINT’S lack of recent game time made no difference as they eased past mid-table Street at The Mill on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts, who hadn’t played in three weeks due to the weather, raced into a two-goal lead inside half an hour through Joe Rapson’s brace, before securing all three points via James Rowe after the break.

In the opening five minutes the Point made their intentions clear as after the ball found Rapson following a break, his shot was blocked. James Rowe shot over from 18 yards on the rebound.

The chances kept coming as three minutes later, Callum Martindale headed over Curtis Damerell’s cross.

The hosts had their first chance on 11 minutes as Theo Worth made space for himself in the box before angling a shot narrowly over the crossbar.

However, Torpoint were the better side at this stage and took the lead with 18 minutes gone as Rapson picked the loose the ball up in the area with his back to the goal before sending a sublime overhead over past visiting keeper Liam Kingston.

Just before the half-hour mark the hosts doubled their lead when Damerell ran onto the ball and squared it across goal to Rapson who slotted home from 12 yards.

Five minutes later Dave Barker’s effort was palmed away by Kingston, and although it fell to Sam Pearson, he could only shoot narrowly wide.

With six minutes remaining of the first half the visitors reduced the arrears when Callum Laird crossed the ball into the area into the path of Sam Stapleton who headed home from eight yards.

The Somerset side then went extremely close to levelling the scores in the 43rd minute. A free-kick was fired into the area and found Worth whose effort from close range hit the underside of the crossbar. The loose ball was picked up by Kyle Strange, but he fired over as the hosts breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The opening exchanges of the second half was even an affair with both sides having half chances, but it wasn’t until the 61st minute that Torpoint doubled their lead for a second time. A corner was sent deep into the box by skipper Elliott Crawford on to the head of James Rowe who made no mistake from 10 yards past a stationary Kingston.

Within a couple of minutes, Damerell turned and rifled a shot narrowly wide, before Street showed signs of a fightback.

With a quarter of an hour remaining, Chris Barrett laid the ball on to Lewis Lunnon whose effort went just wide.

Preston Hopwood and Eli Collins both went close for the Cobblers in the remaining ten minutes, but the Torpoint defence held firm to ensure the three points and send the majority of the 122-strong crowd home happy.

The Cornishmen remain seven points behind leaders Clevedon Town with three games in-hand ahead of Saturday’s trip to 14th-placed Shepton Mallet (3pm).

TORPOINT ATHLETIC: Ryan Rickard; Dave Barker, Sam Hepworth, Owen Haslam, Callum O’Brien, Elliott Crawford (capt), James Rowe, Sam Pearson (Darren Hicks 90, Sam Morgan, 94), Curtis Damerell (Rikki Shepherd, 78), Joe Rapson (Tom Payne, 84), Callum Martindale. Sub not used: Freddie Chapman.

Torpoint Athletic man-of-the-match: Joe Rapson.