Wadebridge Town 3 Liskeard Athletic 4

Liskeard went to the top of the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League division one west for the first time this season after beating morning leaders Wadebridge at a wet and windy Bodieve Park.

It was the Blues’ 10th successive league victory, featuring a hat-trick from James Lorenz, his sixth treble of the season taking his goals tally to 32 in 14 games.

Liskeard had to hang on in the late stages, with one magnificent tackle by Sam Gilbert and two great saves by Jamie Blatchford, but the visitors were never behind in the game.

They swept ahead in the 11th minute when Jarrad Woods produced a defence-splitting pass to find Lorenz, who smashed a right foot shot past Rob Rosevear into the net.

It was 2-0 three minutes later with Lorenz firing home a penalty after Ben Williams had been adjudged to have tripped Ben Waters, and for the remainder of the half Liskeard looked comfortable with a fine Rosevear save denying Lorenz a third goal in the 38th minute.

But Wadebridge were given a lifeline on the stroke of half-time when the referee awarded the home side a dubious free kick 25 yards out and Connor Mewton’s shot was too strong for Blatchford.

Liskeard, however, came out for the second half in positive mood and they restored their two-goal advantage with a superb Jack Podmore free kick on the hour.

Wadebridge, who had been largely disappointing, suddenly started to step up the pace and they got a second goal back after 71 minutes with a superb strike from Kyle Flew.

Liskeard were coming under increasing pressure but a long clearance in the 76th minute found Lorenz midway in the Wadebridge half. He cut back, switched the ball onto his right foot and fired a brilliant 20 yard shot into the far corner to make it 4-2.

The Liskeard players celebrated Lorenz’s latest hat-trick by mobbing him but there was still work for them to do, especially when Dan Jennings reduced the arrears in the 80th minute from the penalty spot after another harsh decision by the referee.

It set up a fierce last 10 minutes, during which Liskeard substitute Tom Cleveland fired into the side netting when he should have scored.

But the key moment of the late stages came in the first minute of time added on when Gilbert timed a tackle to perfection to deny Sam Gerken in the penalty area.

Liskeard: J Blatchford, A King, S Gilbert, J Podmore, D Peel, M Thorp, R Cleveland, J Lorenz, B Waters, J Woods, B Collins. Subs: T Cleveland, D Guild, S Jones.