LAPSES in concentration cost Porthleven again on Saturday as they fell to a 3-2 defeat away at Liskeard Athletic.

The Fishermen had done enough to earn a victory from the match, but missed chances and mistakes at the back handed their South West Peninsula League West rivals the three points.

They were caught cold with just two minutes on the clock when striker Mickey Aplin made a run into the box and hammered the ball past Benji Bryant.

Port went on the attack after this and nearly equalised through Tom Hawkins who slammed a shot over the crossbar.

Aplin then had a chance to make it 2-0 when he had just Bryant to beat in the six yard box, but he somehow scooped his effort over.

It became all square in the 16th minute when Port’s top goalscorer Jordan Annear was put through and he made no mistake with his chance.

This parity lasted just 14 minutes though as on the half hour mark, Tom Cleveland restored Athletic’s lead after getting onto the end of the cross-field ball.

None of the visiting defenders picked up his run and Cleveland remained composed to finish off the job.

Freddie Williams had two chances to get another equaliser for Port before the break, but he missed out both times first with his a shot going straight to the home goalkeeper.

He then got onto the end of a Jamie Greet cross from the right after the midfielder had made a superb run down the wing, but he could not get a firm enough connection to the ball.

Shortly after the second half started, Annear had another opportunity to score but sent a chip over the bar when he was one-on-one with the keeper.

Not long after this effort, he then nearly made it 2-2 again only to see his shot smash off the post.

Athletic then extended their lead in the 65th minute after Bryant made a meal out of collecting a cross.

The ball rolled into Aplin’s path and the forward cheekily back heeled it into the net.

Annear was on hand to cut the lead back to one goal in the 77th minute when he was found by a ball pinged across the field before slotting it past the goalie.

Tom Heywood had the chance to earn a point for the visitors late on, but after winning a header from Tom Annear’s free kick, he could not steer it into the net.

The Fishermen’s next game will be on Saturday in the Charity Cup when they face Wadebridge Town.

PORTHLEVEN: Bryant, Wormington, Heywood, McCardie, Tarrant (Orchard, 65), Hawkins, Best, Greet, T Annear, J Annear, Williams.