PORTHLEVEN’S recent upturn in form came to a halt at Mousehole on Wednesday night, losing 5-2 in an exciting game at Trungle Parc.

The Seagulls enjoyed a 2-0 lead at the break thanks to strikes from Hayden Turner and Rheiss McClean within a minute of each other midway through the half, before Dan Stidwell halved the deficit early in the second half.

Tallan Mitchell restored the two-goal gap before Turner bagged his second of the game, and while Hugh Howlett gave the Fishermen hope with a bullet header, Mark Richards was on hand to fire in the hosts’ fifth and complete a fine victory.

Both sides were quick to register their first attempts at goal, with Seagulls midfielder Mitchell getting a shot at goal inside the first minute before Stidwell’s cross was headed wide by Joe Wright for the Fishermen a minute later.

Mousehole had a golden chance to lead in the fifth minute when Turner got in behind the defence and rounded Port ‘keeper Martyn Webster but fired into the side netting.

A breathless start to the game continued a minute later when some good build-up play around the Mousehole box gave Dan Richardson the chance to shoot, with his effort beating goalkeeper Cory Harvey but striking the underside of the crossbar before being hacked away.

The home side were back on the attack in fortuitous fashion when an errant clearance from Luke Hunter fell straight to Amara Bakayoko. The winger teed up Turner on the edge of the box, but the forward saw his effort fly wide with the aid of a deflection.

The match was a fairly even affair thus far but Porthleven suddenly found themselves two goals down in the blink of an eye in the 34th minute. The first came when a cross was met beautifully by Turner inside the box, who controlled the ball with his chest before rifling the ball into the bottom corner.

The Fishermen had barely managed to restart the game before shipping a second goal, with Mousehole winning the ball from kick-off and McClean finishing off a quick break by firing past Webster.

After spending the next couple of minutes camped inside their own half Porthleven had a chance to hit back when Fraser’s headed pass from a long ball fell invitingly for Richardson to hit it first time on the left side of the box, but the effort sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.

But the hosts came forward again and Kieran Toland missed the chance to make it three goals in six minutes when he volleyed Bakayoko’s low cross wide of the left post from just inside the box.

The visitors were getting a foothold in the game again, but the Seagulls ended the half on top, with McClean forcing a strong save out of Webster following another quick break down the left flank.

But Porthleven hauled themselves back into the game in the fourth minute of the second half with a goal handed to them on a plate by the Seagulls defence. Seagulls left-back Paulo Sousa got the ball stuck under his feet 20 yards from goal, allowing a delighted Stidwell to pinch it and guide it past Harvey.

But Mousehole restored their two-goal advantage only two minutes later with another gift of a goal, with Mitchell’s cross working its way between Webster’s legs and into the net.

The game settled back down before the teams exchanged chances on the hour, with Fraser firing over the bar from the edge of the box before Toland’s ambitious left-wing effort landed on the roof of Webster’s net at the other end, with McClean dragging another shot wide a few minutes later.

The Seagulls appeared to put the game out of sight in the 67th minute with a well-worked goal. Toland put Turner in behind the defence with a lovely through ball, with the striker racing into the box and lashing a shot past Webster at the near post.

But the visitors hit back again six minutes later to give themselves a lifeline, with Howlett rising to meet a corner kick and power an unstoppable header past Harvey.

But that glimmer of hope was extinguished another five minutes later when a corner kick made its way to Richards in the centre of the box, with the Seagulls defender driving the ball into the net from ten yards.

Toland had an excellent opportunity to add a sixth in the final few minutes when he received the ball from Charlie Willis, but sent his shot wide of the target from eight yards.

Porthleven: M Webster, C Wormington, K Davies, L Hunter (G Molcher 65), H Howlett, J Harrison, D Stidwell, D Richardson, J Wright (W Brown 24), H Dark, K Fraser (M Fox 65). Subs (unused): J Thomson.