PORTHLEVEN were enjoying a solid debut campaign in the South West Peninsula League Premier West before the season was abruptly curtailed in March.

After being one of the worst-affected clubs from the wet weather at the end of 2019 and also being knocked out in the early rounds of cups, the Fishermen played just 28 games in all competitions in 2019/20.

The first was in front of their own fans at Gala Parc on a sunny August afternoon as Dobwalls made the trip down.

It looked like being a winning start for the new-look Port side when Matt Fox and Dan Stidwell struck in either half for the dominant Fishermen, but two goals in quick succession denied co-managers Graham Blake and Jamie Thomson a debut victory.

But they only had to wait three days for it to arrive in style when they visited Wadebridge Town. Charlie Young opened the scoring five minutes into his second debut with the club, before George Molcher teed up Dan Stidwell to double the lead on the half-hour mark.

Stidwell was on hand to double his tally a few minutes into the second half, before Young did the same on the hour after profiting from Molcher's parried effort.

Port could take heart from a fine performance in their 2-0 defeat at expected title-chasers St Austell, before an equally impressive comeback rescued a point for Porthleven at home to Mousehole, as the sides played put a 2-2 draw at Gala Parc.

Kieran Toland and Amara Bakayoko both scored in the first 30 minutes to give the Seagulls a promising two-goal lead.

But George Molcher's deflected strike got the hosts back in contention shortly before half-time, with Young eventually netting the equaliser from the spot with virtually the final kick of the game.

The Fishermen followed that up with a hard-fought 3-2 win at home to Camelford to keep their solid start to life in the SWPL Premier going. Ed Timmons, Stidwell and Dan Richardson scored for the Fishermen, who moved up to eighth in the table.

Next up was another derby duel as Wendron United came to town. Stidwell put the hosts in front early on before Jack Stocker levelled the scores before the break.

The visitors were reduced to ten after Ben Ringrose was shown two yellow cards early in the second half, before the 11 men eventually took advantage of the extra body with 15 minutes to play in bizarre circumstances.

Young nodded a header over the line from close range, only for the linesman to initially flag for offside, who then appeared to change his mind after consulting the referee.

Young took his tally to nine for the season with a stunning five-goal showing in their 7-0 hammering of Callington Town in their FA Vase first qualifying round tie, before a Fox hat-trick made it four wins in a row in all competitions with victory over Godolphin Atlantic.

That run came to an end with a spirited defeat to high-flying Saltash United in the next round of the Vase. An under-strength Porthleven came within five minutes of pulling off the result of the round before ultimately losing 2-1.

Young cancelled out Sam Hughes’ opener with 17 minutes to play, but just when extra-time was looking likely, Ryan Richards popped up with a tap-in with four minutes to go to break Porthleven's hearts.

Their four-game unbeaten run in the league came to an end four days later when Falmouth Town visited Gala Parc, with two goals from Jack Bowyer and one from Matt Buchan condemning the Fishermen to defeat.

A fine victory at Penzance followed in the first round of the Walter C Parson League Cup, with Molcher coming off the bench to score twice in a 3-1 victory for the visitors.

They could not repeat that feat in their next cup tie four days later when Mousehole returned to Gala Parc, with the Seagulls running out 6-0 winners.

Another defeat followed, this time at Newquay in the league as Port suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in the campaign, before a narrow 3-2 victory at strugglers St Dennis got the Fishermen back on track, with Fox, Molcher and Richardson grabbing the goals.

Next up were a pair of draws at home to St Blazey and at Penzance as Blake and Thomson hoped to build another unbeaten run, which was bolstered by a Richardson brace in a 2-0 win at Liskeard Athletic.

That would prove to be their last league game for more than six weeks as the weather took its toll on local sport.

The Fishermen managed a pair of cup exits in that time, however, losing to Mousehole and Wadebridge in the League Cup and Cornwall Senior Cup respectively.

League action resumed with a disappointing 3-1 reverse at St Blazey on December 7 before another pair of postponements meant their next game was the Boxing Day derby at Helston Athletic.

The Blues were on a 15-match winning run but it was Port who drew first blood when Blues defender Damon Mulready turned Richardson’s free kick past his own ‘keeper on 21 minutes.

Port led at the break but the Blues were much the better side in the second half, with two goals from Mark Goldsworthy and further strikes from Dan Harrison and Billy Tucker making sure the hosts took the points at Kellaway Park.

January began with a 3-0 home defeat to Launceston and a 2-1 defeat at Wendron as the Fishermen’s slump continued.

They ended the run of defeats with a 2-2 draw at Newquay thanks to goals from Stidwell and new signing Joe Wright, who tucked home a penalty on his debut.

But Port finally tasted victory again on February 1 in an action-packed game at Gala Parc as the hosts ran out 2-1 winners over Callington Town.

Callington led through Lee Robinson's header but they had Ryan Lucassi sent off four minutes later, with Richardson firing in the resulting free kick.

Port struggled to make their extra man count but Wright finally scored the winner from the spot in the 79th minute following a controversial handball award to end the hosts' three-and-a-half month wait for a victory.

Like London buses, the Fishermen were victorious again in their next match, as a pair of strikes from Stidwell and one from each of Richardson and Kyle Fraser ensured a 4-2 win at Camelford, before another weather-related week off.

Port survived a scare at home to strugglers Sticker to make it three out of three when they returned to action on February 24, as a late free kick from Fraser rescued a 3-2 win after going 2-0 behind.

A fourth and final match-up with Mousehole followed and what a match it was. After conceding twice in a minute, Stidwell halved the deficit early in the second half only for the Seagulls to pull clear again.

But Hugh Howlett was on hand the nod the Fishermen back into the game, albeit for a few minutes before the home side finally make sure of the victory, going on to win 5-2.

The Fishermen then suffered a surprise 2-1 defeat at home to strugglers St Dennis in what would turn out to be their last game of the season.

The Saints took the lead inside two minutes through Liam Nicholls, before Jacob Rowe doubled the advantage midway through the second half.

Chris Wormington replied for Port, but the home side could not go on and rescue anything from the game.

That left the Fishermen in eighth spot before the abrupt suspension and subsequent cancellation of the season in March.