Shepton Mallet kept the fans on their toes with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Torpoint, finally pulling clear in the last 15 minutes to bag the three points.

It wasn't all plain sailing, though. Torpoint nearly spoiled the party early on, with Kelvin Fyneboy threatening inside five minutes, only for Harry Rutty to save the day with a last-ditch tackle. Moments later, Shepton's Dylan Gould slipped a beauty of a pass to Charlie Bateson, but Bateson fluffed his lines with a tame effort straight into the arms of keeper Ryan Rickard.

Shepton had the edge throughout the first half, with Jake Sloggett and Benjani Jr running riot down the flanks. Benjani came close to lighting up the scoreboard, his curling shot just skimming the far top corner with Rickard stranded. Despite their dominance, Shepton couldn't capitalise, with Rickard making a key save from Benjani and Bateson heading wide just before the break.

The second half exploded into action, with Shepton screaming for two penalties in the opening minute. The ref wasn't having it, but Shepton wouldn't be denied for long. A pin-point free kick from Ethan Witchell caused chaos in the Torpoint box, and Paul Braithwaite swooped in to nod the ball home, sending the crowd into raptures.

Torpoint rallied briefly, with Harry Jeffrey wasting a golden chance and Witchell clearing another effort off the line. But Shepton stayed in control, and with 15 minutes to go, they put the game to bed. Callum Gould launched a speculative free kick from 45 yards, and it somehow found its way into the net as Rickard froze on his line.

With the game wrapped up, Shepton cruised to the finish line, claiming a much-needed win. Ethan Witchell's heroics earned him the Man of the Match honours, as chosen by sponsors John Yeo Stained Glass.

The attendance was a solid 187, with fans treated to a professional display that keeps Shepton in good spirits ahead of their next fixtures.

Next matches:

• Away: AFC St Austell, Saturday 23rd November, 3pm KO
• Home: St Blazey, Saturday 30th November, 3pm KO

And don't forget—tickets for the "Special Golf Prize" draw on Saturday 21st December are still available at the clubhouse. Don't miss out!