PORTHLEVEN’S manager Gary Marks has been busy in the transfer market in the past week signing two strikers to bolster his squad for the title run in.

The Fishermen welcolmed Penzance’s striker Stuart Reynolds to the club in time for Saturday’s game with Camelford and also brought back Mark Vains - a player who spent some time with them last season before getting a nasty ankle injury.

The two debutants both played a key role in the victory and boss Marks admitted it was nice to get back to winning ways following two straight losses.

Following defeats over Christmas to Penzance and Newquay the players and management staff had a meeting after training to try and find answers to what had gone wrong.

“The Penzance game I think they turned up and wanted it more than we did but the Newquay game it was a case of poor finishing,” said Marks. “I think anybody there would agree that we could have come away seven or eight-one winners. So hence the new strikers.”

Speaking about his new signings Marks, said: “Stuart is a different striker to the ones I have at the club. He is an out and out striker who plays on the top line. He can hold up play and is a natural front man that if we need a plan B we can knock it up to him. Mike Vains coaches at Truro College and was with us last season but got a nasty ankle injury. He doesn’t like to say it too much but he is a quality player and if we can get him fit he will be good for us. He played 15 minutes on Saturday and came on and hit the post and set up a goal so it just proves what a good player he is.”

As well as getting two new players in Port also lost first-team defender Huw Howlett who agreed to go in the opposite direction to Reynolds and join promotion rivals Penzance.

“Huw is a big loss, said Marks. “He has been with us for three or four years now. I moved him out to right-back because I felt he could play there because he is quick, good on the ball and reads the game well.

“He told me he wanted to play centre-half but in all honesty I think he left because they (Penzance) made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Thankfully I have got cover, whether they’ll be up to Huw’s standard only time will tell.”

Despite the loss of Huw, boss Marks is confident of the sides chances but is aware that there is now quite a few sides in with a shot of making it to the Carlsberg South West Peninsula Premier League.

It’s not just about overhauling Penzance their are lots of sides who are in with a chance,” said Marks. “If you look at the top five its all very close and we will have to beat the sides around us to make sure we are in with a shout.”

“Every side has a blip and we had ours and we had a meeting and realised why and we have to make sure we have high levels of concentration and effort to make sure the blip doesn’t happen again.”