CLEETHORPES Town succumbed to a 3-2 Bank Holiday Monday home defeat against Humbertherm in the Lincolnshire League.

The Meggies were forced to make changes from the starting-XI which crushed Skellingthorpe 4-0 in their season curtain raiser at Lucarly's.

Clee started brightly and were in front inside five minutes. Josh Sharp took the ball from Matthew Tofton and a quick one-two finished with Toften unleashing a shot into the roof of the net.

Sharp continued to cause problems but when he was played in by Neil Batts his effort was saved by Craig Gibbon in the Humberthem goal.

The hosts got a scare when a long ball required keeper Liam Higton to be alert and grasp the ball just ahead of Gary Nimmo on the edge of his box.

The Meggies then saw a number of chances go astray as Adam Horsfall, Louis Bartlett and Niel Batts all wasted opportunities.

And they were made to pay when Humbertherm equalised, Nimmo's cross evading Higton and finding the net.

Cleethorpes almost hit back when Horsfall's cross was dummied by Sharp for Batts to run on to. But his effort from inside of the box flew just wide.

Humbertherm took the lead against the run of play when a deep cross found Robert Rockhill coming in at the far post to give the visitors the lead.

But the Meggies hit back almost immediately. Another attack down the right saw play between Taylor Gray and Horsfall led to Sharp being slotted through on goal. He lofted the ball past the advancing Gibbon to level the scores at 2-2 just before half-time.

Humbertherm started well after the break. Stuart Inch blazed over from a corner and Nimmo shot wide.

Cleethorpes' first chance of the second half saw Gray whip a free-kick into the box and Batts' header saved well by Gibbon. Tofton then shot wide in a move involving Gray and Horsfall.

A Humbertherm free-kick just outside the box would lead to the winner, however. Nimmo struck the ball hard and low and Higton couldn't get down in time to save.

Cleethorpes' best chance of a leveller was a Batts header just over the bar from a corner, but Humbertherm held on for the 3-2 victory.