RUNAWAY league leaders Congresbury completed the league double over Minehead at The Recreation Ground on Saturday, which guarantees them a promotion place if they win just one of their remaining seven matches.

With another three-figure crowd in attendance, Minehead started well and created early goalscoring opportunities, the first being in the fourth minute when Toby Waghorn’s ran on to a defence cutting Sam Jackson pass, but visiting keeper Freddie Butchers managed to get to the ball a split second before Minehead’s centre forward.

The first thirty minutes provided the crowd with a relatively even contest, but Congresbury edged ahead in the thirty second minute when a perfect slide rule pass gave Charlie Gates sufficient room to shoot home in a crowded goalmouth.

Soon afterwards they almost doubled their lead when their tall strikers played head tennis over Minehead’s defence, but debutant “guest” goal-keeper Michael Parker managed to tip the eventual attempt on goal against the crossbar from where it was desperately cleared to safety.

Minehead were far from over-run however, and nearly got themselves back on terms went Sam Jackson’s burst through the visiting rearguard and beat the keeper from fifteen yards but his shot was less than a foot wide of the post.

At the start of the second half Minehead took the game to Congresbury and almost gained just reward on a few occasions, firstly Waghorn again broke through following a good team move but his shot was blocked by Butchers, and shortly after it was Waghorn again causing problems when his pace enabled him to block an attempted clearance by the busier keeper Butchers, but the ball span wide of the upright. A pinpoint corner from Jackson saw Butchers in acrobatic action again to thwart a Josh Elston header, and shortly afterwards it was Elston’s goal-bound header from a Jackson corner which brought another fine save from Butchers.

At the turn of the hour, Congresbury increased their slender lead when Joe Swift finished well from Adam Buckley’s pass, to give the table toppers some breathing space, but The Blues kept plugging away admirably and were unlucky when substitute Scott Kivell’s headed came back off the crossbar from a dangerous long throw from Will Singleton-Voss.

The closing ten minutes saw Congresbury comfortably see the game out, but it was a fact that Minehead had more goalscoring opportunities throughout the ninety minutes, but Congresbury demonstrated the ability to be ruthless in front of goal. Minehead also had their debutant keeper Parker to thank, for one exceptional, and several other good saves, but if they had been as clinical in front of goal as their opponents, the points could all have been theirs.

Minehead: Michael Parker, Harvey Henderson, Bertie Harvey-Larmar, Louis Burge, George Painter, Will Singleton-Voss, Sam Jackson, Josh Elston, Toby Waghorn, Guy Burns, Ollie Hall. Subs: Scott Kivell, James Knight, Charlie Disney, Miles Campbell-Farmer (All Used). Man of the Match: Michael Parker

Minehead face a statistically lessor opponent at The Rec next Saturday when Keynsham Town Reserves provide the opposition, in a 3pm kick off. Having now slipped to a mid-table position, Craig Carr will be hoping for an improvement in the results for The Blues’ final six games of the season, with all but one of the teams they still have to face, currently being below them.