MINEHEAD’S home game against Keynsham Town Reserves in the first division of the Somerset County Football League on Saturday (Mar 29) was abandoned mid-way through the second half following a serious ankle injury to the home side’s goalkeeper Michael Palmer.

With the player, on loan from parent club Bridgwater Town, being unable to be moved until the paramedics had arrived via Aim Ambulance, referee Oliver Walby had no option but to abandon the match.

Minehead were leading 1-0 at the time of the injury, having taken the lead through their attacking midfielder Sam Jackson when he converted from close range in the 34th minute from Stefan Phillips’ inch perfect pass. The Blues’ captain had managed to retrieve a loose ball from going out of play, which had looked like a lost cause, and his quick thinking enabled him to provide a perfect assist.

Teenager Jackson nearly added another to his tally two minutes later with an acrobatic effort, but visiting goalkeeper Keir Doherty competently saved the attempt from close to the goal-line.

Doherty foiled Jackson again with another save with his foot midway through the second half, a few minutes prior to the innocent collision which caused the injury to Palmer and the enforced abandonment.

Minehead: Michael Palmer, Bertie Harvey-Larmer, Charlie Disney, Louis Burge, Luke Wilson, Will Singleton-Voss, Stefan Phillips, Josh Elston, Toby Waghorn, Ollie Hall, Sam Jackson. Substitutes: Guy Burns, Scott Kivell (both used); Harvey Henderson, Dan Vickers (not used).

With Clutton and Burnham United both winning, Minehead dropped to a disappointing tenth place in the table.

Congresbury stretched their lead at the top with a 4-1 away win over Middlezoy Rovers Reserves while second-placed Stockwood Green dropped three crucial points in a 3-0 home defeat by Imperial. Third-placed Ashton & Backwell United closed the gap on Stockwood with a 2-1 away victory over struggling Ashcott.