PORLOCK travelled to play at fifth-placed North Petherton, who occupied one spot above them in the Premier Division of the Taunton Saturday Football League, for a hard fought match which ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat despite a strong showing from the travelling team.

Starting strongly with the wind and slope in their favour, Porlock created a number of scoring chances, especially down the left, with Ollie Morris and Adam Langdon commanding the midfield and feeding the wingers.

However, they were unable to capitalise on their dominance and score any goals. The Porlock defence did not have much to do, but Gavin Pavior and Chris James kept a tight backline, dealing effectively with anything that came their way.

However, it was North Petherton who struck first with their only shot on target from open play which later proved decisive.

For the rest of the half despite controlling possession and pressing for an equaliser, Porlock went into the break trailing 1-0, with the scoreline failing to reflect the performance of the West Somerset sdie.

The second half began with a sense of urgency, and Porlock got their just reward shortly after the restart. Daniel Crooks skipped past two defenders on the left and delivered a cross into the box. The ball found its way to Chris Barrett, who kept his composure to slot it home and bring the score to a deserved 1-1.

Sensing the momentum shifting, Porlock pressed forward. A clever switch of play and a tidy through ball saw Harry Scatchard brought down in the box, earning a penalty. Scatchard stepped up but was denied by the keeper, who guessed correctly and stood firm in the centre to make the save.

Frustration grew as a series of dubious offside calls hindered Porlock’s chances, with Crooks repeatedly flagged offside, conveniently when clean through on goal. Despite expressing concerns to the referee about these decisions, the officiating remained as it had seemed throughout firmly against Porlock.

With 15 minutes left, North Petherton regained the lead through a controversial penalty and despite Porlock’s best efforts, for the rest of the match, sadly ,an equaliser couldn’t be found.

Porlock’s Man of the Match was deservedly awarded to Daniel Crooks, who was marking his second consecutive Man of the Match performance in his last two appearances for the club.

The Porlock team as a whole have nothing to be ashamed of after a performance like that, especially when it looked like they were playing against 12 men

Porlock now head into the Christmas and New Year break, regrouping to face Redgate FC at home on Saturday, 4th January, when league matches get underway again..