MINEHEAD will be looking to maintain their fine form when they play away to Westfield in the first division of the Uhlsport Somerset County Football League on Saturday, September 7.
Minehead won 3-2 away to leaders Imperial last weekend, and manager Craig Carr said: “It was a great performance, particularly for the first 70 minutes. It was only a couple of mistakes towards the end which allowed them to score two goals. On another day we could have scored more goals. We have a young side and it is a learning curve for some of them.
“What is special at the moment is that we have a very committed budge. Everyone in the squad wants to play. I’m going to freshen things up for Saturday by bringing in a couple of players from the reserves. I’ve got to keep as many players as possible happy. But basically it will be the same squad."
Striker Leon Lofts, who was unavailable for last Saturday’s game, will be back in the squad but last season’s top scorer Guy Burns is still injured along with experienced defender George Painter. Burns, in fact, has yet to play this season. Also still missing is Matt Trump who has just changed his job.
Carr, who is in his first full season in the job, must be pleased with his side’s start to the season, apart from their 4-0 home defeat by Middlezoy Rovers Reserves on the opening weekend. The club’s ultimate aim, of course, is a return to the Western League.
Westfield have made a good start to the season and are lying fourth in the table, having played four matches, with three victories and one loss. They gained a 3-0 home win over Saltford in their latest match last weekend.
The side currently setting the pace in the division are Congresbury who have dropped only two points in their first five matches, and have a one-point lead over Imperial and Ashton and Backwell United, who have both played one more game than their rivals.
Meanwhile Watchet Town, who were unlucky to lose 3-2 in the Premier Division away to Worle last weekend, play their first match of the season at the Memorial Ground on Saturday when they face Stockwood Wanderers in the first round of the Somerset Senior Cup (3p.m.).
It will be a chance for supporters to see their side in action for the first time since winning promotion at the end of last season.
“We did not deserve to lose at Worle,’ said Nick Sully, a member of the three-man team running Watchet. “We were the better side for most of the match.”
Last season’s top scorer Billy Jones returns to Watchet's side but full back Lewis Rogers is unavailable.