MINEHEAD RESERVES 2 BRIDGWATER SPORTS 1: MINEHEAD Reserves travelled to Bridgwater on Wednesday of last week to play Bridgwater Sports in the quarter-finals of the West Somerset Bowl, having beaten them soundly the previous week in the same round of the Rowbarton Cup.
Not surprisingly Sports were up for this and honours were fairly even in the first quarter with both teams trying to play football in the right way.
It was Minehead, however, that took the lead on 18 minutes when Toby Waghorn did well in the penalty area to find room for a bicycle kick, taking the Bridgwater outfit by surprise and giving the keeper no chance.
Within five minutes they doubled their lead when the ball fell to striker Oli Jones whose firm shot from 12 yards found the back of the net. With the Minehead defence of Jacob Worrall, Beau Winter, Liam Thorne and the ageing Steve Lynch standing firm they had thoughts that they would go onto a comfortable win again and they would have had Jones not hit the inside of the post and the rebound then saved well by the Sports keeper.
Minehead’s midfield of Dan Vickers, Sam Heath, Cam March and Harvey Wright were strong but a combination of the killer pass being missed and some inaccurate finishing meant the third goal was not coming. Substitutions were made with Charlie Disney, Olly Prescott, Ellis Shaw and Luke Heath coming on but more of the same with Minehead the more dominant but not being able to push on. As such it was Sports who scored a messy goal that Minehead failed to clear. However with Jack Harding solid in goal Minehead reached their second semi final after a tense last ten minutes.
Minehead now play Stogursey in the semi, having knocked them out of the County Cup but losing by the odd goal in the league. Man of the Match: Jacob Worrall
Minehead: Jack Harding, Beau Winter, Liam Thorne, Jacob Worrall, Steve Lynch, Dan Vickers, Harvey Wright, Sam Heath, Cam March, Toby Waghorn, Oli Jones Subs: Olly Prescott, Luke Heath, Charlie Disney, Ellis Shaw.