FOURTH-PLACED Minehead hosted Bristol side Imperial who were just four points behind them in seventh position in the Somerset County League First Division, and the Irnham Road crowd were treated to an enthralling 2-2 draw which flowed from end to end.

The Blues were without five first team regulars but looked the slightly better side in the opening exchanges and Josh Elston went close on two occasions in the first ten minutes. At the other end Minehead keeper Nathan Sheehan needed to be alert in the Minehead goal and made an important block from a point-blank shot to stop Imperial taking the lead.

After Rob Vickers’ shot had gone just wide Elston put Toby Waghorn through on goal but Imperial keeper Oliver Eglon covered the close range shot well. At the other end Danny Miles saw his shot parried away by Sheehan. Just before the break Keegan Morgan had a good shot tipped around the post for a corner by Sheehan, but from the corner Sheehan was crowded out from getting to a dangerous corner and during the resulting melee the ball was poked home from just inside the six yard box.

Five minutes into the second half, Minehead’s new signing Ian Bellinger, who made his debut last week, scored his first goal for the club when he shot home from Stefan Phillips’ perfect long pass from deep to level the scores.

The Blues’ positivity continued and Waghorn nipped in when a back pass to the keeper was too short, but having got there first, his toe-poke came back off the post. Keegan Morgan was then put through on goal for Imperial in what looked an offside position, but no whistle came and after Sheehan had saved his first attempt the ball fell back to him and he made no mistake the second time to put his side back in front.

Bringing on all three substitutes Minehead fought to get back among the points, which included the club’s talisman and fifth highest goal-scorer in history Guy Burns, full back Laim Scheepers along with teenage striker Haiden Griffiths for his first involvement in County League Football.

Burns appeared to be fouled inside the box but despite looking a stone wall decision, play was waved on. However with time running out it was Bellinger who levelled the scores when his 30-yard free kick took enough of a deflection to catch out Eglon and earn his new club a deserved point.

The Blues will be disappointed to have been held in each of their last four games and have now only won once in their last eight, but they are still well placed to make a serious claim on a top three place. However they need to start turning draws into wins, to elevate them back into the top three.

Minehead: Nathan Sheehan, Martyn Phillips, Ollie Hall, Louis Burge, Rob Vickers, Will Singleton-Voss, Stefan Phillips, Josh Elston, Toby Waghorn, Ian Bellinger, Sam HeathSubs: Lyam Scheepers, Haiden Griffiths, Guy Burns. Man of the Match: Sam Heath.

Minehead are at Burnham on Saturday, January 18, where they face the eight placed side in the table, but they have within their ranks the league’s runaway top scorer Curtis Bradshaw who has netted 26 times in 17 appearances, which puts him twelve goals ahead of the second highest scorer.