FOOTBALL: Bridgwater Town Reserves lose to Clutton in Somerset County League

BRIDGWATER Town Reserves' struggles in the Somerset County Premier Division continue, as they lost out 3-1 at home to Clutton on Saturday.

They lie second bottom after creating chances and failing to take them, allowing visitors Clutton - who are now seventh in the table - to come away with the points.

Profligacy and poor passing in the final third from Town meant that it was 0-0 at half time.

Clutton took the lead against the run of play, and after more missed chances from Bridgwater, hit their hosts on the counter-attack to go 2-0 up.

The hosts responded immediately, Ash Tandy pulling the ball back for Will Sneddon-Combes to score, but a last-minute goal sealed the win for Clutton.

This Tuesday (September 12, ko 7.45pm) sees the Reserves host Ilminster Town.

Bridgwater Town's first team, meanwhile, will travel to St Austell in the second qualifying round of the FA Vase, after the Cornish side thumped Bishops Lydeard 9-1 on Saturday.

The tie will be played on Saturday, September 23.

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Somerset County League
Premier Division
Stockwood Green 1, Middlezoy Rovers 1

JED Williams scored as Middlezoy Rovers claimed a point away to newly-promoted Stockwood Green.

With the poor weather conditions and a big slope on the Stockwood pitch, this was always going to be a game of two halves.

Middlezoy found themselves having to deal with the hard half first, playing up the slope and into the rain.

The away side struggled to get any real control of the game, but they were defending well and limiting the home side to few chances.

In fact Middlezoy should have taken the lead 20 minutes in, when a ball from John Higgins on the left just needed a touch at the back post from Jake Horsey to put the ball in the empty net, but he tried to get too much power on his header and sent it over the bar.

This miss proved costly, as five minutes later Stockwood had the ball in the net, with a corner being diverted past the Zoy keeper off the centre forward's back to put the hosts 1-0 up at the break.

In the second half, playing down the slope, Zoy had the majority of the possession but like in recent weeks they failed to convert their chances.

Jake Horsey saw his half-volley come back off the bar, and Craig Wright had his shot blocked when he looked destined to put the ball in the net.

Zoy did, however, find a breakthrough and once again it was from a set-piece.

Williams, who had earlier come on for the injured Jamie Temlett, stepped up to take a free-kick on the edge of the Stockwood box, and his effort deflected off the wall and found its way into the bottom corner to level the scores.

Zoy hoped this would lead to them getting more goals, but it wasn't to be, as Stockwood defended well and tried to hit Zoy on the counter-attack.

There was one last chance in the dying minutes for Zoy, as Paul Stimpson won the ball high up the pitch and played the ball to the returning Dan Luce.

Zoy found themselves three on two, and Luce played in Adam Prescott, but as Prescott tried to square the ball for Wright to tap home, the keeper closed down the angle and managed to block the pass. 

Man of the match: John Higgins

The result leaves Zoy fifth in the Premier Division standings.