COMPETITIVE action returned to Wellington Playing Field for the first time in nearly a month last night and Wellington were good value for their 2-2 draw with second-placed Shepton Mallet in Division One of the Western League.

Wellington could have had all three points had they just held on a little longer to a 2-1 lead they had been gifted by a Shepton keeping blunder.

But a draw was about the correct result and keeps the team in fifth place with fourteen to play.

Jack Adams cleared off the line in the opening few minutes of play as Shepton looked the more lively of the two teams on show, but Wellington slowly grew into the game and saw Oli Nott break clear and have a one-on-one chance with the keeper who did just enough to thwart him.

But Wellington did not have to wait long to open the scoring as Ollie Chamberlain hit a sweet shot into the top left hand corner of the Shepton goal and the Tangerines were in the lead.

Wellington had won 3-2 at Shepton back in January and were on course for a season’s double, but they knew it would be hard work in the second half as they had to play up the hill.

A set piece saw a glancing header give Shepton the equaliser and the expected hard work was certainly coming to pass, but Wellington’s back four of Tim Legg, Tom Ellis, Chris Duchenski and Jack Adams put in a great shift along with keeper Jake Viney who made some fine saves in both halves.

Tim Legg’s daisy cutter of a shot embarrassingly crept through the Shepton keeper’s grasp and Ollie Chamberlain slotted home from close range to give Wellington the lead with around ten minutes to go.

But Shepton got a second equaliser in the game when they shot across Jake Viney and into the left hand bottom corner.

There was not too much of note after that as both sides took a point and were just pleased to have played a game in relatively decent conditions given all the rain and wind of recent weeks that had has such a profound effect on the calendar.

This was only Wellington’s fourth first team outing since Boxing day and two of those have been played in the space of four days in February.