Evo-Stik Southern League Division 1 South & West
Bishops Cleeve 1, Taunton Town 5

ROSS Staley returned from a family bereavement to put in a man-of-the-match display as Taunton Town returned to winning ways at Bishops Cleeve.

Matt Buse, Matt Wright, Staley, Owen Irish and Jordan Rogers all netted as the Peacocks won 5-1 at Kayte Lane in difficult conditions.

Having suffered a 'blip', as manager Leigh Robinson described it, away to Paulton Rovers on Saturday, the boss brought Josh Searle, Buse and Craig Veal into the side for Tuesday night's game - as well as Staley, who missed the Paulton game for family reasons.

If Robinson was looking for a reaction from his players, he certainly got it - Staley and Veal drawing saves from Mitres keeper Matt Wieczorek, and Shane White's corner clipping the upright, all in the first 10 minutes. 

The pitch was boggy in the middle as rain continued to fall, but Town defied the conditions and their opponents to take the lead in the 17th minute.

Buse was sent clear and he celebrated his first goal for the club by sliding his finish under Wieczorek.

It was 2-0 on 25 minutes from some set-piece ingenuity - Wright, who was fouled, linked up with Veal after the free-kick was taken quickly, and he slammed home.

Jack Horrell's fierce shot from outside the box forced a fine save from Town keeper Lloyd Irish, before Veal and Buse went close at the other end.

The Peacocks took their two-goal lead into the break, but it was halved just three minutes into the second period as Jack Watts profited from poor defending to run through the middle and slot home.

The visitors were struggling to get going again as the steady rain became a downpour, and Joe Bates got onto Watts' dangerous cross but was unable to turn it goalbound.

When Town needed inspiration, Staley provided it - finding the bottom corner via the upright on 67 minutes - and his side had a two-goal cushion again.

The Mitres put the pressure back on, but the Peacocks held firm, and they wrapped the game up in the 79th minute as Owen Irish headed in White's corner.

And the final flourish came courtesy of substitute Rogers, who tapped in after Pierce Mitchell's effort rebounded off the post, meaning Town and their travelling support came away with a 5-1 victory.

The win meant that the Peacocks move up two places in the standings, to fifth, and so they hold a play-off spot with more games in hand to come.

On Saturday they host 12th-placed Didcot Town at the Viridor Stadium (ko 3pm).

Taunton: Lloyd Irish, Pierce Mitchell, Josh Searle (Ollie Chamberlain 68), Owen Irish, Ed Palmer, Alex Hoyle, Matt Buse, Shane White, Matt Wright (c), Craig Veal (Jordan Rogers 81), Ross Staley. Subs not used: Ben Palmer, Matt Villis, Michael Meaker.