Taunton Town 1, Clevedon Town 1

A MOMENT of madness completely changed a game Taunton could have won at a canter on Tuesday night.

With his side a goal up and dominating, striker Ross Macnab impetuously kicked out at a Clevedon player in retaliation to a 23rd minute foul. His deserved dismissal left his side a man down, and ultimately desperately hanging on for a single point.

With manager Paul West serving the first game of the three match ban he received for his own sending-off – at Tavistock in the FA Cup back in August - Phil Veal's return to the side was the only change from Saturday's defeat at Yate.

Taunton have never beaten Clevedon in the Southern League at Wordsworth Drive, but looked well on course during a rampant opening quarter. After just nine minutes, Jason Mellor was forced to push behind a testing free-kick from Alexis Piper. But two minutes later he was clawing thin air as Piper picked out his top left-hand corner with a delicious free-kick from an almost identical position.

Even after being reduced to ten men, the home side continued to boss proceedings. Set up by Darren Rice, Piper hid the side netting after 55 minutes, then rattled the cross-bar with a stinging drive after being played in by Jon Vance on 66 minutes. In between, Owen Irish got on the end of a Rice cross, forcing Mellor into a sprawling save.

But eventually, and inevitably, the ten men tired. They were rescued by the linesman's flag when sub Chas Hemmings had the ball in the net after 68 minutes, but the equaliser was just five minutes away, Kris Lee rifling a loose ball in off the underside of the bar.

The closing moments saw the Peacocks grimly hanging on. Chris Astley saved brilliantly from Lee, and Hemmings rattled the workwork. In the end, a draw was the right result on an evening that could, and should, have been so much better for Taunton Town.

Taunton: Chris Astley, George Painter, Phil Veal, Chris McGrath, Owen Irish, Jon Vance, Andy Butler (captain), Ross Macnab, Alexis Piper (James Blake 74), Rodney Marsh, Darren Rice. Unused subs: Craig Veal, Luke Cole, Tim Legg. Match Sponsor: Yaskins Sports Ltd. Matchball Sponsor: Yaskins Sports Ltd.