Somerset County League Premier Division
Wells City Reserves 0, Staplegrove 2

STAPLEGROVE’S 1st XI continue to break records, sitting proudly in third place in the Premier Division of the Somerset County League at the start of 2017 – the highest position ever held by the club, writes Nick Stilton.

A 2-0 win over Wells on their own ground on Saturday was their fifth consecutive victory and also their second clean sheet on the bounce.

The pitch was wet and very slippery, which didn’t do anything to help promote the style of play Grove enjoy, and therefore it became more of a ‘grind out a result’ type of game.

It looked like they were going to take the lead when Matty Pounde put over a great cross and left full-back Jason Quick got forward and leapt to head it, but his effort went wide.

On the half hour Dave Ryan crossed from the right to Sam Mockridge in the middle of the park, and Mockridge ran forward into the penalty area, where he was barged off the ball and went to ground.

The referee pointed at the penalty spot, giving the visitors a golden chance to take the lead.

Mockridge got up, dusted himself off to take the spot-kick himself, and he duly dispatched it to put Grove 1-0 ahead.

Six minutes into the second period Grove doubled their lead after Joe Wilkinson slipped a lovely ball though the centre for Luke DeSave to run onto.

With the keeper coming out to narrow the angle there wasn’t much to aim at, but that didn’t stop ‘Cool Hand Luke’ from slotting it home just inside the far post to make it 2-0.

Lloyd Alley in the Grove goal plucked a few high balls out of the air but never really had a serious shot to save, bar one which he gathered at the second attempt.

Grove put in a solid defensive performance and some good closing down higher up the pitch, which stopped Wells getting into their stride – exactly what Grove had done the week before against second-placed Watchet Town, and something they are steadily getting better at.

Grove now have a run of eight home games on the bounce – starting against eighth-placed Shirehampton this coming Saturday (ko 2pm) – and they currently hold a 100 per cent home record.

Staplegrove team: Lloyd Alley, Dave Ryan, Carl Edwards (captain), Nick Izzard, Jason Quick, Sam Mockridge, Miles Quick, Josh Martin, Joe Wilkinson (Alexis Piper), Luke DeSave, Matty Pounde (Peter Horton).