SECOND placed Taunton wowed a large crowd at the Viridor Stadium with a dramatic late winner to secure a 1-0 victory over promotion rivals Shortwood United, writes James Wright.

Unbeaten since the reverse fixture against the same opposition back in October, Taunton started the game at breakneck pace.

They had two good chances in the opening five minutes. Craig Herrod saw a shot smothered after getting behind the Shortwood back line.

Then Owen Irish was played in by a good link-up between Steve Kingdon and Aaron Ward-Baptiste, but the centre back's effort was blocked by Tom King.

Shortwood were hampered when they lost midfielder Jake Parrott to a pulled hamstring.

But they found equilibrium and bossed the middle chunk of the first half. Marley Thomas pulled a good save out of Lloyd Irish, and then set up an even better opening for Adam Price who lashed his shot wastefully over the bar.

Taunton finished the half back on top, however. Graham Mercieca fired just wide, then Owen Irish was unlucky to see a glanced header from a Jamie Short corner cleared off the line by Josh Egan, diligently protecting the back post.

After a dreamy start, the second half burst into life on the hour mark when Short skilfully created himself some space and stretched King with a stinging drive that the visiting custodian did commendably well to push behind.

Taunton then enjoyed a string of corners, Jamie Price coming closest to profiting with a header from a Short flag kick.

Strikers Steve Murray and Aaron Ward-Baptiste also came close, but the game appeared to be petering out into a draw until Ward-Baptiste struck with just three minutes remaining.

The Bristol Rovers loanee dispossessed Jake Lee and then jinked through the remainder of the United defence before planting the ball between King's legs. The goal clinched Town's first win in six meetings with the Nailsworth club.

Taunton: Lloyd Irish, Jamie Price, Steve Kingdon (captain), Owen Irish, Ben Mammola, Brett Trowbridge, Graham Mercieca, Jamie Short, Steve Murray (Rodney Marsh 68), Aaron Ward-Baptiste (Lewis Waldy 90+1), Craig Herrod (Josh Wadham 74).

Shortwood: Tom King, Sam Rawlings, Nick Humphreys, Matt Bennett (captain), Jake Lee, Jake Parrott (Nick Hancock 14), Marley Thomas, Adam Price, Josh Klein-Davies, Joe White (Lewis Sommers 58), Josh Egan (Andy Lewis 71).

Referee: Daniel Berry (Southampton).

Assistants: Gordon Kiy (Dorchester), Mark Lillington (Dorchester).

Match Sponsor: A1 Windows & Doors.

Matchball Sponsor: Vickery & Wyatt Ltd.

Attendance: 380.