Evo-Stik Southern League
Premier Division South
Metropolitan Police 4, Taunton Town 1

TAUNTON Town fought the law and the law won, as hosts Metropolitan Police took their chances to win handsomely on Saturday.

Ethan Chislett scored twice for the home side, with Max Blackmore and Jack Mazzone also on target.

Ben Adelsbury netted for the Peacocks, but despite John Gilbert seeing red to leave the hosts with 10 men, that was evened up in the second half when Taunton’s captain Matt Wright was sent off.

The visitors were unchanged from their FA Cup match with Bitton last weekend, and made a bright start at Imber Court.

However, they were behind on 17 minutes, as Chislett pounced on a loose ball and struck from the edge of the box.

Josh Nelmes almost equalised five minutes later, his overhead kick from Shane White’s corner hitting the crossbar, but they were level in the 32nd minute – Adelsbury poking in after the hosts failed to clear Andrew Neal’s cross.

The momentum seemed to be with the away side, as they won a succession of corners, and following a goalmouth scramble Neal struck a close-range shot against the underside of the bar.

Met Police hit back – Mazzone hitting the post from Gilbert’s free-kick – but then, on 39 minutes, the hosts were down to 10 men – Gilbert seeing red for a stamp on Nelmes.

The Peacocks would have hoped to use that numerical advantage and push on, but they found themselves behind again when the unmarked Blackmore headed in from Chislett’s corner, three minutes before half time.

The visitors introduced Pierce Mitchell at half time and piled forward, but Thomas Williams dived to stop Ryan Brett’s well-struck shot and Shane White’s close-range header was blocked – the thin blue line refusing to buckle.

Instead, Taunton found themselves vulnerable to the counter-attack, punished in the 66th minute when Blackmore broke clear, and although Lloyd Irish partially saved his shot, it squirmed across to Mazzone, who finished the job.

It was 4-1 just three minutes after that, Chislett cutting in to score his second of the game as the 10 men again hit their visitors on the break to put the game to bed.

A miserable afternoon for the Peacocks was compounded in the 71st minute, with Wright seeing red for a late tackle on Blackmore, and the captain now faces a three-game ban.

There were few signs of a comeback as the visitors huffed and puffed, while Irish prevented Alex Fisher from adding a fifth for Police.

The defeat, allied with wins for Hendon, Tiverton Town and Weymouth, sees Taunton slip to sixth in the Premier Division South table.

Taunton Town: Lloyd Irish, Shane White, Nuno Felix (Pierce Mitchell 46), Ben Adelsbury, Josh Nelmes (Brett Trowbridge 81), Matt Buse, Ollie Chamberlain, Ryan Brett, Matt Wright (c), Dan Sullivan (Craig Veal 67), Andrew Neal. Subs not used: Douglas Camilo, Keith Emmerson.