Winchester City 0 Clevedon Town 2

Winchester City 0 Clevedon Town 2

Clevedon Town avenged a home defeat earlier in the season when they played Winchester City away in this Evo-Stik Southern league game.

Clevedon manager Micky Bell made changes from the side that drew with Bridgwater on New Year's Day to ensure victory.

Town started the stronger side and for most of the first half dominated the encounter, Winchester were restricted to a few long range efforts the first of which came after 10 minutes when Andrew White crossed to Liam Robinson only for him to blast his effort well over the bar.

With the visitors putting more and more pressure on the home side, chances were created with Dan Williams putting an effort just wide of the post closely followed by a chip in to the box by Adi Adams that saw Reeko Best make ground only to be thwarted by Adam Tomoso, who hooked the ball over his own bar for a corner, when a goal seemed the likely outcome. 

After half an hour Rory Prendergast made a run down the visitors' left flank and crossed into the box, the ball was met with a clean header from Aron Robbins but his effort was straight at Ross Casey in the home goal. 

The keeper cleared up field where Liam Robinson had a first time shot smothered at the foot of the post by Clevedon custodian Lee Matthews.

The Clevedon pressure produced a deserved goal in the 41 minute when a quick throw from Bawan Hussain to Reeko Best, saw the latter cross in to the Winchester box where the ball was picked up by Dan Williams who made no mistake when crashing the ball in to the net for his debut league goal for the club. 

The second half followed much the same pattern as the first with the visitors making most of the running and efforts from Adams, Williams and Best all going close to increasing Clevedon's lead. 

At the other end a mistake in the Clevedon defence allowed Daniel Smith the chance to level the scores but his effort, from close range, hit the outside of the upright and went out safely for a goal kick. 

Two more chances fell to Andrew White late on in the game when first a diving save and then a finger tip over the bar by Matthews in the visitors' goal kept them in front until on 79 minutes a loose ball in the home area came out to Mike Stephenson who calmly slotted past the advancing Casey in the home goal to make it 2-0 to the visitors - this was Mikes debut league goal for Clevedon. 

Clevedon had a chance to make it three right at the end when a strong run down the right by Dave Stone to the bye line saw his cross go right across the home goal avoiding three Clevedon players and as many defenders when a simple touch could have put the ball in to the net.

The final whistle came with the visitors still in charge of the game to avenge the early season defeat at the Hand Stadium.

Attendance 69, Clevedon Town man-of-the-match Alex Russell.

Clevedon Town line up 1. Lee Matthews, 2. Mike Stephenson, 3. Aron Robbins, 4. Rory Prendergast, 5. Steve Kingdon, 6. Ben Murray, 7. Alex Russell, 8. Adi Adams, 9. Reeko Best, 10. Bawan Hussain, 11. Dan Williams, 12. Dave Stone - sub for Hussain 85 mins, 14. Joe Swift - sub for Robbins 85 mins and 15. Lloyd Mills - sub for Best 90 + 2 mins.

Clevedon Town next home matches at the Hand:

• Saturday, January 12 v  Evesham United, kick-off 3pm;
• Saturday, January 19 v  Hungerford Town, kick-off 3pm; and
• Wednesday, January 23 v  Poole Town, kick-off 7.45pm.

Spectators welcome at all matches.