Bank holiday bonanza for Clevedon Town at Bridgwater

Bridgwater Town 1 Clevedon Town 4

Zamaretto League Division One South & West

Match report by Dave Wright:

Clevedon Town made the short trip down the M5 to Bridgwater for their Bank

Holiday derby game and carried on where they left off against Bridport on Saturday,

scoring another four goals, winning 4-1 to record their first league victory of the

season.

***Pictures of Bridgwater v Clevedon***

The Seasiders started with the same eleven that took the field at Bridport and were

quickly into their stride on a sunny afternoon as Kyle O’Donovan blasted a George

Brimson cross over the bar.

Bridgwater then twice went close with shots from Graham Mercieca, and Naby Diallo also hit a long range shot over.

Neil Peek had the hosts’ best chance, heading wide from a corner when he should have hit the target.

Clevedon then started to get their passing game going as Ashley Kington hit a stinging shot that was well saved by Bridgwater keeper Luke Buckingham, and minutes later Kington hit a similar shot that took a deflection before Buckingham tipped it round the post.

From the resultant corner Bridgwater failed to clear their lines and Matt Townley crossed back to the corner where George Brimson slipped the ball to Lewis Ellis who cracked it fast and high into the roof of the net from an acute angle.

Kington next had a free kick from the edge of the area pushed away by Buckingham before Clevedon goalie Jason Mellor, recently recruited from Nailsea Town, confidently saved a shot from left back Bradley Middleton.

On 39 minutes another Clevedon free kick – this one about 25 yards out – was hit superbly well by Ashley Kington up over the wall and down into the roof of the net, giving Buckingham no chance.

And two minutes later The Seasiders went three up as a Matt Townley free kick lofted into the box fell at the feet of Matt Thorne who had a simple task to slip it past Buckingham.

Just before half time Bridgwater centre half and captain Matt Pitcher lunged into Kyle O’Donovan and was sent off by referee Mr Alan Bird.

Playing against 10 men seemed to unsettle Clevedon as the home team put them

under pressure at the start of the second half.

A Lewis Ellis shot kept Buckingham alert, but Bridgwater continued to press forward as Sean Kenny shot wide after a powerful run by Diallo.

And on 66 minutes the home side were back in the game at 3-1 down when substitute Jamie Howson arrived unmarked in the box to drive home Sean Kenny’s cross.

Another Kington free kick flashed wide of goal as Clevedon tried to regain the initiative, and Bridgwater’s Leigh Bailey was fortunate not to be shown a second yellow card soon after as he clattered into George Brimson.

On 83 minutes an off-the-ball scuffle between Adam Mahdi and Bradley Middleton resulted in Mr Bird dismissing Mahdi while inexplicably only booking Middleton.

Two minutes later a punt forward by Seasiders’ substitute Josh White bounced awkwardly over Buckingham who caught it as he stepped backwards into his goal and looked to have carried the ball over the line, but the assistant referee said not.

But minutes later this was forgotten and Clevedon put the result beyond doubt as Lewis Ellis crossed to Kyle O’Donovan who beat his defender and placed his left foot shot wide of Buckingham and into the corner of the net to give The Seasiders a deserved 4-1 win.

Clevedon Town: 1. Mellor, 2. Fisher (15. White 38m), 3. Townley, 4. Thorne (12. Michael 50m), 5. Kingdon (c), 6. Teale, 7. Ellis, 8. Kington, 9. O’Donovan, 10. Mahdi, 11. Brimson (17. Adams 83m). Subs not used: 14. Mills & 16. Moss

Scorers:

Bridgwater Town: Howson (66m)

Clevedon Town: Ellis (23m), Kington (39m), Thorne (41m) & O’Donovan (88m)

FT 1-4 (HT: 0-3)

Attendance: 281

Next match: September 4 at home versus Sholing. 3pm kick off.