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The year 2<strong>01</strong>2 ended<br />
on a rather expected<br />
soggy note with a host of<br />
postponements on both Boxing Day and the<br />
following Saturday 29 th December.<br />
Minehead’s 2-1 win at rivals Watchet was<br />
one of the few matches surviving the<br />
weather on Boxing Day. Guy Burns gave the<br />
Blues a 19 th minute lead before former<br />
Minehead defender Lee Nunn drew Watchet<br />
level from 10 yards on 35 minutes. Minehead<br />
sealed victory in an explosive game which<br />
saw both Chris Yeates and substitute Martyn<br />
Philips sent off in the first half, when Stefan<br />
Philips slotted home from the penalty spot<br />
with just twelve minutes remaining.<br />
Bridgwater Town were left counting<br />
the cost of their home Boxing Day postponement<br />
against neighbours Taunton Town.<br />
Bridgwater secretary Roger Palmer said: “It<br />
will cost us thousands of pounds. The game<br />
has now been pencilled in for a midweek in<br />
February but we won’t get anywhere near<br />
the crowd we were expecting. Both sides<br />
have been playing well so there was more<br />
than the usual interest in the game.” This<br />
was the third successive postponement of a<br />
home game at Bridgwater through bad<br />
weather.<br />
Thankfully football resumed on New<br />
Years’ Day following the wet weather that<br />
has played havoc recently. The big Evo-Stik<br />
Southern League Division One South and<br />
West match at Wordsworth Drive between<br />
Taunton Town and Tiverton Town ended<br />
goalless in front of a decent crowd of 390.<br />
Nat Pepperell, on his debut for Taunton<br />
having rejoined from Weston-Super-Mare,<br />
came closest in the opening half-hour,<br />
forcing Chris Wright to race off his line and<br />
Minehead AFC - (Errea Somerset County Premier League) Page 34<br />
A West Country Round-Up provided by Tim Rawlings<br />
save. Former Tiverton striker Carl Cliff-<br />
Brown then came even closer for Taunton<br />
when he beat the offside trap and blasted an<br />
angled drive which the visitors keeper Wright<br />
tipped brilliantly onto the crossbar. Simon<br />
Ingram, Owen Irish, Craig Herrod and<br />
Pepperell all had further chances as Taunton<br />
finished the half in total control. After the<br />
interval Tiverton rallied and had efforts from<br />
Josh Searle and Owen Howe but the match<br />
petered out into a goalless draw. This was<br />
Taunton’s first point and clean sheet at<br />
Wordsworth Drive against their Devon rivals<br />
since October 1998 when Antony Lynch gave<br />
the Peacocks a 1-0 win in front of a bumper<br />
crowd of 1,065. Bridgwater Town continued<br />
their fine recent run by gaining a point in a<br />
1-1 draw at neighbours Clevedon Town. A<br />
crowd of 154 saw Aaron Robins give the<br />
home side the lead on 43 minutes but Tim<br />
Legg equalised for Bridgwater ten minutes<br />
after the interval.<br />
On the first Saturday of the New Year,<br />
action resumed in the Somerset County<br />
Premier League with Berrow strengthening<br />
their grip on top spot with an important 3-1<br />
win at second placed Cutters Friday. This<br />
result saw Berrow open up a significant nine<br />
point gap on their nearest challengers. Third<br />
placed Ashton and Backwell United stayed in<br />
touch with the leaders thanks to a 2-0 victory<br />
at mid-table Nailsea Town. Whilst Minehead<br />
enjoyed a comfortable 2-0 win at Ilminster<br />
Town courtesy of strikes from Lee Smythe<br />
and Martyn Philips, our neighbours Watchet<br />
Town did us a favour by winning 4-0 at home<br />
against high-riding Street Reserves. Goals<br />
from Jamie Milton, Chris Sully, Dominic<br />
Richards and a Tayler Maddock penalty gave<br />
Watchet a boost ahead of today’s clash at
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