Taunton Vale B 3, SOHC Mens A team 2

Based on the previous weeks performances SOHC should have been looking to this game to secure their first away win of the season, writes Mark Moore.

and if they had played the full 70 minutes as they did the first 15 then the result wouldn’t have been in doubt. With good lateral movement of ball and player, Taunton had no answer to the energetic start by SOHC and it was completely against the run of play that Taunton secured the lead when their skilful centre forward seemed to carve his way through the visitors’ defence before unleashing a powerful rising shot over the right shoulder of Moore in the SOHC goal.

This goal energised the home team and simultaneously rocked SOHC and chances kept coming the home team’s way, SOHC giving the ball away cheaply and playing without much organisation. However, Will Gallantree had a golden opportunity to level matters when one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Unfortunately, he went for power over placement and spurned his chance hitting it straight at the grateful keeper.

Two minutes into the second half, Chris Bishop made another trademark run along the baseline before crossing and finding Tom Down who managed to lift the ball over the keeper. This levelling of scores was short lived and soon after a Taunton attack resulted in Jon Dutton managing to get on the score sheet as he wrong footed skipper Moore for an own goal.

SOHC continued to give the ball away regularly and cheaply putting more and more pressure on themselves and on 60 minutes Dutton managed to bag his second of the game when he diverted a wide shot at goal into his own net and in doing so became the team’s top scorer for the season - all in his own net! SOHC pulled a goal back with the last play of the game when Ade Brooker tucked in a short corner, but it was too little too late for the visitors.

This week the A team are at home v Exeter University ‘E’ at Sidmouth, noon pushback - all support welcome.

Team from: Moore, Hext, Robinson, Geake, Please, Dutton, Mapson, Pigeon, Gallantree, Dibble, Down, Rickard,