Bridgwater United 0 

Paulton Rovers 1

The only goal conceded by the Robins in their Somerset Premier Cup campaign was the one that knocked them out at the semi-final stage. However, this closely contested game with Southern League Paulton saw the Robins put in a good shift and, on another day, they could easily have been packing their bags for the final.

An always interesting game was settled by a goal from Jack Fillingham after 63 minutes. A low cross was delivered from the right by Martin Lenihan towards the penalty spot. Fillingham found a bit of space and side footed the ball towards the left hand post. The ball just beat the outstretched arm of Jake Viney, struck the inside of the post , ran along the goal line and entered the net off the other post.

The game wasn’t littered with scoring chances because of the supremacy of both sets of defenders. Early on Paulton looked the most threatening with Ed Butcher twice testing Viney from distance and Will Hailston heading a free kick narrowly over the bar.Once United had settled into the game they showed what they could do. Allen Mabia volleyed wide from a long Jake Llewellyn cross and Jake Brown’s header was straight at keeper Aaron Sainsbury after some great passing between the Llewellyn brothers.

Near the half hour Dan McBeam threatened with a raking long range drive which Viney smuggled away but just before half time United twice could have snatched the lead. After stripping Dan Restorick of the ball Jack Thorne homed in on goal and a shot looked to be handled by a Paulton defender and almost immediately after that a Brown shot came back off the keeper so quickly that Mark Armstrong couldn’t adjust and he sent the ball over the bar.

The fast pace of the first half relented a bit in the second and the strengthening wind made it harder to judge passes forward. United frequently over hit the ball and the game lost some cohesion. Nevertheless, Thorne went close when he made deep inroads into the Paulton box but from a tight angle his left footed shot went a yard wide.

In their first real attack of the second half, and against the run of play, Paulton got their goal and the question was “ How would the Robins react?” Some substitutions were made and United were denied a second penalty when Thorne was tripped. It seems that the referee was playing an odd sort of advantage and Jake Llewellyn whacked the loose ball over the bar.

Paulton shut up shop after this and wasted time as much as possible. The referee seemed more interested in talking to the players than taking notice of how long it took Aaron Sainsbury to resume the game from goal kicks.

Right at the end, in a rare attack, Butcher’s free kick clipped the outside of a post. Seconds later, it was all over.

United know they can compete with a decent Southern League side based on this display.

Match details:

Bridgwater United: Viney, D Thorne, J Llewellyn, Armstrong ( Hartley 89), Spence, Williams, T Llewellyn, J Thorne, Brown (Hebbard 64), Mabia (F Smith 78), Edwards. Unused subs Parsons

Paulton Rovers: Sainsbury, Lenihan, Felix, Dempsey, Restorick, Martin, McBeam, O’Hare, Fillingham, Hailston, Butcher. Subs. Cload, Eglin, Origne, Ilea.

Competition: Somerset Premier Cup semi-final

Venue: Fairfax Park

Date: March 21st 2023

Attendance: 221

Referee: Daniel Flynn

Assistants: Thomas Shallcross and Rich Salvage.