The Robins maintained their 100% record in league matches on a night of torrential rain at Fairfax Park.

This was the day that the drought broke and there was a chance that the game might not even have started. The contrast with the conditions for recent matches could hardly have been more extreme.The heat and hard pitch had been replaced by a drop of 15 degrees Celsius, with water lying on parts of the pitch.

The rain relented for most of the first half, when the Robins were in the ascendancy , but returned in buckets for the slip/slide second half. Sherborne seemed to enjoy the aquatic conditions more and pushed United all the way.

For the first half, United carried on with the high quality football that had destroyed both Keynsham and Street. Sherborne , however, are a better team and didn’t capitulate. This is a side that won 26 consecutive games last season en route to promotion , so they weren’t going to be easily knocked out of their stride.

United set to the task like ravenous wolves. An early Jake Llewellyn corner kick was nervously pushed over by keeper Josh Attwood and Jake Brown got into a great position but shot rather than pass to Jack Taylor.

The pressure was unrelenting and the first goal was after 5 minutes. Brown lifted the ball towards the far post where Taylor did well to win the aerial challenge and head it back towards the other post. Troy Simpson timed his leap perfectly to nod past Attwood from 5 yards.

The busy Brown lifted a shot too high after another clever run and Simpson had a free header from another superb Jake Llewellyn corner kick but he sent it a foot over.

United were totally dominant. Nothing was seen of the Sherborne attack and they committed many fouls to keep the Robins at bay.

After 20 minutes Attwood spilled the ball and it was either Jordan Greenwood or Brown who shot the loose ball against the left post. Next, Brown beat his marker with ease and his cross/shot was deflected along the goal line and out for another corner. Simpson had a low shot saved and it was all one way traffic.

United were waspish, not allowing Sherborne to settle for a moment. Leading the charge was the irrepressible Morgan Williams,  who won a series of challenges that he had no right to win. The Robins remained on the front foot.

The overdue second goal was after 34 minutes. Another Brown shot was half cleared and it landed at the feet of the lethal Taylor. From 15 yards his half volley thundered into the net. At least the wet pitch meant that the celebratory knee slide wouldn’t take your skin off!

Arguably the Robins could have been out of sight by half time but they weren’t and a different Sherborne contested the second half.

They played a higher back line and United started to get caught offside frequently. This stymied the Robins’ attacking threat somewhat and Sherborne began to have much more possession.

Declan Cornish was Sherborne’s main creative force and he crossed the ball to Matty Brown and his first time effort from 15 yards was just too high. After a short corner routine it was Brown again whose powerfully struck shot from outside the box brought a flying save from Jake Viney.

United’s Brown had another shot deflected wide before Sherborne got the goal that their second half efforts merited after 64 minutes. It was a give away. There appeared to be no danger as Jacob Spence and Greenwood deliberated over how to clear the ball from near the left touchline. Perhaps through miscommunication, they dallied too long, the ball was smuggled from them and crossed. Henry Lawrence- Napier had a simple task to score from under the bar.

Sherborne were now looking quite threatening and United , partly through substitutions and partly by design, defended in depth and managed to limit clear scoring chances by classic “body on the line” defending. Viney’s handling was secure in the ever deteriorating conditions.

Ross Edwards might have scored the third goal 5 minutes from time as he tried to force a corner kick over the line but it was cleared away. The final act of the game was a Sherborne header from a corner kick which was sent over the bar.

The Robins , primarily for their first half display, deserved to win the game. This was more of a “normal “ game, after the goal gluts of recent times, and they showed that they could hold on to a lead in testing circumstances.

Teams:

Bridgwater United

Jake Viney, Josh Phillips (Dave Thorne 62), Jake Llewellyn, Mark Armstrong ( Jacob Spence), Jordan Greenwood, Ross Edwards, Morgan Williams, Tom Llewellyn, Jack Taylor, Jake Brown ( Ollie Hebbard 69), Troy Simpson ( Conor Hartley 75).

Sherborne Town

Josh Attwood , Aaron White, George Mapletoft, Tom Budden, Josh Williams, Matty Brown, Declan Cornish, Ben Hughes, Alex Murphy, Henry Lawrence-Napier, Anthony Herrin. Subs Sam Farthing, Duncan McCabe, Brett Cotterill, Steve Burton.

Competition: Toolstation Western League Premier

Date : August 16^th 2022

Venue: Fairfax Park

Attendance: 208

Match Officials:

Referee : James Knowles

Assistants: Jonathan Cooper, Andrew Pearson