The Robins pulled out all the stops with this scintillating display of attacking football. The ground was bathed in sunshine and the 427 fans were drenched with goals! This was especially true in the first half when five of the six were scored. In truth, the Robins could have scored many more against a side that are normally hard to beat. Although this was a great team performance, it was a personal triumph for Jake Brown, now the league’s leading scorer, who helped himself to four of the goals.

United were three up after 25 minutes but, oddly in the overall context of the game, Millbrook started very brightly. Their passing and movement was sharp and, for a few minutes, it looked like a tough afternoon for the league leaders. However, with their first incursion into the visitors’ penalty area, the Robins scored. With 4 minutes played, George King drove into the box and fired a shot at keeper Chris Wearing. The keeper had a very uncomfortable afternoon and all he could do was parry the ball straight to Brown. His instant response was unerring.

Only two minutes more had elapsed when goal number two turned up. Ross Edwards, playing in midfield, slipped a well-timed pass to Brown on his left. Brown strode forward and shot the ball low across Wearing and in it went off the keeper’s fingers.

Still within the first 10 minutes, Brown could have scored twice more. Troy Simpson elected to pass when maybe he could have shot but, nevertheless, Brown got to the ball and Wearing saved with his legs. This frantic spell ended with Wearing just beating Brown to the ball after Ollie Hebbard had beaten the offside trap.

The Millbrook defending was ponderous, and mistake ridden, especially in the first half and the United attack were loving it. It was a bit surprising that another 15 minutes elapsed before the third goal. Millbrook couldn’t handle Brown at all, and he wove his way deep into the penalty area before being tripped. He took the penalty kick himself and sent the keeper the wrong way.

Millbrook deserve credit for playing the game the right way. They could have tried to shut up shop but preferred to attack. They didn’t resort to skulduggery, and this is probably why they have, astonishingly, only received one yellow card up to the start of this game. The fact that they got two in this game alone is testament to the brilliance of the team they were playing against.

The visitors, in their eye-catching purple shirts, did pull one back after 38 minutes when the United defence was caught out positionally and Ryan Knight scored with a shot that seemed to pass between Jake Viney and the near post. It was a rare moment of attacking football from the Cornish club, but the goal was well taken.

United responded with another one of their own within two minutes. A Hebbard shot was spilled by Wearing and the impressive Simpson finished off the loose ball.

The second half hadn’t quite got the same number of thrills and spills, but it was dominated by the home side. The Robins did invite a bit of pressure with a couple of silly fouls, but Millbrook couldn’t do anything with the free kicks. They also won a few corner kicks, but they were all dealt with convincingly by the United rearguard.

Brown had a mazy run past three defenders which ended with him rattling the ball against the keeper’s legs and almost immediately Conor Hartley tested Wearing at his near post with a low shot. From the resulting corner kick, Jordan Greenwood’s header was cleared from the goal line.

Brown was not to be denied for much longer and his fourth goal was after 66 minutes. He ran onto a pass from Simpson, outwitted the defender, and rolled it home from fifteen yards.

Brown was substituted within 5 minutes and Millbrook must have been pleased. However, the players coming off the bench are also good players and United roused themselves for a big finale.

The last 10 minutes resembled the first 10 minutes with continual attacking from the Robins. The difference was that they couldn’t find the target. Edwards’ left footed shot was saved by the over worked Wearing’s legs again and a clever run and curving shot from Llewellyn went inches wide.

Wearing miscued an attempted clearance and Josh Phillips tried to chip the tall keeper. He redeemed himself with a safe catch. The final attack led to Simpson’s header skimming off the crossbar from a Llewellyn corner kick.

This was a hugely entertaining performance, great to watch. It was up there with the big wins over Keynsham and Street. Playing like this, who can resist the rocking Robins?

Match details:

Bridgwater United  

Jake Viney, Josh Phillips, Harry Durant, Mark Armstrong (Merson Ham 80), Jordan Greenwood, Jacob Spence, George King (Conor Hartley 55), Ross Edwards, Troy Simpson, Jake Brown (Dave Thorne 72), Ollie Hebbard (Tom Llewellyn 55). Unused subs. Jake Llewellyn.

Millbrook

Chris Wearing, Caleb Summerfield, Laurence Murray, Jack Wood, Dave Youlden, Kieran O’Meara, Ryan Knight, Josh Toulson, Josh Johnson, Sean Thomson, Taylor Love- Holmes.

Subs Noah Maund, Ben Goulty, Mackenzie Brown, Jake Foster, Ash Clelland.

Date: September 17^th, 2022

Competition: Toolstation Western League Premier

Venue: Fairfax Park

Goals: United: Brown 4,6,24,66 Simpson 40 Millbrook: Knight 38.

Attendance: 427

Match officials:

Referee: Dan Bugg Assistants: Ian Harley, Chris Martin

Report by Mark Hollidge

Next match: Home v Ilfracombe Saturday September 24th