Bridgwater United 6 Cadbury Heath 1
Most of the contests with the Heathens in recent seasons have been close – not this one. United grabbed the game by the throat early on and there was never even the remotest prospect of them not securing yet another three points. With close rivals Shepton Mallet losing their 100% record at Torpoint, this was a grand day to be a supporter of the Robins.
United have developed the useful habit of scoring early and they did it again on this afternoon in the sun. In the third minute Jake Brown won the ball off Dan Winstone and floated the ball to the far post. When it dropped down Tom Llewellyn took a pot shot and the ball entered the net via keeper Jordan Schofield’s fingers. It was a shot he should probably have repelled but it was some justice for United’s industrious and clever midfield dynamo, who has had only bad luck with his shooting of late.
United were playing at high pace and with some wonderful fluidity. Brown was tormenting Winstone in particular and, after sustaining an injury, the full back went off to be replaced by Nathan Goodwin-Worrall. He was comfortably Cadbury Heath’s best player, and he brought some solidity to their defence.
However, in this mood there was nothing that would stop United’s supremely confident attacking prowess. So it was that number two arrived after a quarter of an hour. A Jake Llewellyn corner kick fell handily at the feet of Jacob Spence, and he swept the ball into the right corner.
The third goal, after 26 minutes, meant that the win was in the bag. Jack Taylor has had success from free kicks near the edge of the box and he did the trick again. From a position just outside the left edge of the box he drilled a low shot around the wall and into the right corner. Again, it looked like Schofield could have done better.
Completely out of the blue, Cadbury Heath’s Mathew Isaacs anticipated a square ball from Jake Llewellyn to Ross Edwards. He ran through a large hole but shot a yard wide of the left post. Just before half time Troy Simpson nearly made it four. He accepted a pass from Morgan Williams, but Schofield showed better form by closing down the angle and pushing the ball away.
The first half goals were very enjoyable but perhaps the best moment in the first half had nothing to do with scoring. A high pass was drilled at Brown, and he showed fabulous skill in controlling the ball, above waist high, with one touch of his left boot and then instantly playing in his teammates. Top quality.
Would the Robins be sluggish after the half time break? Not a bit of it. Only a minute had been played when Taylor scored his second. A long ball was badly missed by Will Boyer and Simpson latched onto it. He closed in and then by passed the keeper with a drilled cross. Taylor was waiting to knock it in from almost under the bar.
United made four substitutions in the 55th minute and lost some cohesion for a while. Nevertheless, within a couple of minutes of those changes another twinkling run by Tom Llewellyn created a low cross and a flick from Taylor that was cleared from the line.
The visitors didn’t look to have a goal in them but after 67 minutes they got one. United got involved in arguing about a free kick decision and it was taken quickly. The diagonal ball from Matt Huxley cleared Jordan Greenwood and landed at the feet of Josiah McKayle. He shot low to the left of Jake Viney. McKayle worked his socks off for the visitors and if anyone deserved a goal for them, he did.
This only spurred the Robins to get more goals. Schofield made a terrific save from a rasping Ollie Hebbard effort, with Tom Llewellyn again the engineer. The fifth goal was the 50th goal of the season for the prolific Robins and it followed a Tom Llewellyn corner kick after 72 minutes The visitors didn’t put up much of a challenge as the ball came over and the ball appeared to strike Jordan Greenwood and run over the line.
The Robins still wanted more. Hebbard’s deflected shot was well held but the final layer of gloss was applied by Tom Llewellyn after 89 minutes. He had a sensational game, a worthy player of the match, and it was fitting that his pure strike from just outside the box, following a one-two with Conor Hartley, hurried into the bottom right corner. With the last kick of the game Taylor was denied a hat trick when his shot was blocked on the line.
Another superb effort from the Robins. The football was delightful and had the crowd purring with pleasure. The only downside was the accumulation of four yellow cards. Bearing in mind that the game was won so comfortably the tackles from Jake Llewellyn and Greenwood, which produced yellow cards, looked rash and didn’t need to be made. On the other hand, the yellow cards issued to Josh Phillips for supposed simulation and Tom Llewellyn for an innocuous foul were ridiculous.
After this glut of home games, the Robins have a two week break before taking to the road for a series of matches, starting at Millbrook. They are now the only unbeaten team in the league.
Match details:
Bridgwater United:
Jake Viney, Dave Thorne (Josh Phillips 55), Jake Llewellyn, Ross Edwards (George King 55), Jordan Greenwood, Jacob Spence, Morgan Williams (Mark Armstrong 45), Tom Llewellyn, Jack Taylor, Troy Simpson (Ollie Hebbard 55), Jake Brown (Conor Hartley 55).
Cadbury Heath:
Jordan Schofield, Dan Winstone, Tom Withers, Ethan Spencer, Ewan McMillan, Will Boyer, Harry Goldspink, Matthew Isaacs, Ali Boyer, Josiah McKayle, George Boon.
Subs: Sohail Ashrif, Richard Thompson, Matt Huxley, Finn Williams, Nathan Goodwin-Worrell.
Date: October 1st, 2022
Venue: Fairfax Park
Competition: Toolstation Western League Premier
Goals:
United: T. Llewellyn 3, 89 Spence 15, Taylor 26, 46, Greenwood 72.
Cadbury Heath: McKayle 67.
Attendance: 214
Match officials:
Referee Graham Martin:
Assistants Louis Cross and Philip Trotham.
- Mark Hollidge
