The Robins came from behind on Monday to claim their eighth successive victory at a sunny Buckland Athletic, but it was a hard fought scrap made slightly easier when home defender Harry Hodges was sent off just shy of the hour mark for his second yellow card writes Kerry Miller.

Manager Dave Pearse went with an unchanged line up with Josh Phillips on the bench in place of Jaden Hurd and with Jake Brown and Troy Simpson still unavailable for what was an intense and watchable contest on a superb surface in front of a healthy bank holiday crowd and it was no more than the home team deserved when they took the lead ten minutes from half-time when full back Sam Morcom ventured up field to beat Jake Viney with a precise angled drive.

Up to that point the match was in the balance with Jack Taylor having a shot blocked then a flicked header nodded off the line before Buckland had a fine spell with a glut of corners all coming to nothing. Jake Llewellyn then fed Taylor whose cross missed the marauding Ross Edwards by inches but Buckland almost took advantage as Frazer Clark headed in from an offside position before Jake Viney flew to his left to cling to a Ryan Bush drive.

Taylor then put Ollie Hebbard through and he lobbed Andy Collings but the offside flag was up And it too did not count. Morcom’s goal stunned the away contingent who were spread all round Homers Heath but the seeds of defeat were sown moments later when Taylor’s skill was too much for Hodges and he collected his first caution as referee Matt Redmond pointed to the spot. Jake Llewellyn did the necessary to level the scores and from there on the Robins took control. Buckland began well after the break but when Hodges brought down Morgan Williams and was shown red, United sensed the win. Dave Thorne limped offd to be replaced by Josh Phillips and seconds later a Taylor free-kick was touched over by Collings but the home side were not going to roll over and Bush almost took advantage of a defensive error but his effort kissed the bar.

It proved the turning point as on 73 minutes a counter attack from deep led to Taylor’s instinctive drive with the defence appealing for offside and Collings had no chance. With the home bench getting more fractious by the minute, Bridgwater clinched the points when Tom Llewellyn’s close control was too much for the tiring defence and Morgan Williams smashed home the third from 20 yards.

Bridgwater Utd:

Jake Viney, Dave Thorne, Jake Llewellyn, Mark Armstrong, Jacob Spence, Ross Edwards, Morgan Williams, Tom Llewellyn, Jack Taylor, Conor Hartley, Ollie Hebbard

Subs: all used: Arthur Furness, Jordan Greenwood, Josh Phillips, Merson Ham, George King.

Buckland Athletic:

Andy Collings, Harry Hodges, Sam Morcom, Frazer Clark, Rob Farkins, Owen Stockton, Cieran Bridger, Ryan Bush, Josh Webber, Nick Milton Jnr, Sammy Stayt.

Subs: James Rowe, Scott Crocker, Todd Hanrahan, Sam Clifton, Oliver Newton.

Referee: Matt Redmond. Assistants Alastair Muirden and Conor Morgan.

Venue: Homers Heath

Monday Aug 29

Att: Approx 250