Buckland were coming off the back of a fine win at Millbrook in the week and a victory could have put them in second place behind Bitton and with Bridgwater still apparently reeling after the events of the Ilfracombe Town game all the ingredients of a long and hot afternoon’s toil seemed on the cards.

Within minutes Nathan Cooper, Richard Groves and Charlie Johansen combined to bring out a great last gasp tackle from Armstrong while former Taunton Town man Ben Carter and Josh Webber were causing all kinds of grief out wide. The back four of Armstrong, Tom Ellis, Ross Edwards, and Jordan Greenwood were often stretched but with Jake Viney behind them coped well although when the ball was given away on the halfway line Carter ran through but instead of tucking away the one-on-one chance squared it unselfishly, but the ball ran away, and the Robins breathed a sigh of relief. Two minutes later Carter was in again but was again denied by a fabulous stop then George King almost rolled the ball in to an empty net past a stranded Viney, but Edwards just got back to hack it off the line.

For a while the game stuttered with too many free-kicks and with Taylor often isolated up front away goals were looking to be at a premium until man of the match Archie Sturdy was given the ball and he strode into the area but was denied twice by Andy Collings. Bridgwater were just beginning to believe in themselves and on the half hour Jake Llewellyn motored down the left and his cross was met by Taylor’s side foot effort which Collings again kept out.

Just before the break George King set up Taylor but Collings parried for Sturdy to just fail to net the rebound and the sides went in at 0-0 with both wondering how.