After a run of cup football, it was back to the bread and butter of the league, and a trip down to Devon to face Bovey Tracey. Points on the board are what count over a season, and this was a chance to show that the rust had been shaken off and we were ready to go on another run.

FIRST HALF

We came out of the blocks well. Five minutes in, Miles Quick fed Jake Llewellyn out on the left and kept on running, and by the time Jake’s cross arrived, Quicky had covered the length of the move to meet it with a diving header. It was a lovely bit of football, and only a sharp stop from the home goalkeeper kept it out.

Bovey soon showed they had come to play too. On fifteen their striker turned Spence and drew a save from Saunders, who could not quite hold on to it. The ball sat up for a Bovey player following in, and from close range he somehow sent it high and wide. A huge let-off.

It was that sort of opening twenty minutes. Neither side created a great deal, but both were keen to get forward, and either could have been ahead. It was a very open, end to end game.

Just moments later, it was Bovey who took the lead. We gave the ball away cheaply in midfield, and within two passes it was in the top corner of our net. A superb finish, but a goal that started with our own mistake.

The response was immediate. Five minutes later Will Collins chased down a long ball, left his defender trailing, cut inside onto his left foot and drove it low into the bottom corner. Back on level terms, and a reminder of just how dangerous he is when given a sniff.

It did not last. Five minutes before the break a cross came in from the flank, and the Bovey striker rose to head it home. For the second time in the half, we had been punished for not defending well enough, and allowing their striker essentially a free header.

HALF TIME: BOVEY TRACEY 2-1 BRIDGWATER UNITED

A frustrating half. There had been good moments, but we had been too generous at the other end. Bovey had needed few invitations to score twice, and something had to improve after the break if we were going to take anything home.

SECOND HALF

The second half began evenly, and Duffy had the first effort of note, collecting the ball in the box and forcing the goalkeeper into a save. We had more of the ball, and Bovey began to drop deeper into a unit, which they were more than entitled to do.

Gradually the game began to tilt our way. On the hour Tom Llewellyn whipped in a corner and Lawrence got his head to it, but the ball crept agonisingly past the far post. Moments later another ball into the box was cushioned back for Beresford, who could only send his shot over the bar when he could have done better.

Twenty to go, and substitute Crawford got down the left and pulled the ball across, and it reached Stayt, but his strike was charged down before it could trouble the keeper. More good Bovey defending, who were limiting our chances.

Then came the moment that should have tipped the balance. With a quarter of an hour left, Collins was dragged down by a Bovey defender who was already on a yellow card, and off he went. Ten men, a one-goal deficit, and fifteen minutes to find the equaliser.

It never came, and the home side held on. We had the ball almost constantly in those closing stages, but Bovey sat deep, packed their box and dealt with everything we put into it. Clear chances never really came, and the final whistle arrived.

FULL TIME: BOVEY TRACEY 2-1 BRIDGWATER UNITED

A disappointing afternoon, and one where we have ourselves to look at. Bovey deserve credit for their finishing and for the way they defended once they were reduced to ten, but both of their goals came from moments we should have handled better: a loose pass in midfield and a cross we did not deal with.

There were positives. We started brightly, Collins took his goal superbly, and the second half showed a side willing to take the game to their opponents. But for all our possession in the final quarter of an hour, we could not turn the man advantage into anything meaningful.

Dave Pearse did not hide his disappointment afterwards. He was clear that the performance was not good enough, and that he needs to see an improvement.

The chance to respond comes quickly. Bridgwater face Brislington on Tuesday at home, a side we beat back in September.

Thank you to our away support, who made the trip into Devon and backed the lads throughout.

#WeAreUnited