Uhlsport Somerset Division One: Watchet Town 1-0 Minehead

A crowd estimated at around 500 West Somerset football supporters, the biggest that either side are likely to play in front of this season, turned out at The Watchet Memorial Ground on Saturday to witness a full blooded, competitive game, which the hosts edged by the only goal scored after 49 minutes, writes Brian Walder.

The swirling wind failed to ruin a game which generally flowed from end to end and was full of the expected Christmas spice.

The visitors seemed to be enjoying marginally more of the ball in the opening exchanges, and the first realistic opportunity of the game fell to their top scorer Guy Burns, who uncharacteristically skied a free kick from 25 yards high over the bar at the Bristol Channel end of the ground.

The tenacious Billy Jones went close for the Red & Blacks when he cleverly made a shooting opportunity for himself at the edge of the town-end penalty box, but Blues’ keeper Vinnie Jones blocked his low shot expertly with his feet.

With Watchet seeing more of the ball during the middle part of the first half, it was Minehead who finished the half looking slightly more in control and Sam Heath’s effort was just over the bar a few minutes before the break.

The game sprang to life with a fine opportunist goal from Watchet teenager Alfie Cox, when a deep corner fell to him at the far post and having beaten a defender he slammed the ball home from eight yards out, high into the net, giving Jones very little chance of making a save.

During the remaining merry-go-round of a second half, where a sin-bin was dished out to a player from each side by the refreshingly impressive referee, and by the end of the half both sides had used all of their allotted five substitutes.

The bragging rights fell deservedly to the hosts who kept Minehead at bay until the final whistle, but both sides were a credit to the local community as well as to the Somerset County League and fully deserved the applause of the large crowd at the end of the contest.

Overall honours in West Somerset’s biggest football derby were therefore shared for the 2023/24 season, with Minehead having won at Irnham Road 3-1 in August; but there was little to choose between the sides in either entertaining tussle.

Watchet Town: Charley Clausen, Aaron Clausen, Lewis Rogers, Jay Darrell, Keiran Bailey, Eben Harding, Josh Aspey, Brandon Walsh, Billy Jones, Cody Truscott, Alfie Cox

Subs: Adam Jefferies, Aaron Deeks, Ali Harrison, Riley Willis, Connor Jeromson (All Used)

Minehead: Adam “Vinnie” Jones, Martyn Phillips, Toby Morris, Ryan Wilkins, Luke Badcock, Regan Sketcher, Hubi Wejnerowski, Stefan Philips, Guy Burns, Rob Vickers, Sam Heath
Subs: Harry Perren, Aaron Merry, Charlie Purvis, Lewis Goodrum, Sam Jackson (All Used)