Somerset Division One: Minehead 1-3 Stockwood Green

The Blues hopes for their first three points of 2024 received an unexpected jolt when visitors Stockwood Green, currently seemingly rooted in a relegation position, flew out of the blocks and caught their hosts cold, deservedly scoring twice in the opening seven minutes.

Goalkeeper Vinnie Jones was in action soon after the kick off, saving a deflected shot at the foot of the post. However, three minutes later, the fired-up visitors did take the lead when pacey centre forward Lewis Bull open their account.  A further three minutes later the Bristol side doubled their advantage when Harry Templeman scored from an acute angle, beating Jones with a perfect shot in a fairly crowded penalty area, which went in off the inside of the far post.

After this initial burst, Minehead slowly seemed to gain some composure and they started to work their way slowly back into a game they could easily have been completely out of, and a=on the half hour they were awarded a penalty when teenage centre forward Louis Burge was adjudged to have been impeded in the box, and captain Stefan Phillips steadied the nerves with a perfectly struck penalty kick.

Midway through the second half, top scorer Guy Burns attempted an audacious 35-yard volley when a looping miscued clearance brought about the opportunity, but with the beaten keeper scurrying back towards his goal the strikers’ attempt went inches the wrong side of the Irnham Road goal.

Stockwood made the points safe late in the game when captain and central defender Joe Head scored from close range.

Minehead: Adam “Vinnie” Jones, Bertie Harvey-Larmar, Luke Badcock, Mike Graddon, Sam Heath, Stefan Phillips, Matty Ronan, Louis Burge, Guy Burns, Jack Furse

Subs: Hubi Wejnerowski, Lewis Goodrum, Oliver Jones (All Used)

Minehead face the daunting prospect of an away fixture against league leaders Staplegrove this coming Saturday, when The Blues neighbours Watchet, currently chasing Staplegrove down in second place, will be hoping that their West Somerset rivals can cause an upset. Kick-off, at Staplegrove is at 3pm.