Somerset Premier Division: Combe St Nicholas 0-2 Minehead AFC

Minehead’s best performance of 2024 saw them earn their first victory of the year, when they relatively comfortably beat their opponents based near Chard, writes Brian Walder.

Some trade mark trickery from Matt Trump created the first opportunity in the opening minutes when having deceived two defenders his cross was headed just over by Toby Waghorn.

Keeper Jack Harding was then called upon to make a competent save from a header at the foot of the post.

The game flowed quite evenly between the sides, until another good move featuring Waghorn saw the youngster upended on the edge of the box and top scorer Guy Burns’ perfect shot from the free kick curved around the wall, nestling into the bottom left-hand corner to notch his seventeenth goal of the season.

Twenty more career 20 more goals would put the long serving player equal third top scorer in the clubs’ 134-year history since 1889.

The Blues continued with effective interplay and after a poor clearance from the hosts the ball fell to Waghorn, who played in teenage debutant Ollie Hall whose run resulted in a good shot that went less than a yard wide. The same player then cleverly left two defenders in his wake, but saw his crisp shot saved.

Another teenager Sam Jackson, visibly growing in stature in his extended run in the side, was heavily involved in midfield as Minehead started to take the bigger foothold in the game, and Bertie Harvey-Larmar, also enjoying a solid game at full back provided another cross that ended with Waghorn’s header going just wide.

Early in the second half another positive run by Waghorn saw him blatantly blocked when running past the last defender but loud penalty claims were denied by the referee.  A second Minehead goal was not to be denied however, and this was a fine individual strike from the quick footed Waghorn, who glided passed two defenders challenges and shot home off the inside of the post from the edge of the box, giving keeper Andrew Sochon little chance of saving.

The hosts had tried to come back as an attacking force during the second half but with captain Stefan Phillips growing into the game at centre half The Blues’ defence held firm and after two more strong penalty appeals were denied by the referee, deservedly claimed all three points.

With Minehead’s attack now blossoming in the early spring time, with Matt Trump, Toby Waghorn and Guy Burns all looking menacing and importantly, making and receiving opportunities, Minehead will be hoping for more points from their albeit difficult final three games of the season.

The Blues’ quadruplet of away games to complete their County League season continues on Saturday when they visit their old foes Peasedown Miners Welfare, based between Radstock and Bath who are currently level on points with third placed Middlezoy Rovers Reserves.

The three teams currently lying above Peasedown in the promotion places are the nearest clubs to Minehead geographically (Staplegrove, Watchet and Middlezoy Rovers Reserves) meaning that local derbies could be limited by the luck of the balls in cup draws.