Gazette Sport
FOOTBALL: Watchet lose by Odd goal
6:17pm Tuesday 21st February 2012
A DISAPPOINTING showing at home to lowly Odd Down Reserves in the Errea County league on Saturday saw Watchet lose 1-0 ... their first league match since mid-November.
After recent good results against sides in the top tier of the table the Red & Blacks suffered a rare reverse in front of their own supporters, being punished for a sub-standard performance containing missed chances when the plucky visitors grabbed the only goal of the game just past the midway point in the second half.
Watchet’s passing and decision making left much to be desired for the most part, though they still had enough scoring opportunities to have won the game comfortably against opponents who worked hard and, given encouragement, gained in confidence as proceedings wore on.
An early move led to Tayler Maddock shooting high over and the same player was much closer soon afterwards when his first time left foot drive whistled inches over the bar.
Tom Sparks’ shot straight at the keeper when well-placed and then his near post cross for Royston Green was cut out by the keeper.
Adam Bishop dealt with a couple of corners, but the home side were seldom troubled at the back despite their lack of a cutting edge at the other end.
From Maddock’s lay-off Chris Sully’s snapshot went way over before Sparks latched onto a pass from Green to round the keeper only to then drag his effort across the face of the goal.
The Red & Blacks hoped for better things in the second half, but the afternoon just became increasingly frustrating as they struggled to find cohesion.
It certainly looked as if it would not be their day in front of goal when a free kick curled in by Maddock was heading goalwards only for a combination of Pete Baker and a defender to divert the ball over the bar from right underneath it.
Baker then drilled a ground shot narrowly wide of the far post after being fed by the returning Aaron Deeks, who was then denied himself by the keeper’s legs from a similar position.
Twice Sparks lost his footing in the goalmouth before he could get in a shot and from another close range effort he miscued, allowing the keeper to save comfortably.
The sucker punch duly arrived when Odd Down broke out quickly and when the ball ran loose on the edge of the area off a home defender a sweetly struck shot veered past Bishop into the far corner.
Eben Harding and Louis Allen were unable to make firm enough contact to direct headers from Deeks’ deliveries and Watchet’s last chance of salvaging something disappeared when Allen fired a left foot shot too high with Deeks again the supplier.
The Red & Blacks are at home again tomorrow against Clevedon United, kick-off 2.30pm.
Watchet: A Bishop, E Harding, L Nunn, M Heywood, C Sully, P Baker, R Green, R Jones, J Worth, T Maddock, T Sparks. Subs: A Deeks, R Strong, L Allen (all used).