A goal right on time from Dominic Barresi saw Timsbury Athletic through to the third round of the Somerset Senior Cup but last year’s semi-finalists made hard work of it. Saltford, who dominated the second half, will find the result hard to take. Timsbury, who led 1-0 at the interval, had wasted several opportunities to establish a more convincing half-time advantage but it was all Saltford in the second period against a strangely disjointed home outfit.
Tom Bennett had an early shooting chance for the visitors but put his effort wide while Ebner Heatley also missed the target for Timsbury. The breakthrough came after 12 minutes when Rhys Cook latched on to a long searching pass from Jesse Bishop and showed good skills to lob the advancing Saltford keeper Joe Stevens.
Home custodian Josh Wilcox, who performed well throughout the game, saved well from Sam Jones and then used his feet to keep out a shot from Sean Seaville. Cook was creating problems for the visitors’ defence and twice presented clear chances for Ellis Hancock but on both occasions the home skipper shot over. Elliott Jones twice tried his luck from distance for the visitors but his efforts were easily dealt with by Wilcox.
Early in the second half Heatley came close to doubling the home side’s advantage but thereafter it was all Saltford. With Bishop spending 10 minutes in the sin bin the visitors piled on the pressure and Wilcox again excelled with a smart save from an Elliott Jones free-kick. He later moved quickly to push a defected effort from Jones around the post.
Substitute Jake Webb made an immediate impact when he was introduced and after 75 minutes crossed for Aaron Messenger to clip home a deserved equalizer. Cook was looking increasingly isolated up front for the home side but continued to work hard. Just as penalties looked certain to decide the outcome Heatley made a decisive run down the left. His cross caused panic and after the bar had twice been hit Barresi struck home the winner.
Malcolm Tucker
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