A headed goal in stoppage time from Jesse Bishop grabbed a late point for Uhlsport Somerset County League Division 1 leaders, Timsbury Athletic in a 1-1 home draw with Nailsea and Tickenham Reserves. But it couldn’t camouflage another disappointing performance. Until the equalizer Timsbury had struggled to break down a stubborn visitors’ defence in a game that will not live long in the memory.
The game began slowly and it was 20 minutes before there was a semblance of a chance with Rhys Cook breaking clear for Timsbury only to be brought down on the edge of the box by Nailsea keeper Charles Lovell. This earned him a booking. Ebner Heatley’s free-kick sailed harmlessly wide.
Dom Barresi created another chance for Cook but the striker shot wide. Jack Nix’s searching crosses from the right caused the visitors some problems but produced no end result while in a rare visit to the other end Callum Vickery found the net for the visitors but Dan Elson had already strayed offside. Barresi forced Lovell to push his shot around the post for a fruitless corner and then just before half-time Timsbury went down to 10 men when Bishop was sinbinned for speaking out of turn.
Early in the second half Cook had a clear chance for the home side but his shot was deflected past the post while a crisp half-volley from substitute Liam Craze was confidently handled by Lovell. At the other end Jake Murray brought Josh Wilcox into action in the Timsbury goal and Ellis Hancock tested Lovell with a crisply hit shot.
Timsbury were lucky to survive when a free-kick by Vickery from distance went just past the post but they were not so fortunate soon after when Dane Willshear put Nailsea in front with another well struck free-kick. Timsbury huffed and puffed but it looked like the second home defeat in a row before Bishop ghosted in to head home Craze’s free-kick.
Malcolm Tucker