Timsbury Athletic strengthened their position at the top of the Uhlsport Somerset County League Division 1 with a 4-2 home win against Wells City Reserves but they needed all of their battling qualities to come out on top against a side who pressed for long periods. Special guest for the day was the intrepid walker SpeedoMick who called into Timsbury on his charity trek from John O’Groats to Lands End and boosted his kitty with the takings from the match and a bucket in the clubroom.
Timsbury came close to an early lead when Jesse Bishop won a vital header to put Rhys Cook clear but the striker’s shot was saved by keeper Josh Bond. At the other end Keiran Padfield was just wide with a clear chance before the visitors took the lead with a superb strike from George Carey whose left foot shot into the top corner of the net gave Josh Wilcox no chance.
Padfield then spurned another good opportunity shooting over the top and it was to prove costly when Ellis Hancock headed the home side level from Cook’s corner. As Timsbury kept up the pressure Matt Books headed just over and Hancock saw a goal-bound effort stopped on the line. The captain was not to be denied three minutes from half-time, however, when he again demonstrated his strength in the air heading home a Jack Nix cross.
Wells showed their intentions at the beginning of the second half but against the run of play a bad mistake by Bond handed Cook the chance to put the home side 3-1 in front. With most of the action in the Timsbury half Padfield had a shot deflected past the post and Nix headed off the goal line. In the 65th minute Wells did pull a goal back when Joe Reilly scored direct from a corner .
In a rare foray to the other end Hancock shot just past the post but it was Wells who continued to press and Wilcox saved well from Lee Cox and Cam Glendinning while Reilly shot wide with a late chance. To rub salt in the wounds Timsbury broke clear in stoppage time and after Cook’s shot had been saved by Bond ,Hancock stroked home the rebound to claim his second successive hat-trick. With news of Burnham’s shock defeat to lowly Wrington Redhill it proved to be a vital victory.
Malcolm Tucker