Wrington Redhill’s interest in this year’s Somerset County Senior Cup ended in the first round having been drawn away to Long Ashton. The hosts belied their bottom of the table position in Division 2 of the Somerset County League with a 1-0 victory over their Premier League opponents.
Games are won by scoring goals and Wrington Redhill failed miserably in this department. There were enough chances in the first half for the visitors to be comfortably ahead with Louis Rouvrais causing problems for the home defence and Jake Horton and Chris Bradley unable to find the net. At the other end Carl Chisholm was causing problems mainly due to poor passing out of defence when perhaps ‘keeper Hill should have been launching the ball into Long Ashton’s half of the pitch. Indeed it was Chisholm who scored for the home side. He cut in from the left flank turning the defence inside out and at the second attempt struck the ball past Hill with ease.
Wrington Redhill had further chances with Horton bringing a save from home ‘keeper Neil Monaghan, Rouvrais heading an Ollie Clements corner over the bar and another corner this time by Mark Brown found Michael Rowcliffe who shot over the bar. The half ended with Bradley shooting straight at the ‘keeper following good approach play down the right flank.
At the start of the second half Rory Thomas replaced Sam Clements reverting to a back four formation in an attempt to tighten up the danger from Chisholm, Adam Bell on the right flank and Courtney Morris. It was pretty much end to end play with Horton’s weak shot at the ‘keeper being replicated by Chisholm at the other end. Morris saw his attempt from outside the box go wide. Leigh White got to the right bi-line and his cross was drilled wide by Rouvrais. Chisholm’s menace was still evident and a header was pushed up onto the cross bar by Hill and away.
Still more chances fell Wrington Redhill’s way with Jake Horton striking a post and a Bradley strike pushed over the bar by Monaghan and from the resultant corner Rouvrais bundled the ball into the net only to be denied a goal by an infringement spotted by the referee. Callum Briggs replaced Brown and the visitors continued to try and salvage the game with Thomas becoming more prominent with his runs down the left flank and White prompting from midfield. The nearest Long Ashton came to increasing their lead at this stage of the game came from Morris who on two occasions was unlucky to see his bold long drooping balls over the defence scrambled away.
With fifteen minutes left new signing Jason Potter after a promising debut was substituted for George Martin with White going back to defence to see the game out. Despite more huffing and puffing it was not to be Wrington Redhill’s day with the score remaining at 1-0 to the home side.
Team:-
GK, Matthew Hill
Defence, Sam Clements, Jason Potter, Andrew Lilley,
Midfield, Ollie Clements, Mike Rowcliffe, Leigh White, Chris Bradley, Mark Brown
Forwards, Louis Rouvrais, Jake Horton
Subs: Rory Thomas (for Sam Clements), Callum Briggs (for Mark Brown), George Martin for (Jason Potter)