Clutton 2 Wrington Redhill 3

The management team of Leigh White, Mark Brown and Sam Clements were looking for a vast improvement from their squad for this Somerset Senior Cup tie following their heavy league defeat seven days earlier. Their opponents were riding high in the Premier division, so a difficult fixture was anticipated. A number of changes to the line-up were made with James Williams between the sticks, Jordon Bonner back in his left back role, White bringing himself in to stiffen up the midfield and last season’s top scorers Jack Hutchings and George Fake starting together for the first time this season to freshen up the scoring threat.

Wrington Redhill started quickly and aggressively with everyone winning their personal battles and took an early deserved lead when Reece Ferguson-Obamwonyi found Fake with a deft pass, and he instinctively fired across the home keeper McKenzie Denman into the net for early celebrations and take a grip on the game.

The visitors went on to dominate the rest of the half and it was that man Fake who doubled the lead with another well taken goal following a measured build up of play. The lead looked to have been enhanced when Hutchings raced through and found the net only to see a late flag for off-side raised and his effort was chalked off.

The half ended with a 2-0 lead with the back four of Josh Pitt, Dan Ferguson, Ethan Johnson and Bonner rarely tested as they were well protected due to the dominance of the midfield trio of White, Ollie Clements and Sam Parkinson.

From the restart both teams knew that the next goal would be crucial, and it was the Redskins that extended the lead early on when Parkinson found the net,following a mazy run from Ferguson-Obamwonyi causing uncertainty to the home defence, finding room for the goal bound strike. As the half proceeded the visitors looked completely comfortable and in control when a superb reaction save by Denman to what looked like a certain goal for Hutchings seemed to spark his team mates and gradually started to apply their own pressure and pushing Wrington Redhill onto the back foot

With ten minutes left on the clock,  from a free kick into the box, Cluttons’ substitute Jake Hawkins rose to glance the ball past Williams. Wrington Redhill brought on Matt Walsh and Ayrton Phillips to bolster the defence. However from a corner Fake handled the ball on the line which led to a red card and penalty for the home side. The spot kick was driven low to Williams’ right post, but his athleticism saw him reach and firmly clutch the ball into his chest to the delight of his fellow players to keep the 3-1 lead.

There were a nervous last few minutes when from another corner Hawkins headed home his second goal but Wrington Redhill held on to a well-deserved win and see them into the next round of the cup.

This was an example of the depth of the squad assembled by the management team and the qualities the players have but they have now to understand that they need to reproduce this level of commitment and desire consistently week after week and concentrate on the basics of the game. By doing so they are capable of reaching the higher positions in the league and challenge for the promotion spots which is still the Club’s ambitions.

Player of the match: George Fake for his two well taken goals and good save at the end

Team:

Goalkeeper: James Williams
Defence:      Josh Pitt, Dan Ferguson, Ethan Johnson, Jordon Bonner.
Midfield:       Sam Harvey, Ollie Clements, Leigh White
Forwards:    Jack Hutchings, George Fake, Reece Ferguson-Obamwonyi  

Substitutes:    Matt Walsh (for Sam Harvey), Ayrton Phillips (for Leigh White)