Welton gained their first point of the season in a six-goal thriller at West Clewes, and credit must go to both sides for providing such an entertaining game.

It was a lively start from both teams, and good play down the right by Dylan Hatt saw him send over a great delivery from an acute angle that was met by Lewis Hunt in front of the goal, but he skewed his shot wide of the target.

The visitors’ response was a 25-yard shot from Sol Jarratt that went wide of the Welton goal. Dave Cooper then put Aaron Seviour through on a charge, and Seviour made no mistake in cracking the ball into the Ashton net, only to see his effort ruled out for offside.

Welton stepped up a gear and Hatt broke through on the right, and as the keeper came out to close him down, the youngster lobbed the keeper, only to see his effort go agonisingly inches-wide of the far post.

It was Ashton and Backwell who took the lead in the 25th minute with a stunning goal. Good play by full-back, Billy Devoy, on the right saw him thread a pass to Dani Elson, and his shot on the turn flew into the Welton net, giving Tom Drewitt no chance.

Welton equalised four minutes later, when a mix-up on the half-way line saw Ashton players, Joe Bishop and Callum Biggins, collide, and the ball fell to Cooper, who raced on goal, steadied himself and fired in a very good shot into the visitors’ net.

Bishop and Biggins were both unable to continue and were substituted. The players received treatment at Paulton hospital for cuts to their heads.

The game got underway after a lengthy stoppage, and Welton nearly got a second when good play from Cooper saw him set up Hatt, and his shot had ‘goal’ written all over it, until a trailing defender’s leg deflected the ball over the bar.

Just before half-time, Drewitt produced a fine diving save to deny Jarratt.

The second half saw both teams going all-out for the vital next goal. Harry Walker went close for the visitors, and a Seviour header for Welton was headed off the goal line.

The visitors regained the lead in the sixtieth minute, when Elson set up Callum Townsend, who curved his shot past Drewitt into the far corner of the net.

Welton’s heads didn’t drop, and they pressed for the equaliser. They were rewarded in the seventieth minute when Seviour pounced on a long through-ball and calmly slotted the ball past Ashton keeper, Lewis Coombes, into the net.

With full-time fast approaching, Welton thought they had won the game when Cooper picked up a loose ball, raced goalwards and calmly drilled his effort past the keeper to score his second goal of the game and round off a very good performance.

However, the visitors kept pressing, and as the game was well into added time, they equalised in bizarre fashion. Walker was pressing with the ball in the Welton half; he was tackled by two Welton players and the ball flew high into the air and then dropped sharply down behind the keeper and into the Welton net, much to the astonishment of the Green Army and the Welton players.

One of the strangest goals seen at West Clewes for many a long day. In the end, the points were shared and the crowd had seen a very good game of football.

Next Saturday, 18th August, Welton are away at Keynsham Town; kick-off 3 p.m.

Bob Allard