WELTON ROVERS 0 PORTISHEAD TOWN 3

The visitors, who were bottom of the table at the start of play, thoroughly deserved their victory over a lacklustre and disjointed Welton Rovers.

From 20°c and clear blue skies at Wincanton last week, it was 5°c and sleety rain at a freezing cold West Clewes this week, and Welton started off at a hundred miles-an-hour, with Aaron Seviour and Joe Battrick putting pressure on the Portishead goal.

Scott Newton saw his chance turned away for a corner, and at the other end, Lewis Coleman was on-hand to deny Ollie Wilcox, who was through on goal. Welton continued to press, and good work by Coleman saw his effort take a deflection, run along the goal-line, strike the post and go out.

Ben Wych then delivered a quality cross that was met by Battrick, who saw his effort strike the visitors’ crossbar and then drop straight down into the grateful arms of Portishead keeper, Dan McGreevy.

For the eighth game on the trot, Welton conceded the first goal of the game, this time on 23 minutes, when the lively and impressive Jasper Harrington was found on the right, raced towards the goal and calmly slotted his shot past Tom Drewitt and into the Welton net.

Welton were having plenty of possession, but without really troubling the visitors’ defence. Drewitt was then called upon, and he produced two outstanding saves within the space of a minute to deny Portishead a second goal. Newton was then found free in the visitors’ area, but he could only toe-punt his shot straight at the keeper.

Just before half-time, Portishead got their second, which their play deserved, when Wilcox was found free in the area, and with a neat touch to control the ball, turned and drilled his shot into the Welton net.

The second half began with Welton replacing Seviour and Coleman with Chris Pile and Dave Cooper to liven up things in attack.

A long-range effort from Lewis Russell went wide of the post and runs on-goal from Pile and good hold-up play by Cooper still couldn’t get the vital breakthrough, and the longer the game went on, the more frustrated the players were getting, and the Portishead defence were able to weather the storm.

The visitors secured all three points in the 60th minute, when the ball fell to Harrington on the edge of the area, who dribbled his way through the Welton defence to score an excellent goal and cap a top-drawer performance from the youngster.

Welton were shell-shocked, and the best they could offer in reply was a twenty-yard shot from Pile that went wide, and a scooped shot from Battrick that flew over the bar.

The Green Army were not impressed by this Welton performance, and things have to improve or all the early season good work and results will seem a distant memory.

Next Saturday, 3rd November, Welton are away at Sherborne Town; kick-off 3 p.m.

Bob Allard