WARMINSTER TOWN 1 RADSTOCK TOWN 0

Radstock Town fell to an agonising late defeat at Warminster on Saturday, their eighteenth of the season, leaving the Miners only one point above the Western League relegation zone.

Following a two-week social media campaign to increase attendance, 180 fans watched Warminster run out as winners, the largest attendance in the First Division.

With so many recent games in wet weather, it was good to have dry conditions for this game.

Radstock are fighting for their place in the League, and buoyed by winning the home tie 4-3, were hoping to be victorious once again.

The first half was disappointing, with a lack of quality from both sides, with few chances for either team and little to write home about. The home side had an early opportunity when in the seventh minute, as Lewis Graham shot on-target from a corner kick but, it went straight to Scrivens, Radstock’s keeper.

0-0 at half-time was a fair outcome, and no doubt the Warminster Manager, Andy Crabtree, a former Radstock Town manager, would have some straight talking to do to get the home side to raise their game.

The second half proved that action had been taken in the dressing room and probably why the home side was the last back out on the pitch! Within the opening seconds, Warminster were creating chances. The best of which was in the 52nd minute, when good work by Captain, Charlie Walton, back from his suspension down the left, was able to cross into the box. Conner McKay turned and shot from the edge of the penalty area, forcing the keeper to make a fine save.

A couple of minutes later, a corner taken by Eban Mortimer-Taylor was met by the head of Walton twelve yards out, but headed just over Radstock’s crossbar.

In the 57th minute, Radstock forced Nathan Ball (in goal for Warminster) to pull off an excellent save when a shot from the right just inside the penalty area was heading goal-bound. Ball dived high to his right and got his hands to it, sending the ball over the bar to keep the game goalless.

The resulting corner was also caught by Ball in his six-yard area, something which he had been doing well all game and proving why he is Warminster’s number one keeper.

A cross into the box in the 75th minute was almost converted to a goal by a defending Radstock player who headed the ball, forcing an excellent save from his keeper to prevent the ball dropping under the crossbar.

As the time left for scoring was reducing, it looked more likely despite the improved performance and the number of corners which Warminster were winning that it was going to be a goalless day for them. With five minutes of normal time remaining, a throw-in was awarded to Warminster on the right inside the opponents’ half.

This was first headed on by Joel Sissons, then headed again from the ever-busy Walton, and was met by the head of Jake Wright on the edge of the six-yard box and squeezed the ball in between the left post and Scrivens, who couldn’t prevent the goal.

Deep into additional time, Mortimer-Taylor went close and forced another good save by Scrivens. This win moves Warminster up to eighth place on fifty points, and the Miners are third-from-bottom, finding themselves in a relegation battle.

Roland Millward