WELTON ROVERS 0 BISHOP SUTTON 3

After last week’s superb victory at Warminster, hopes were high at West Clewes that Welton could continue their good form, however expectations were brought down to earth when they were well-beaten by a Bishop Sutton side who played for over half the game with only nine players.

The game got underway on a blustery afternoon at West Clewes, and Welton had the wind behind them in the first half. Early Welton pressure saw a Chris Pile corner met by Tom Smith on the edge of the area, but he skewed his shot over the bar. Sam Stoppard then delivered a quality cross from out on the left that was met by Welton Captain, Joe Garland, but his header went wide.

The visitors’ Adam Mahdi was booked for kicking the ball away after only ten minutes, and this would come back to haunt him. Welton launched a probing attack; Kyle Stock found Stoppard who in turn found Pile on a charge, and his effort was eventually cleared. The visitors’ response was a long throw that was met by Mahdi, and his shot on the turn went inches wide of the Welton post.

Sutton had weathered the early Welton storm and took the lead after twenty minutes. Excellent play by Dan Haynes saw him waltz through the Welton defence and fire in a low shot that Welton keeper, Tom Drewitt, saved with his legs, but the ball rebounded out to Frank Gingell, unmarked, in front of the goal, and he calmly poked the ball into the Welton net.

Welton’s response was a good effort from Lewis Coleman that was deflected over the Sutton bar, and Sutton keeper, Chris Mann, had to be on top form to deny Welton an equaliser. Welton lost possession in midfield and the ball fell to Kyle Box, who launched a stinger of a shot that went just wide.

As half-time approached, a melee ensued just inside the visitors’ half involving a number of players, and referee, Spyer, and his two assistants observed the fracas, which resulted in Sutton’s Nathan Rendell being shown a straight red for a headbutt on Tom Smith, Mahdi shown a yellow card (his second of the game, therefore a sending-off) and Welton’s Dave Cooper also booked.

The visitors were then down to nine men. A free-kick from Reece John saw Drewitt make a smart save, and just before the half-time whistle, Mann brought off a tremendous save to deny Dylan Hatt.

The second half started with Welton pressing for an equaliser, and a long-range effort from Pile was saved by Mann. Good play from Hatt saw him find Cooper in space, but his shot sailed over the Sutton bar. The lively Gingell obviously had the bit between his teeth, and his darting runs and hold-up play were tormenting the Welton defence.

Pile then saw another effort fly over the bar as Welton had lots of possession but couldn’t create the end product. Welton’s cause wasn’t helped when Pile was sent to the sin bin for ten minutes for something he obviously said to the referee.

The visitors were looking sharp and dangerous on the break, and just after sixty minutes they were rewarded with their second goal. Further good play from Gingell saw him beat off numerous challenges and square his pass to Hynes, who was completely unmarked in front of goal and drilled his shot into the empty net.

Minutes later it got worse for Welton, when Gingell broke away, raced into the Welton area, shrugged off two challenges and fired in a cracking shot to score his second and Sutton’s third goal of the game. That killed the game off and despite Welton bringing on three subs, the match was lost and this was a game that Welton had best forget.

The First Team are not in action next Saturday, 17th August, but Welton Reserves are at home to neighbours, Radstock Town Reserves; kick off 3 p.m. Welton Reserves will hope to continue their winning ways after their recent impressive 9-3 away win at Long Ashton.

Bob Allard