The Miners’ fledgling management team of Ryan Child and Tom Pawley was faced with a player conundrum in the lead-up to the Boxing Day encounter with old rivals, Welton Rovers, as their choices were limited because of unavailability, injury and suspension, but the return of Morgan Marsh from Bradford Town and new signing, Lloyd Matthews, ensured that the side they eventually settled on was balanced and loaded with pace.

The visit of Radstock Town to West Clewes is always a much-anticipated event and despite the efforts of ‘Storm Bella’ and Covid-19, this fixture was no different and a capacity of crowd of 300 witnessed the Miners in no mood to become another statistic in the home side’s unbeaten start to the season.

Playing with the wind at their backs, Welton looked to boss the game from the start, but it was the visitors who stole the early initiative when they won a corner after a fine save by Dunk, in the Welton goal, from a Lloyd Matthews drive. The resultant Morgan Skipp cross finding the unmarked James Rustell eight yards out, who duly planted a firm header past Dunk in the twelfth minute.

Despite the setback, the home side continued to enjoy the greater share of the possession and did look dangerous in attack. They almost equalised on twenty minutes when a wicked free kick from Kyle Box needed the efforts of both Jack Scrivens, in the Radstock goal, and skipper, Luke Ingram, to scramble the ball clear. However, Welton found themselves further behind midway through the half when a Joe Garland clearance only found its way into the path of Ali Sen, whose first-time ball across the box was met by a sliding Morgan Marsh, who made no mistake in turning the ball past Dunk.

Welton’s attacking options were limited because of the terrier-like battling of the visitors who refused to give space or time to their opponents, but they did look dangerous from set pieces and Joe Garland twice got his head to the ball from corners but couldn’t find the target. But it was David Regula who wasted the best chance of the half when he picked up a loose clearance on the edge of the area and evaded two defenders as he drove into the box but could only hit the side netting with a fierce shot from the corner of the six-yard box.

The Miners, on the other hand, were offering up a masterclass in finishing and their third goal came ten minutes before the break.

Ali Sen broke at speed on the left-hand flank and had time to steady himself before sending in a beautifully weighted far post cross that fell nicely to Morgan Marsh who guided the ball firmly past the helpless home keeper into the top of the net.

The Welton management team made two substitutions at half-time and the reorganised side started the second period in determined mood, but despite having the greater percentage of possession and keeping the visitors firmly in their own half, the closest they came to opening their account was a Chris Pile drive that hit the outside of the post.

Although Radstock were restricted to attacking on the break, the skill and pace of their two wide men, Morgan Skipp and Ali Sen and the tireless running of front man, Lloyd Matthews, meant that the Welton defenders often found themselves having to work extremely hard to keep their team in the game, but it still took the post to stop Morgan Marsh from getting his hat-trick and a flying fingertip save by Matt Dunk to stop Morgan Skipp being added to the scorers list.

So, despite enjoying a greater share of possession over the ninety minutes the 2020 Boxing Day Coalfield Classico fixture is one for the Green Army to forget and for the Miners to savour.

The fact the game was played at all in the current climate is testament to the importance of football in this old mining community and no pandemic is going to destroy that.