What a great week it has been for the Mid-Somerset Football League, starting with a superb game at Shepton Mallet between the pick of the league teams from the Mid-Somerset and the Yeovil league. Managers, Paul Kingman and Colin Brain had put together a very strong team.

The Mid-Somerset team got off to a wonderful start – Jack Davis (Coleford) latched on to a superb through-ball and crossed for Lewis Perrett (Frome Collegians) to pass the ball into the net.

It got better for MSFL after sixteen minutes, when Dan Linham (Victoria) found himself free on the right and centred to Dan Hucker (Peasedown Albion) who smashed the ball into the corner of the net. Jack Davis was finding a lot of space on the right, with another excellent centre which found Dan Hucker who slotted home for his second.

Right on half-time, the Yeovil team pulled one back through Marcus Alexander with a looping header. At 51 minutes, Yeovil scored again, hammering the ball into the net from a tight angle; at this point, the Yeovil side were in control of the game and it was no surprise when they levelled from the penalty spot, 3–3.

It was the turn of the MSFL team to pick their game up and they were now playing some of their best football of the game. It was only a matter of time before they scored, which they did in the 78th minute, when the speedy Coleford winger, Jack Davis, stole the ball from a defender and made no mistake, beating the advancing goalkeeper. MSFL held on to make it 4–3 victories over the seven years the Wells/Noyce cup has been played.

A good collection was received from the large crowd, which was donated to the Air Ambulance by MSFL President, Brian Wells.

On Saturday, it was Somerset Intermediate Cup Semi-Final day, Victoria (Street) were home against another Mid-Somerset team, Bath Villa, and what a game it turned out to be. The home team went in front after only three minutes and the visitors fought back with two quick goals to go 2–1 up. They then missed a penalty and the home team rallied, scoring two goals before halftime and going into the break 3–2 up.

The whole of the Bath team put in a real shift in the second half, every one of them fighting like tigers and they got their reward, scoring the two goals needed to win a fantastic match.

All of the MSFL management committee could not wait to hear the other Semi-Final result – Baltonsborough were away to Pen Mill Yeovil, and they didn’t disappoint, winning 3–2 and making the Final an all Mid-Somerset affair. With Coleford in the Final of the Somerset Junior Cup, the league is looking to win both Somerset Cups this season.

In the Premier Division, Coleford were home to Temple Cloud, who needed a win to take the league title. They had to defend for the entire second half to protect a slender one goal lead, scored by Curt Macenerney, but the visitors equalised in the ninetieth minute, Les Allen coming off the bench to score the winner with nearly the last kick of the game to win the game and the league. Radstock are level with second-placed Westfield Reserves after beating Interhound away 3–1. Frome Collegians, who also could have a say in the runners-up spot, won away at Purnell Sports Reserves, 4–0 and Wells A moved above Mells, beating them away 3–1.

Chilcompton Reserves lost ground on the top teams of the First Divison, losing at home 2–1 to Pilton. Clutton had a good result at home, beating Chew Magna Reserves 3–1 and Westhill Sports improve their hope of promotion, winning a hard fought home game, 3–2 against High Littleton.

Peasedown Albion took a step closer to winning the Second Division title, beating Saltford Reserves at home 6–1. Evercreech are not out of the running for a promotional spot, beating Glastonbury Reserves at home 8–4. Second placed Somer, with goals from Jon West-Gaul and Dan Haley, secured the two points away to Pensford Reserves, winning 2–0. In the Third Divsion, Timsbury Reserves lost ground on the leaders, dropping two points at home and drawing 2–2 with Farrington Reserves.

This Friday, all roads lead to Radstock Town’s ground with the first of the Mid-Somerset League’s Finals – the Baxter Shield between Bath Villa and Coleford Reserves – and a large crowd is expected.

Bryn Hawkins