Welton moved up to fifth in the Toolstation Division One table with a solid team performance against neighbours, Bishop Sutton.

It is fair to say the first half-hour of the game was a bit of a damp squib, as both teams cancelled each other out. A loose ball out of the Sutton defence was picked up by Kyle Norris, who skied his effort high over the visitors’ bar. Minutes later, he was put through, but this time, shot straight at the Sutton keeper, Josh Yakub. The visitors were lively in their attack, led by Mason Daggar, and he saw his twenty-yard shot whizz by the Welton upright. Welton’s response was a long-range effort from Chris Pile that was off target.

The game sparkled into life in the 35th minute, when a driving run by Pile saw him closed down at the last minute to win a corner on the left. Pile took the corner himself and delivered a top-drawer cross to the far post, where Tom Smith rose above the Sutton defence to head home from close range.

A minute later, Welton got a second, when good work down the left flank by the lively Steve Bridges saw him deliver a near-perfect cross into the area, where it was met by Welton striker, Alex Chapman, who made no mistake with his effort that flew past Yakub and into the net. Sutton responded and a cracking shot from Daggar was well saved by Tom Drewitt in the Welton goal.

The second half began with Welton pressing for the third goal to completely kill the game off. Norris went close with a volley and Yakub denied Green with a point-blank save. The visitors were dangerous on the counter-attack, and Drewitt produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Sam Downes. Welton weren’t resting on their laurels, and further efforts from Norris, Dylan Hatt and Pile all went close.

Welton Manager, Clive Scott, brought on all three substitutes to keep the momentum going, and Aaron Seviour went close, having been put through by Chapman. Sub, Aaron Cockerill, then got into the action and had two good shots in quick succession that were only just off-target. In the dying minutes, Seviour saw his shot saved by the trailing legs of Yakub. Welton had to settle for the two goals, but the three points gained were a good start to a busy December.

Welton entertain Ashton and Backwell at West Clewes on Saturday, 9th December, kick off 3 p.m.

Bob Allard