RADSTOCK TOWN 1 WELTON ROVERS 2

Welton regained the local bragging rights over neighbours, Radstock, with a quality team performance that saw a goal in either half sink the Miners.

The Good Friday Coalfield Classico got underway at a sunny and warm Southfields in front of a bumper crowd of a nearly 300, and it took Welton only four

minutes to stun the Miners and take the lead. A corner on the left was met on the far side by Tom Smith, and he headed back across goal where the ball was met by Welton full-back, Sam

Stoppard, who fired the ball into the Radstock net to score his first ever senior goal for Welton.

The hosts responded to this early setback, and Sam Gregory saw his effort fly across the Welton six-yard area and out. Welton continued to press, and a snapshot from Will Hunter flew over the bar, and Dave Cooper was put through, only to be denied by a last-gasp tackle from Jack Metcalf.

Welton then had a succession of long-throws from Hunter which nerved the Radstock defence, and Richard Hurd met one, only to head over. Welton very nearly got a second when good play by Aaron Seviour saw him turn his markers and then set up Cooper in front of goal, but the ball somehow got trapped in the striker’s legs and opportunity went begging.

The Miners responded and a good attack saw the ball fall to Sean Derrick, but his shot rose over the bar. Just before half-time, a back pass to Radstock keeper, Freddie Hains, saw the keeper miscue his clearance and the ball fell to Seviour on the right, but with four Welton players in space in front of goal, Seviour miss-hit his pass and the ball was cleared.

The second half began with Radstock pressing for the equaliser, and the Welton defence had to be on top form to weather the storm. Finn Haines went close for the Miners when he was found free following excellent play from James Rustell, but Haines’ shot went wide of the post. Smith then produced a top-drawer tackle to deny Gregory on a charge as the game opened up.

Radstock full-back, Mason Harrison, then got into the action with a thirty-yard thunderbolt that was only inches away from the Welton goal. Welton got the all-important second goal in the sixtieth minute. The ball was threaded through the midfield and found Seviour on a charge. Haines raced out of his goal to clear, but Seviour’s pace took him to the ball first, and he rounded the keeper and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net, sending the travelling Green Army into orbit.

This setback regalvanised the Miners, and they continued to press Welton with some neat attacking play. They were rewarded in the 75th minute, when Rustell met a ball on the edge of the Welton area. Keeper, Tom Drewitt, came out of goal, and Rustell launched a delicate chip over the keeper and into the net to pull one back for the hosts.

Minutes later, Drewitt was called into action again, this time with a great block to deny Finn Haines, and moments later, substitute, George Bendle, was put through on-goal, but he scooped his shot over the Welton bar. Just before the final whistle, Welton nearly got a third when a great shot from Hunter had ‘goal’ written all over it, only to be cleared off the goal-line by a Radstock boot.

Next Saturday, 27th April, Welton entertain Bishop Sutton at West Clewes; kick off 3 p.m. This is the last game of the season for Welton.

Bob Allard