An absolute cracker of a game saw Welton come from behind twice to secure the three points and end Cheddar’s ten match winning streak. Credit must go to both sides for producing outstanding football on a very heavy pitch.

It was the visitors who started brightly, and they were rewarded after only three minutes, when two efforts from Adam Jones were cleared off the goal line by Joe Garland for a corner. The delivery was spot on and the ball fell to Callum Ham on the edge of the area, and his shot took the slightest deflection and flew into the net.

Welton responded and earned two free kicks on the edge of the Cheddar box in quick succession. Chris Pile’s free kick was safely gathered by Cheddar keeper Liam Kingston, and Callum Elms’ shot went over the bar. Kyle Norris then broke through for Welton, but he was thwarted by a last-ditch tackle that saw the ball ricochet off his leg and roll agonisingly inches wide of the visitors’ post.

Chris Coombs then launched a power driver of a shot for Cheddar which was gathered at the second attempt by Tom Drewitt in the Welton goal. Welton equalised on 25 minutes, when a long-throw by Elms into the Cheddar area was headed on by Garland to Shakiel Green, in space at the far post, and he scored from close range.

Welton should have got a second soon after, when Norris, with the open goal at his mercy, fired over the bar. With five minutes to go before half-time, Cheddar regained the lead, a period of sustained pressure from the visitors saw shots rain in towards goal, with last-ditch heroic defending denying the visitors until the ball fell to Robbie Maggs on the left, and he calmly drilled his shot into the Welton net.

Welton started the second half in lively fashion, and were rewarded in the 48th minute when good play down the left from Dylan Hatt saw him find Elms in space on the the edge of the Cheddar area, and he calmly lined up a great shot that flew into the net to equalise for Welton.

Neither side were settling for a point, as both sides launched attack after attack on the respective defences. Maggs saw his shot beat Drewitt low down, only to strike the Welton far post. Francois Allen replaced Norris in the 64th minute, and the substitute’s first contribution to the game was to score the all important third goal.

Good midfield play by the excellent Elms saw him find Allen on the left; he raced goalwards and as Kingston raced off his line to close him down, he rounded the keeper and then fired in from an acute angle to score for Welton, and send the Green Army into raptures.

The visitors wouldn’t lie down, and Drewitt produced a very good one-handed save to deny Jones. Craig Mawford then saw his free kick from the edge of the area go wide of the target. As the game went into added time, it was all hands to the pump for Welton, as Cheddar pressed for the equaliser, and right at the end Welton had Drewitt to thank for a brilliant double-handed save from close range to deny the visitors and secure the points.

Bob Allard