Welton Rovers 0 St Blazey 0: The points were shared in a game that threatened to explode but never really did and neither side can have any complaints about the final outcome.

The West Clewes pitch survived the late Friday afternoon monsoon that hit the district and was in remarkably good condition to welcome the visitors for their first ever visit to the home of the Green Army.

The game got underway and both sides probed each other and it wasn’t till 15 minutes into the game that the first shot on target occurred. A shot from 20 yards out from the visitors, George Newton saw his effort easily gathered by Frankie Phillips in the Welton goal. This was followed up by a close range effort from Newton that was blocked by Phillips. Welton responded to this early pressure and good play by Logan Cassidy saw his goal bound effort blocked, the ball fell to Charlie Saunders who rounded his marker and fired in, only to be denied by the trailing legs of Shaun Semmons in the visitors goal. Minutes later, Welton had a let off when a cross from the left was met by Luke Cloke, and with an open goal in front of him headed wide. Fullback Caleb Summerfield who had picked up a knock earlier on couldn’t continue and was replaced by Danny Carpenter.

Just before the half time whistle, good play down the right from Ben Gundle saw him deliver a quality cross into the area that was met by Saunders but his effort went wide of the St Blazey goal.

The second half began with the visitors pressing early on and a shot on the turn from Jordan Pearce was brilliantly saved by Phillips to deny the visitors an opening goal. Welton responded and pressed and good attacking play from Welton saw Will Goulds effort blocked by the keeper, the ball fell to Saunders but his first time effort flew high over the visitors bar. Although both sides were pressing neither of them could make the final pass count. A long ball out of defence from defence flew over the back four and the keeper and fell to Cassidy on the left of the goal and whilst all of Welton shouted for him to head it into the empty net, he waited and then shot wide.

As the game meandered to its inevitable conclusion, thankfully young Phillips in the Welton goal still had his concentration at the highest level when a long throw from Will Tinsley was met by Welton’s Will Ford and his accidental back header looked that it was going to creep in at the far post until Phillips, who had seen it late, sprung into action across his goal and palmed the ball away to deny the visitors a winning goal.

Bob Allard