Timsbury Athletic 3 Peasedown Miners Welfare 1: Timsbury Athletic are through to the semi-finals of the Uhlsport Somerset County League Cup for Premier and Division One teams after a hard fought 3-1 home win against Division One local rivals Peasedown Miners Welfare.

In a full-blooded encounter in front of a large crowd Timsbury enjoyed the majority of the play but the visitors, who were reduced to ten men midway through the first half, fought to the end and it took two late goals for the home side to wrap up the win.

Timsbury pressed at the start without creating any clearcut chances. A Jesse Bishop header went just past the post and Ellis Hancock twice came close but Peasedown soaked up the pressure and were gradually coming into the game when captain Theo Avis was sent off midway through the first half. 

Rhys Cook had the best chance to put Timsbury in front but after racing clear and rounding Peasedown keeper Chris Allard he shot into the side-netting from the narrowest of angles. Some outstanding work from Bert Haines in the visitors’ defence denied Timsbury an opening goal when he headed off the goal line before Timsbury took the lead right on half-time. Liam Watson’s free-kick evaded the Peasedown wall and sneaked past Allard.

Early in the second half Cook did find the net for the home side but the effort was disallowed for offside. On the hour Peasedown equalised. Lewis Wheeler found himself in acres of space in front of goal and made no mistake from close range. Timsbury came back strongly but found the experienced Allard in fine form in the Peasedown goal. First he denied Rico Sobers pushing a strong effort on to the bar and then he produced another excellent save as substitute Morgan Skipp looked odds on to put Timsbury in front. When Cook saw his goalbound shot again saved by Allard the game looked destined to go to penalties before the home side at last broke the visitors’ resistance with ten minutes of normal time to go. 

It was Watson again who proved to be the key man coming up from the back to head home Cook’s corner at the near post. As the ten men began to tire Cook added a third for the home side after being put through by Reuben Hobbs to settle the issue for the home side who will beat home to Nailsea United in the semi-final on March 16th.     M Tucker