FOOTBALL: Middlezoy Rovers beat Nailsea United in Somerset County League cup

MIDDLEZOY Rovers finally played their second round cup tie against Nailsea United at the second time of asking, following the previous week’s postponement.

After two weeks without a game, Zoy could have been forgiven for starting sluggishly, but instead they made a brilliant start, scoring inside two minutes.

Dan Luce won the ball in midfield and played it through for Jed Williams, who slotted home on the angle for his first of the day.

With the slope in their favour for the first half, the visitors were seeing a lot of the ball and were eager to score another goal while on top.

They should have perhaps gone into half time with more of a lead, but they rushed their final balls when in good positions so 1-0 it stayed until the interval.

The second half saw Zoy start slowly, as they got to grips with going up the slope.

Nailsea were starting to play the ball around well and it looked like they were going to get back into the game.

However, good work in midfield allowed Adam Long to set Williams through on goal; Williams’ shot was straight at the keeper but luckily for Zoy the keeper let it slip through his hands and in.

With the slope in their favour Nailsea were always in it, without really troubling Greg Turner in goal.

But they were gifted a route back into the game on the hour, as Zoy failed to clear their lines following a poor goal-kick from Turner, and Jake Horsey brought down his man in the box while trying to clear the ball.

Nailsea centre forward Matthew Day made no mistake from the spot.

A shaky 10 minutes followed for Zoy, and they had Turner to thank for keeping them in front as he saved a one-on-one effort.

Aaron Whaites then had two efforts well saved in the space of five minutes, as Zoy looked to give themselves breathing space again.

That breathing space came on 70 minutes, when Charlie Lintell played Luce through, Luce broke into the box and unselfishly squared to Long to give him a easy tap-in.

From here on, Zoy looked comfortable and could have probably got more if they had really pushed for it.

A nasty head injury to a Nailsea player led to a lengthy stoppage, but when the game restarted the visitors saw out the final moments to progress to a quarter-final with Division 1 side Saltford.

Man of the match: Jed Williams

This Saturday Middlezoy go to Odd Down Reserves for a league match (ko 2.30pm).

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Uhlsport Somerset County League
Division 3
Cutters Friday 0, Middlezoy Rovers Reserves 8

ON a glorious Saturday afternoon, Middlezoy Rovers Reserves travelled to face Cutters Friday, who are currently propping up the table.

The first 20 minutes was a scrappy affair, with neither team able to play much football.

That was until Matt Lindsay found a yard of space to whip a glorious ball in towards the back post, for Craig Wright to head into the goal from six yards out.

Zoy’s second came within a minute of the first, as Scott Capel won the ball back in midfield, ran 20 yards down the wing and put a ball into the box for Steve Hall to prod home at the front post.

Five minutes later the visitors had their third, as Adam Prescott passed to Lindsay to change the angle of the free-kick, which was flicked on by Lee Graham, and with the ball looking like it was going out for a goal-kick, Wright kept it in play and squared for Capel to tap in.

Zoy came flying out the blocks in the second half as Wright got his second of the afternoon, with a superb header back over the keeper from Capel’s deep cross.

A few minutes later, Wright had his hat-trick and his team’s fifth goal, as Capel’s low ball to the edge of the box was miskicked by Wright, but the ball looped over the onrushing defender’s head and the Zoy striker smashed the ball into the roof of the net on the volley.

Wright then put a corner on Graham’s head, but he somehow missed the target altogether from two yards out with the goal gaping.

Wright was not finished for the afternoon, though, as he was first to react to Capel’s shot from distance, fumbled by the goalkeeper into his path, as he calmly rounded the keeper to tap into an empty net for his fourth.

In the 75th minute, Capel was played through one-on-one with the home keeper, who brought him down for a penalty, which was calmly tucked in by Hall to make it 7-0.

Josh Lewis then got in on the act with a fine strike from 25 yards, which rounded off a comfortable 8-0 win for Zoy Reserves, who now focus on this coming Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash away to Cheddar Reserves (ko 3pm).

Man of the match: Craig Wright

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MIDDLEZOY Rovers Ladies were undone 3-1 at home by Portishead Ladies on Sunday.

Anusia Rourke continued her free-scoring form for the hosts, but her goal did not prove enough as the away side came away with the points.

This coming Sunday sees Middlezoy host Premier Division basement club Downend Flyers Women (ko 2pm).