Southern League Division One S&W - play-off semi-final

Taunton Town 2 Swindon Supermarine 1

TAUNTON Town’s battle weary troops will now drag themselves back to Banbury United on Monday to contest the Southern League South and West play-off after a heart stopping semi-final win which, only they will know how, keeps the dream alive, writes Kerry Miller.

Swindon Supermarine completely dominated the first half on Tuesday at the Viridor Stadium but went in at the break only one goal to the good.  However, Brett Trowbridge, who had been playing on one leg most of the game, bundled in the equaliser; then minutes after the visitors had twice gone close to netting what should have been the winner, Jordan Rogers set up Lewis Powell and the job was done.

It was the end game to what had threatened to be a farce of West End proportions, when the game was delayed by 15 minutes by a waterlogged area of the pitch in front of the road side stand, which had taken the brunt of the thunderstorm two hours before kick-off. 

Referee Martin Underhay kept a few hearts in mouths before deciding the hard graft had not been in vain in getting the pitch, that he graced so many times as a Taunton player many moons ago, playable.

Taunton were again without suspended skipper Jamie Price and were seemingly without much of a hope inside four minutes when Connor Thompson found Josh Parsons and he slammed the opener past a wrong footed Lloyd Irish. Josh Morse then tested Irish with a chip shot and the hard running Bradley Gray was just kept out by a late lunging Matt Villis.

It took 25 minutes before Taunton strung a decent move together ending with Jordan Rogers’ 25 yarder brushing the side netting. 

The home defence was looking all at sea as Supermarine threw any number of players forward, but somehow they held it together, with no little assistance from Ben Carter who was immense in defence and midfield. 

Gray should have capitalised on a horrible mix up just past the half hour but he was too long in finding Morse and Villis got the ball away with the home hearts once again going north. Rogers and Morse were both booked just before the break in separate incidents but Town needed to improve, and eventually they did.

From the restart Supermarine again went at Taunton but after Gray had wasted a fine chance by blasting straight at Irish and Morse had seen his effort ruled out for offside, the tide very slowly began to turn.

Carter won the ball before a 50-yard run ended with a shot wide, and that seemed to be the catalyst for the fight back. 

Just past the hour Irish saved a Thompson volley and within seconds Town were level. Carter again fired in a shot which deflecte to Trowbridge who bundled in the equaliser with the away defence appealing in vain for offside. 

With the Swindon side falling deeper and creating less, Owen Irish sent a header just wide and just as news came through that Banbury had won, Rogers found room and with the defence backing off he squared to Lewis Powell and he sent his side to the play-off final with the minimum of fuss.

Town: Lloyd Irish, Ben Carter, Josh Searle, Owen Irish, Matt Villis, Charlie Hitchings, Jamie Short, Brett Trowbridge, Lewis Powell, Jordan Rogers, Craig Veal. Subs: Dale Evans, Rob Farkins, Lewis Waldy, Charlie Bridges, Michael Meaker.