Mallet avoid a Town hammering

4:33pm Friday 21st November 2008

Somerset Premier Cup.

Bridgwater Town 4, Shepton Mallet 1.

TOWN booked a place in the third round of the Somerset Premier Cup with a comfortable but unconvincing win over opponents from the lower part of the Toolstation League First Division.

It was a rather bloodless win and at times the game lacked the bite much more in evidence in league matches. Not that the result was at all in doubt.

Once the Shepton Mallet defence had been breached for the first time after 20 minutes it was a question of how many goals Town would pilfer.

The visitors packed their defence but did not neglect the chance to attack.

They were not in the Town half very often but made a nuisance of themselves when they got there.

Graham Mercieca gave Mike Mackay a great chance to score early on but he perhaps dwelt on the ball too long and was crowded out.

Mercieca sent the loose ball wide but Town did not threaten much at all for the next 15 minutes.

The build up was rather ponderous and the atmosphere was more akin to a friendly match.

Yet this is Town’s best chance of a trophy this year and they took a step in the right direction with the first goal.

A deep cross by Steve Orchard struck a Shepton Mallet defender. The ball rebounded to Dan Forward and he knocked the ball over the line from a metre out.

Soon after, Mike Taylor was lucky to not be penalised for a professional foul on the lively Ashley Francis as the striker threatened to break away from the Town defender.

Brett Trowbridge doubled the advantage after 31 minutes. Combination with Forward and Mackay allowed Town’s midfielder to stroke the ball wide of keeper Ross Whittock from the edge of the area.

Town were now looking dominant but they gifted a goal to the visitors just two minutes later.

Mitch O’Donnell let a harmless looking ball run under his foot and this enabled James Parrott to run on and score.

This was symptomatic of some fairly slack defending up to that point.

Mackay sent a firm drive towards the near post which Whittock saved well but the third goal, after 44 minutes, eclipsed all that had gone before it as far as quality was concerned.

In the absence of Pete Monks, Anton Olondo was taking corners from the right with his weaker left foot and from one of these the ball was cleared outside of the area.

Bradley Middleton connected with the ball on the full and his thumping drive roared into the net.

Most fans would have expected Town to double the score in the second half but that never looked likely because the visitors battled gamely and denied Town the space they craved.

Mike Mackay had another couple of reasonable chances to boost his confidence.

On the second occasion, a neat inside pass from Olondo gave him a clear sight of goal but he missed the target.

His partner up front was Adnan Hiroli and he showed some good flashes and plenty of physical strength on the ball. He was on the end of the best move of the match which swept along the right wing.

He pulled the final pass from Forward wide of the left post.

Town then had a hairy moment when Manley was drawn to the touchline and lost possession.

The ball was crossed but Parrott headed wastefully over the bar.

Town made some changes and Carl Jones was unlucky when his first time shot from Orchard’s pass hit a post and Hiroli hit over the top when the goal was gaping.

Orchard did add a final flourish after 84 minutes when, on the right side of the area, he shifted the ball from right to left foot before curling a delicate shot across Whittock.

Town top three: 1 – Steve Orchard (sensible defending, good crossing and a neat goal); 2 – Anton Olondo (superb footwork, if not quite at his best); 3 – Dan Forward (hard work in the engine room).

Team: Manley, Orchard, O’Donnell, Monks, Middleton (Monks 80), Taylor, Mercieca (Jones 75), Forward, Trowbridge, Mackay (Gardner 70) Olondo, Hiroli. Unused subs: Howson, Turner.