WATCHET made relatively comfortable progress into the third round of the Somerset Senior Cup when they beat Division Three opponents Wrington Redhill 3-1 at the Memorial Ground on Saturday.

Only in the later stages did the visitors threaten Watchet's passage when they pulled a goal back from the penalty spot and then hit the bar, but by then the tie should have been well beyond their reach.

The pattern for an untidy game was set in the early stages when the home side were on top more through their opponents' errors than anything they fashioned themselves.

Once Wrington had missed their first clear opening of the game, they contributed to their own downfall with errors at the other end.

watchet took the lead following a move of rare quality when John Harris turned well on the halfway line to deliver an instant diagonal pass forward into Steve Wild's path.

The striker took the ball too wide to shoot himself but managed to chip an inviting left foot cross from the byeline over the keeper's head for Jamie Munro to nudge over the line with a nod at full stretch.

The youngster squandered another chance when he poked the ball wide from Wild's pass before Watchet added to their lead.

Harris's long throw was flicked on by Nick Criddle at the near post and when the Wrington defence made a hash of dealing with it, Wayne Merrick capitalised to tuck his volley into the back of the net.

Munro hooked a speculative snapshot off-target and missed another opportunity before Criddle's header from a Wild corner was cleared off the line.

After Wild's free kick was saved, half-time arrived with Watchet well in control without having been seriously extended or playing anything like they can.

Unfortunately for the spectators the game did not improve after the interval.

Watchet survived an early scare when Mark Clausen's aerial challenge inside the area went unpunished, but Steve Moore was hardly involved in the action.

The Red and Blacks tried to get some passing build-ups going but it was still fairly tedious fare when they made it 3-0 midway through the half.

Again Wrington failed to cope with a set piece — this time coming in from Watchet's left – and Sam Lobley found the net with his first touch after coming on as substitute, poking his shot home from close range.

After a sweeping raid – probably Watchet's best of the match – in which Lobley went close again, Wild cut in from the left on his own, only to slice his shot well off target.

Wrington were then handed a life-line when Clausen's tackle was deemed unfair and Davies reduced the deficit from the penalty spot with Moore choosing the wrong way.

There were a few more alarms at the Watchet end as the visitors enjoyed a brief spell in charge as they made a last-ditch attempt to cause an upset.

A near post header from a corner came back off the bar, but it proved to be their last chance and Munro almost had the last word for Watchet with a shot which brought a diving save from the Wrington keeper.

Watchet: S Moore, D Spence, M Clausen, G Trunks, W Merrick, P Raymond, N Criddle, M Knowles, J Munro, J Harris, S Wild, subs S Lobley, L Monaghan, N Sully, D Knight.

l Watchet will need to improve on this showing tomorrow when they entertain league leaders Westland United, who beat them 2-1 at Weston earlier in the season (ko 2.30 p.m.).