WATCHET kept their place in the top three of the Division One table after a 3-0 win over close rivals Castle Cary at the Memorial Ground on Saturday.

The first really wet and windy day of the season saw the Red and Blacks produce another workmanlike performance to run out worthy winners.

A one-goal interval lead was scant reward for Watchet's first half showing, when they were comfortably the better side and had the bulk of the scoring opportunities.

In the opening minutes Steve Wild cleverly cut in between two defenders on the left to deliver a far post cross which Sean Kenny headed the wrong side of the upright.

It proved only a brief reprieve for the visitors as Watchet soon made their early enterprise and supremacy count.

From a free kick on the left, Wild produced a carbon copy of his earlier cross and Nick Criddle rose highest to direct a textbook header back into the opposite corner of the net.

Solid at the back, strong in midfield and lively up front, the Red and Blacks were able to restrict their opponents' attempts to get into the match.

An enterprising run and pass from centre back Dave Spence gave Kenny the chance to lob the keeper on the run, but he was off-target.

When Steve Perkins tried his luck from outside the box he miscued his shot into the path of Kenny, whose instant first time sidefoot effort brought a fine reflex save out of the keeper.

He went one better before the break with a superb full-length effort to turn away Dean Allen's well struck shot for a corner after a well-constructed Watchet move.

Castle Cary came more into it at the start of the second half as the Red and Blacks appeared to relax their grip a little. Keeper Steve Moore was finally called into serious action and he did well to turn away a deflected free kick with his boot.

There were timely clearances near the goal-line from Lawrence Monaghan and Robbie Hopkins and a couple of well-judged trademark lunging tackles from Mark Clausen as the visitors threatened an equaliser in their best spell of the game.

Watchet needed another goal to settle their nerves and it came when Paul Raymond's pace took him past two defenders into the penalty area and his angled drive into the goalmouth was tucked home by Kenny with Cary appealing in vain for offside.

The home side were now back in the ascendancy despite dangerman Cawley squandering a chance to reduce the arrears by shooting over the top after a rare slip in Watchet's rearguard.

Moore was forced to make another block before Watchet sealed their fourth win in a row with just under 10 minutes remaining.

A throw in was only half cleared and when Monaghan drove in a low cross the keeper was unable to hold on to the ball and Allen was on hand to poke in number three from close quarters.

Watchet: S Moore, R Hopkins, D Spence, M Clausen, L Monaghan, N Criddle, P Raymond, S Perkins, S Wild, D Allen, S Kenny, subs P Dorrington, A Milton and N Sully.