ALCOMBE Rovers are through to the next round of the Somerset Intermediate Cup after beating Burnham United A 5-2 at home. Despite the strong lineup, the game began in frustrating fashion, with Alcombe struggling to keep the ball and a series of misplaced passes gifting early momentum to the visitors. A moment of relief came when Josh Bruford was brought down inside the box. Brian Hall stepped up and buried the resulting penalty, giving Alcombe a 1–0 lead.

Burnham responded, applying sustained pressure on the Rovers’ defence. A powerful strike forced a save from Carl Paige, but with the back line flat-footed, the rebound fell kindly to the Burnham striker who levelled at 1–1. Just five minutes later, Burnham capitalised again, finishing a sharp move to make it 2–1. Paige produced several excellent stops to keep Alcombe in the contest. The second half saw a tactical reshuffle, fresh legs, and an immediate shift in intensity. Sam Harley and Cullen Bruford pressed aggressively, forcing mistakes. A superb delivery from Bruford found Harley at the back post, who headed home to level at 2–2. With confidence restored, Alcombe began piling on the pressure. Debutant 17-year-old Jayden Payton made an instant impact, providing a fine assist to Brian Hall, who calmly slotted in his second of the match to make it 3–2. The game sparked into chaos moments later when Beau Winters was cynically fouled, leaving the referee no choice but to dismiss the Burnham mini midfielder. From there, Alcombe took full control. Hall flicked forward to top scorer Nathan Collins, who beat the keeper to extend the lead to 4–2. The tie was put firmly to bed when captain Mike Graddon delivered a pinpoint cross for Hall to complete his hat-trick.

Man of the Match (sponsored by Nicholls & Sons Plumbing & Heating): Carl Paige — exceptional goalkeeping display.