WATCHET remain second in the Somerset County League Premier Division following a 4-2 win away to bottom side Yatton Athletic last Saturday.

A midweek win for Nailsea and Tickenham had seen them take over top spot, but the Red and Blacks are just a point behind with a game in hand.

Saturday’s margin of victory should have been greater with the Watchet missing enough chances to have doubled their own tally as well as conceding a couple of sloppy goals.

In a niggly encounter, the visitors were always the better side despite not being at their best, and from the outset they looked dangerous going forward, with Tom Sparks finding space to use behind the home rearguard.

After their first mistake at the back led to keeper Adam Bishop making his only real save of the half, Watchet took the lead when a free-kick from Aaron Deeks was headed into the corner of his own net by a Yatton player as he attempted to clear.

The home side were struggling to withstand a wave of Watchet attacks and it was no surprise when the lead was doubled after inroads had again been made down the visitors’ left flank, and in a goalmouth scramble Charley Clausen’s cute back-heel directed the ball, which was heading away from goal, over the line.

A third goal came soon afterwards when Deeks went down after being tugged back inside the area and he got up to send the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Yatton had a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit before half-time when the Red and Blacks sloppily gave away possession, leading to a one on one wrestling match inside the box in which Matt Heywood was ruled the offender and another spot-kick was awarded - but home captain Bird fired over the bar.

After a lacklustre start to the second period, Watchet failed to put the game out of reach when Clausen volleyed inches wide, Deeks had a shot well saved from a Sparks pass and then had a second penalty pushed aside after being brought down as he rounded the glovesman.

They were then punished as Yatton gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Gibbs drove the ball home following slack defensive work.

That encouraged the home team to pump some long balls forward, and the visitors needed another goal to calm things down as they showed some complacency.

It came from Brandon Walsh, who had already seen a free-kick from 25 yards strike the bar, and when substitute Ian Lowe was brought down on the edge of the area, he sent a perfectly-judged curler over the wall into the top corner with the keeper motionless to make it 4-1.

More goals could have followed as Lowe’s deflected effort looped up and struck the goal frame, Sparks was foiled by the keeper in a one-on-one and there were other goalmouth scrapes before Connor Jeromson scooped the ball over the top from pointblank range after clever play from Sparks.

Watchet were then caught with too many men forward from a quickly-cleared corner and a miscued clearance also contributed to them letting in a second Yatton goal in the closing minutes after Bishop had parried the initial shot.

Watchet: A Bishop, B Robinson, M Heywood, J Milton, E Harding, C Clausen, J Worth, B Walsh, C Sully, A Deeks, T Sparks, subs A Clausen, I Lowe, C Jeromson (all used).

l Watchet take a break from league action tomorrow (Saturday) when they visit Division One West side Cleeve West Town in the second round of the Somerset County Senior Cup (ko 2.30pm).