MINEHEAD’S hopes of a return to winning form in Division One of the Uhlsport Somerset County Football League were dashed when they lost 2-0 at home to Imperial.

The Blues went into the match looking to improve upon a 0-0 draw achieved when Imperial hosted Minehead at their impressive home in Bristol seven weeks ago but ended up second best on the day, beaten by a goal in each half.

The game started in a frenetic and end to end fashion, with Minehead forcing two corners early on, and Imperial also creating probing attacks. The hosts were unfortunate not to score from one of their corners when a close-range shot hit the inside of the left-hand goalpost, then spun back along the line, hitting the bottom of the other post, before being desperately cleared.

Minehead centre forward Cam Thompson brought a superb full length save from his thirty-yard effort by the Imperial keeper after breaking through the visitors’ backline, and shortly afterwards he similarly thwarted Blues striker Toby Waghorn, who saw his shot from the edge of the box save by a superb two-armed parry by Imperial’s keeper Joe Harper

A quarter of an hour before the break Minehead’s marauding left back Cullen Bruford pulled a hamstring while sprinting along the bottom line and had to be replaced from the bench by utility player Bertie Harvey-Larmar, no stranger to the position.

Blues’ captain Mike Graddon was cautioned for an unintentional elbow when challenging an opponent, then Imperial hit the Minehead goalframe again when a header came back off the bar from a dangerously in-swinging corner, and an effort from the rebound consequently went over the bar.

With the writing looking on the wall, in the second minute of injury time at the end of the first half the visitors deservedly edged ahead when their centre half shot home from a quickly taken free kick with Minehead’s defence failing to get themselves into position quickly enough.

Minehead started the second half brightly, and in an attempt to change the game manager Lee Todd brought on his remaining three substitutes Luke Badcock, Haiden Griffiths, and Adam Griffiths during the early part of the second half, and striker Olly Prescott went close on a few occasions, as did top scorer Toby Waghorn, but though they had a bigger share of the play throughout the half, his side could not find a way past the Imperial keeper.

The visitors added to their lead from the penalty spot after the referee had pointed to the spot after adjudging that a JJ Knight’s challenge on a striker was a foul, and Minehead consequently suffered their fourth defeat of the season, leaving them in the bottom three in the table. However, they have a further twenty-three matches left to try to rectify the matter.

In contrast the win lifts Imperial up to fifth place in the table.

Minehead: Carl Paige, Cullen Bruford, Mike Graddon, Louis Burge, James Knight, Lewis Smith, Sam Jackson, Cam Thompson, Will Singleton-Voss, Toby Waghorn Substitutes: Luke Badcock, Bertie Harvey-Larmar, Mike Graddon, Haiden Griffiths (all used). Man of the Match: Louis Burge

This Saturday sees Minehead facing a daunting trip to second placed Paulton Rovers Sports, who are one point behind leaders Peasedown, with two games in hand. They play their home games at Southern League Paulton Rovers’ ground Winterfield Stadium.