MINEHEAD'S hopes of winning their first game of the New Year were dashed when they lost 3-1 away to Sporting Weston in the first division of the Uhlsport Somerset County Football League.

It was Minehead's first game for four weeks and manager Lee Todd admitted: "It was very clear in the first half that we had not played for a while. We were poor and the lads got a bit of a ticking off at half time.

“It certainly worked because we were fabulous in the second half. We created some chances and could have got something out of the game.

“But you can’t give a team a three-goal start even though we put them under a lot of pressure in the second half. We definitely looked the better side after the interval. It’s the story of our season so far.”

Sporting Weston built up a three-goal lead in the first half before Matty Ronan pulled a goal back just before the interval.

Minehead: Turner, Lamar, Jackson, JJ Knight, Lovell, Ronan, Elston, Voss, Prescott, Waghorn, Barnes. Substitutes: Green, Deeks, Graddon.

Meanwhile, Combe St Nicholas maintained their unbeaten record this season in the first division with a 3-1 away victory over Winscombe, after the sides had been drawing 1-1 at the interval.

Peasedown Miners Welfare missed a chance of going top when they lost 1-0 at home to Clutton, while leaders Portishead Town Reserves were without a fixture.

Results: Bishop Sutton 0, Burnham United 2; Keynsham Town Reserves 1, Wrington Redhill 2; Peasedown Miners Welfare 0, Clutton 1; Sporting Weston 3, Minehead 1; Westfield 0, Ashcott 1; Winscombe 1, Combe St Nicholas 3.

Watchet Town were due to play away to Clevedon United in the Premier Division but the game was called off the day before because of a waterlogged pitch.