MANAGERLESS Minehead went down to a 2-0 home defeat against Westfield in their latest match in Division One of the Uhlsport Somerset County Football League.

With the Minehead club still searching for a replacement for outgoing manager Craig Carr, interim leadership fell to Lee Hardwick and Michael Neal, supported by Matt Cracknell.

With several regulars being unavailable, an under-strength Minehead side hosted a Westfield team just one place above the relegation zone. It was the visitors who started the game on the front foot and almost took the lead in the second minute when Blues keeper Greg Turner did well to block a close range shot with his right foot, which Minehead were then relieved to see it bundled away to the relative safety of a corner.

The action swung swiftly to the other end and the league’s top scorer Toby Waghorn thought he had put The Blues ahead when he netted from close range after the goalkeeper has spilt Olly Prescott’s shot from well outside of the box, but the referee had spotted an offside infringement and disallowed the ‘goal’ which baffled the home crowd.

Shortly afterwards it was an assist from Jared Steel that provided Morgan James the opportunity to slam the ball into the top corner from just outside the box, for one of the best goals seen at The Rec this season.

Minehead didn’t take it lying down, and Olly Prescott was unlucky with a twenty-five-yard curler which brought a great save from the keeper. Ten minutes before the break, having cut in from the top line, Matty Ronan’s goal-bound shot was parried away by the visiting keeper.

Substitutions early in the second period saw Sam Jackson and Harvey Lovell replace Declan Green and Harvey Henderson respectively as Minehead tried to get back on terms, but with the quality of the performance starting to get a little disjointed they fell further behind around the hour mark when Ryan Allen doubled Westfield’s advantage.

Minehead tried to rally, and a free kick given for a foul on Ollie Prescott, was inches wide of the target. Continuing to huff and puff without hitting the target, further substitutions saw Erik Zachrisson and Tatenda Mashiri getting game-time, but with time dragging on a recovery looked less likely by the minute, as Minehead fell to their second consecutive 2-0 home defeat.

Minehead: Greg Turner, Fin Haran, Harvey Henderson, Toby Morris, Michael Nield, Andy Hall, Matty Ronan, Declan Green, Olly Prescott, Toby Waghorn, Guy Burns. Subs: Sam Jackson, Harvey Lovell, Erik Zachrisson.

This was Minehead’s sixth defeat in 11 league matches and they are now lying ninth in the table, having won only three times.

Peasedown Miners Welfare are two points clear at the top of the division after they gained a 10-3 away win ov er Bishop Sutton who still have to win a game this season.

However Portishead Town Reserves are unbeaten in second place - and they have a game in hand on Peasedown.

The only other unbeaten side in the division are Combe St Nicholas who gained a 2-0 away success against Clutton to record their fifth victory in eight matches.

Top match in the division this coming weekend, November 8, is the game between Winscombe and Peasedown, while Minehead are on the road away to 13th placed Glastonbury.