IN VAST contrast to the previous weekend’s 5-0 drubbing on the same ground in a league match, Burnham United gained a deserved revenge 2-0 victory over Minehead at Irnham Road, seeing them progress into the second round of the Somerset Senior Cup.

Amidst a yellow weather warning, it was the visitors who noticeably adjusted better throughout the game to the strong end to end near gale force wind, and two first half goals looked to have killed the game off as a contest.

With Minehead playing towards the elements Burnham did more of the attacking during the first half though it was relatively even from a possession perspective. However Burnham opened the scoring in the 20th minute when a shot from distance by free-scoring centre forward Curtis Bradshaw was parried by Blues’ keeper Greg Turner, only to see the wind then divert the ball past him and into the empty net.

Three minutes before the half time break, the visitors doubled their lead through a well-placed Morgan Sealey shot.

With the gale now at their backs, the second half saw the youthful Minehead side doing the bigger share of the pressing as they found some rhythm, and they were unlucky when central defender JJ Knight hit the crossbar with a header from a perfectly placed in-swinging corner by Matty Ronan.

Minehead’s in-form goal-scorer Toby Waghorn, who scored four times in the previous Saturday’s encounter, chased a perfectly weighted through ball from inside the home half and beat Burnham’s young keeper Ashton Bates with a lob from fully forty yards for what appeared to be a lifeline goal to get the hosts back into the game, but the linesman’s flag had been raised for an offside decision, which the referee upheld, though home supporters were convinced the centre forward had started his run from inside his own half.

Just before the hour mark Sam Jackson replaced Andy Hall as Minehead continued to try to put pressure on their opponents and shortly afterwards more fresh legs were introduced in another teenager in Harvey Lovell. Ten minutes from time, a central free kick just inside the Burnham half was taken by Blues keeper Greg Turner, but his wind assisted effort, which had Burnham’s keeper beaten by the height of the forty five yard drive, and the ball clipped the top of the post and nestled at the foot of the back stanchion, appearing to several of the top-line Minehead supporters to be in the back of the goal.

It was soon realised that the ball had gone wide when the keeper ran around the post to retrieve the ball and take a goal kick!

Bradshaw then had a chance to finish the game off after home keeper Turner had slipped as he came out to claim an over-hit through ball, but the striker shot into the side-netting.

Minehead: Greg Turner, Fin Harran, Toby Morris, Louis Burge, JJ Knight, Andy Hall, Matty Ronan, Bertie Harvey-Larmar, Toby Waghorn, Guy Burns, Olly Prescott. Subs: Sam Jackson, Harvey Lovell (both used), Harvey Henderson.Man of the Match: JJ Knight.

This coming Saqturday, October 11, Minehead travel to Bristol to face an Imperial side who are currently in sixth position in the first division of the Uhlsport Somerset County League, with an inferior goal difference. A victory would see The Blues leapfrog Imperial.

Brian Walder