MINEHEAD Reserves ended their season in style in Division One of the Taunton Saturday League with a 5-0 home win over bottom side Old Inn 98.

Minehead were on the offensive from the start but some dogged resistance from the Taunton outfit frustrated the Blues. However, in the 19th minute, the deadlock was broken when a fine corner by Sam Jackson was met by a powerful Josh Heath header giving the keeper no chance.

Within two minutes top scorer Riley Pope latched onto a ball outside of the penalty area and curled his shot powerfully into the top corner, again leaving the keeper stranded. The two goals allowed the Blues to settle into some of their best football of the season with midfielders, Jackson, Dan Vickers, Heath and “Curly” Neild controlling the game.

With Pope and Haiden Griffiths battling for the honour of top scorer it was the latter who scored next to make it 3-0 on 29 minutes with his 16th of the season and draw them level. The Blues made it 4-0 a minute before half time when Griffiths unselfishly slotted the ball across the goal for Pope to tap in for his 17th. The important thing for Minehead - and placings at the top tight - was to keep a clean sheet and the goal difference as good as possible and the defence of keeper Tomasz Kubaczewski, Oli Jones, Harvey Lovell, Andy Gubb and Myles Campbell-Farmer had a fine game keeping their objective in mind at all times.

Changes were made with Lyam Scheepers, Scott Kivell and Olly Prescott coming on but despite the odds Old Inn never gave up and made it difficult for the Seasiders to increase their advantage. However with five minutes to go of the match Gubb bundled the ball home at the near post from a Prescott corner. MOTM: Myles Campbell-Farmer.

Mark Vickers