AFTER finishing last season with a long unbeaten run and starting this one with three wins, Watchet tasted defeat for the first time in 14 outings when they were beaten 4-2 away to Odd Down Reserves on Saturday.

They twice held the lead but were unable to stem a second half fightback from the more physical Bath side, with too many players below par on the day.

Tom Sparks and Jamie Milton sent efforts narrowly off-target after Odd Down had made a lively opening in which Adam Bishop was the busier of the two keepers.

With no apparent danger looming, the visitors were gifted the lead when a defender attempted to dribble the ball out of his own area but was robbed by Sparks, and Aerron Clausen accepted the opportunity to shoot past the keeper.

This appeared to settle Watchet down, but another goal out of the blue levelled the scores when Milton was adjudged to have fouled just outside the area and influential midfielder Wych stepped up to curl his free-kick over the wall out of Bishop’s reach into the corner of the net.

The Red and Blacks were back in front before the interval with a superbly-worked second goal. A trademark jinking run from Sparks took him past three defenders inside the box before he accepted a cleverly flicked return pass from Aaron Deeks to calmly round the keeper and poke the ball over the line despite a defender clipping his heels.

A very vocal dressing down in the home changing room at the break eventually had the desired effect on the Odd Down side, who were helped by Watchet struggling to find any rhythm going forward as well as having enjoyed much more solid days previously at the back.

But a second equaliser did not seem too likely until the visitors were caught short at the far post after only half-clearing a corner and a defender who had stayed forward was left on his own to beat Bishop with a diving header.

The home side were now on top and they went ahead for the first time when a long ball down the middle again found Watchet wanting and striker Norris evaded the advancing Bishop before finding the vacant net.

The Red and Blacks were stirred into more serious action with Sparks having a shot saved and Milton heading just wide before being inches away from providing the touch needed to turn in a driven free-kick from Chris Sully.

Deeks was questionably ruled offside as he moved clear onto a pass from Sparks before the need to push men forward saw Watchet punished again when Ben Robinson’s challenge sent a home player tumbling and the referee pointed to the spot.

Norris converted to make it 4-2 and effectively consign the visitors to defeat with less than ten minutes remaining.

Late penalty appeals were ignored when Deeks went down inside the home area and Sparks failed to supply the telling finish to a low cross from Sully before the final whistle sent Watchet home empty-handed.

Watchet: A Bishop, B Robinson, M Heywood, J Milton, C Sully, C Clausen, J Worth, B Walsh, A Clausen, A Deeks, T Sparks, subs C Jeromson, C Knight (both used).

l Watchet continue their opening salvo of away games this bank holiday weekend with visits to Fry Club tomorrow (Saturday) and Berrow on Monday (both 3pm).