WATCHET finally played Division One side Ilminster Town in the league knockout cup last Saturday after two postponements and booked their passage into the next round with a 4-1 win in seriously blustery conditions.

The Red and Blacks did their best to get the ball down and play football on a pitch which was inevitably heavy in places, but the main obstacle was the strong, gusting wind which might have proved to be more of a leveller.

With the elements largely in their favour, Watchet attacked down the ground and went close to taking the lead in the first minute when Aaron Deeks cut into the area to shoot inches wide of the far post.

It was no surprise when they went ahead from Aerron Clausen’s sweetly-struck volley after Brandon Walsh’s free-kick had rebounded off the defensive wall, and the bulky Ilminster keeper was unable to keep the shot out of the roof of his net.

For all their possession, Watchet did not extend the home keeper as much as they would have liked, with Deeks and Curtis Gregory shooting straight at him, and after a fine move down the left Chris Sully’s pull back was intercepted by a defender inside the six-yard box.

A second goal did arrive after Deeks had been foiled by the keeper with Walsh placing the loose ball between retreating defenders into the corner of the net from 12 yards.

Gregory and Deeks had more efforts saved, but Ilminster were close to reducing the arrears when their best move of the half ended with a cross which just eluded their striker at the far post.

A ranting home dressing room during the interval failed to produce the desired effect as Watchet did not look like conceding the early second half goal which might have given Ilminster some encouragement.

Instead it was the Red and Blacks who notched the all-important third goal of the game when Walsh timed his run and leap perfectly to meet a well-delivered corner from Deeks with a firm downward header which gave the keeper no chance.

Watchet’s substitutes went close to adding to their tally with Connor Jeromson just unable to apply the finishing touches to driven crosses from Sully, Walsh and Deeks which skipped through the goalmouth, and Charley Clausen forced a tip-over from the keeper with his first touch from just outside the box.

The youngster was involved in Watchet’s fourth goal when he worked his way in from the left to square the ball for Deeks to make room for a low shot from the edge of the area which found the net off the inside of an upright.

After resolutely defending deadball situations throughout the second half, Watchet conceded a consolation goal for the home side in the closing minutes when an intended cross caught up in the wind and drifted over Adam Bishop into the far corner.

Watchet: A Bishop, R Strong, M Heywood, E Harding, L Rogers, A Clausen, B Walsh, C Sully, B Robinson, A Deeks, C Gregory, subs C Jeromson, C Clausen, T Maddock (all used).

l Watchet’s reward is a home tie in the next round tomorrow (Saturday) against Portishead Reserves (kick-off 1.45pm).