DESPITE conceding the double to title-chasing league leaders Shirehampton with a 3-1 defeat last Saturday, Watchet gave a much better account of themselves than the previous week.

For the second time in a month, the reigning champions punished the Red and Blacks for errors at both ends of the pitch, with Watchet ending up feeling that on another day they will play worse and win.

A pitch which was only just playable at kick-off soon cut up badly with players on both sides struggling to keep their feet.

Once committed, it was almost impossible to change direction, and it was the confident home side who adapted quickest to force some early pressure.

After keeper Adam Bishop had made a fine save, Aaron Deeks went close in a goalmouth scramble at the opposite end.

Just when Watchet appeared to have weathered the storm with sheer endeavour and some solid defending, they were undone when a long ball down the middle caused confusion and Bamford found the empty net from the edge of the area with Bishop drawn from his charge.

The visitors continued to battle hard all-round through the mud but it took another flying save by Bishop to prevent Harvey from adding to Shirehampton’s lead.

The Red and Blacks had a chance to go in at the break on level terms when a pass forward from Jason Worth saw Deeks elude the last home defender to go clear, and the striker did everything right until his flick with the outside of his boot beat the keeper but passed the wrong side of an upright.

Watchet began the second half well playing up the slope, and a cross from Deeks found Tayler Maddock on the six-yard line but his header was straight at the keeper.

Not to be denied, they drew level before the hour from the same combination, with a Deeks free-kick driven into the goalmouth being met by Maddock’s near post header which gave the keeper no chance.

Watchet’s joy was short-lived however, as the Bristolians regained their lead within two minutes with a measure of good fortune when an attempted interception fell into Bamford’s path and he kept his cool to supply another clinical finish on the edge of the penalty box as defenders and keeper closed in.

The setback rocked Watchet for a while, but they recovered to go close to a second equaliser when the home keeper spilled a high ball from Maddock and Deeks hit the loose ball onto the bar from point-blank range then saw it hacked clear after a suspicion of handball by a defender.

That proved the last serious attempt by the plucky visitors, and with 15 minutes remaining Bamford wrestled for possession out on the right and the ball was worked into the area where Shire always had a man over and Mckenna made it 3-1 to make sure of a home win.

Eben Harding’s late surge all the way up the left flank past two defenders and ending with a deep cross summed up Watchet’s work ethic, but they came home empty-handed.

Watchet: A Bishop, B Robinson, M Heywood, J Milton, E Harding, J Worth, R Strong, C Sully, A Clausen, A Deeks, T Maddock, subs B Jones, C Knight (both used).