Toolstation League premier division: Wellington 1, Clevedon Town 2
Wellington were hoping to avenge their surprise defeat when the two teams met at Clevedon earlier in the season, surrendering a 3-1 advantage to lose 4-3, in this, only their second home game of the season.
Tim Legg had a strong squad available with plenty of experience on the bench but they were slow out of the blocks and the visitors had the early advantage and new keeper Harley Wilkinson was tested twice in the opening minutes but displayed a safe pair of hands throughout.
Wellington soon got into the game however and Sam Towler was on target with a fierce drive from distance while Eli Collins cut inside but shot over when well placed.
This was followed by a Jake Quick free-kick from just outside the box finding opposing keeper Luca Smith and Sam Towler getting on the end of a corner at the far post only to see his rising shot rebound out from the underside of the crossbar.
At the other end, Wilkinson was again in action to save from the robust Archie Ferris and then managing to keep the ball out when a goalmouth scrabble came from the resulting corner.
On the half hour Sam Towler beat the keeper with a cross-cum-shot but his effort bounced back off the crossbar.
Somehow half-time came with the score at 0-0 but only after Joe Wragg, Nathaniel Groom and Jamie Nicholson, for the home team, had efforts saved and Ferris and the lively Freddie King had both drawn excellent saves from Wilkinson.
Mark Cornish made a welcome return to the side at half-time, replacing Stefan Phillips, but Clevedon opened the scoring on 55 minutes when a cross from the left was met by the in-rushing Ethan Feltham who gave Wilkinson no chance with a thundering header from close in.
Glen Wright replaced Jamie Nicholson and Wellington came close to equalising only two minutes later when a fierce shot from Wragg hit the underside of the crossbar and came back into play only for Tom Stone to pick up the rebound and hit the inside of the post with the ball travelling across the face of the Clevedon goal before being cleared.
The visitors came close to increasing their lead through Feltham and Ferris before Wellington finally levelled the score when Wragg crossed from the left for Groom to bundle the ball into the net.
Their relief at getting back on terms only lasted two minutes with King cutting in from the right past two defenders before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the far corner of the net.
Wragg had a further shot blocked for the home side before he was replaced together with Eli Collins and Miles Quick and Kelson Pollard came on in a bid to get a share of the points but Wellington’s best opportunity fell to Groom who blasted over from a good position with time running out.
