Somerset Senior Cup quarter-finals: Combe St Nicholas 3, Wellington Reserves 2
Our Reserves bowed out of the senior cup at Combe St Nicholas on Saturday.
On a bright, sunny day both teams started well and created chances at both ends.
Wellington took the lead on the half-hour when Scott Merritt (pictured) took a corner on the left and evaded players at the near post, going straight in past the keeper.
The rest of the half was evenly matched and the scored remained 1-0 to visitors at the break.
The second half started at a fast pace as Combe tried to find the equaliser but Wellington kept to their shape and defended well.
It was Wellington who should have Increased their lead when leading scorer Jack Bryant had two chances in quick succession.
Both chances game down the left-hand side. His first was a great curling shot around the keeper who went agonisingly past the far post before he raced into the box and hit a low shot which the keeper saved well at the near post.
Combe were struggling to create any real chances but they were given a lifeline when they got awarded a penalty.
A Combe player seemed to take a dive in the box and the referee rightly waved play on but the ball fell to another player was fouled.
Wellington players tried to explain they had no advantage from the first dive but their appeals were rejected and Combe equalised from the spot with 20 minutes left to play.
The momentum then swung Combe’s way as Wellington went down to ten when Aaron Hawkings was sin binned for challenging a foul awarded against him with ten minutes to go.
Combe then scored two more quick goals, one from a free kick on the edge of the box and another after a poor back pass.
Ben Evett scored from close range with only one minute left on the clock and the game ended in victory for Combe.
