Playing Fields (Shepton Mallet) Saturday, November 6th, 2021 k/o 15:00   Western Premier Attendance: 176 (estimated)       Shepton Mallet 2-4 Tavistock
2021 /22

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Toolstation Premier Division 6.11.21. Shepton Mallet 2 Tavistock 4 Match Report by Kevin O''Brien Table toppers Tavistock could have had this game sewn up by the half hour mark but for wasteful shooting and some dogged defending by hosts Shepton, after scorching into the lead in their first attack after just a minute when full back Josh Robins ghosted in at the back post to crack a volley past home keeper Tom Easterbrook. Soon after, Easterbrook had to scramble back to clear a long range effort from Josh Grant for the visitors, after Grant caught him off his goal line, and before the 20 minute mark both Dan Koita and then Liam Prynn had managed to miss wide open goals for the Devon side. Shepton had another let off half way through the first period when Grant smashed an angled shot against the outside of a post, but somehow, aided by good work from Joel Sisson, Nick Hewlett and Fin Haines in particular, and having created little of note themselves, Shepton reached the half hour mark still in touch. And with 33 minutes played the home side carved out an equaliser after Callum Gould tested Tavistock keeper Tyler Coombes with a strong shot that the keeper could only knock away as far as Joe Morgan, who drilled a low 15 yard shot into the net. They were not level for much more than a minute after Tavistock''s next advance saw Prynn latch onto a right wing cross and restore his side''s lead. Tyrone Tucker-Dixon went close with a long range shot before the same player then beat Robins down the right wing, for Jack Fillingham to get to his cross first and side foot past Coombes for a second equalising goal 5 minutes before the break. However, the visitors hit back again, this time within three minutes as Koita knocked in a 3rd for his side, to end a scintillating half of football. Tavistock sat in for much of the second period, but despite now seeing more possession, Shepton were unable to find a finishing touch to their improved approach play. Early on Fillingham went on a good run but his shot failed to match the run, and from a now isolated Tavistock attack Koita brought a good save from Easterbrook to keep his side in touch at the midpoint of the half. Soon after Fin Wilkinson, on at the break for skipper Andy Martin, struck a free kick well enough to force Coombes to turn the shot away for a corner, before Shepton''s best chance of the half with 15 minutes to go, saw Fillingham head a Nathan Legge cross wide when he should have at least tested Coombes. Legge then hit another half chance too high, before Tavistock''s top scorer Prynn had the last word with 10 minutes to go as he fired a superb angled shot from 20 yards into the far top corner to kill off any hopes Shepton still had of stealing a point from the game. A late miss by Morgan was of scant consolation as Shepton, despite staying in the game until near the end, lost to a well drilled Tavistock side who look a good bet to stay top for some time. Sponsor Andy Halsey''s Man of the Match for Shepton was Nick Hewlett. Team 1.T.Easterbrook 2.J.Sisson 3.A.Martin 4.N.Hewlett 5.G.Morris-Edwards 6.C.Gould 7.T.Tucker-Dixon 8.F.Haines 9.J.Fillingham.....scored one goal and cautioned 10.J.Sloggett 11.J.Morgan.....scored one goal subs used F.Wilkinson N.Legge A.Seviour attendance 176