Southern League Division One S&W

Bridgwater Town 0 Mangotsfield United 1 

With results elsewhere going in their favour, you could argue that there was little harm done by Town’s seventh home defeat in the league, writes Mark Hollidge. 

However, with a bit more sharpness in attack then one or maybe three points could have been garnered.

Both teams would probably have been happy enough with a point each and for most of this uninspiring game a goalless result looked likely.

Why was that? The teams were evenly matched, the windy conditions made constructive football difficult and both defences acquitted themselves well.

Town’s back four played well as a unit and the central defensive partnership of Josh White and Conor O’Neill grows in authority game by game, Conor O’Sullivan has been steady all season and Jamie Adams has overcome his unfamiliarity with that right back spot and he was one of the top perfomers.

The Town midfield was a match for the Mangos engine room but the attack never really got going and it is the lack of goals, rather than the concession of goals, which is the main problem currently.

Visiting keeper Kyle Phillips was barely tested as Town were reduced to mostly long range efforts.

Their best efforts were by Josh Wadham whose shot on the run from an O’Sullivan cross cleared the bar by a few inches, a 30 yarder from James Byrne which was over the top as well and, after Phillips had dropped the ball, a hooked effort from 12 yards by Kye Mountford which (you guessed it) was over the bar.

Mangotsfield posed little threat too. Ben Bament had a good chance after 19 minutes but his well hit rising drive was expertly pushed over the bar by the in-form Jake Viney.

From a corner Ryan Batten lifted his close range shot too high when it looked easier to score and not long before the goal came Scott Brice headed over from another corner.

The goal itself was in keeping with the tenor of the game.

A free kick from Lewis Hogg dropped down when both attackers and defenders challenged for the ball in the air. The loose ball was lifted over Viney by Bryan from a few yards out.

Mangotsfield defended the lead well and the only alarm came when Adams stepped up from defensive duty to strike a 20 yard ground shot which Phillips saved cleanly.