Toolstation Western League Premier Division

Bridgwater Town 2, Street 3

With this being a local derby which had plenty of significance to both clubs, it was never going to be one for the faint-hearted, writes Kerry Miller.

Happily, it did not disappoint the excellent crowd on what is traditionally the worst Saturday of the season and five first half goals, a missed penalty, seven bookings and a sending off plus a stand up row between the visiting management and most of the grandstand’s spectators all added up to a classic, with Street coming back from a two goal deficit to win.

On what looked like a tricky surface, the Robins began at pace and were a goal up inside four minutes as Jake Llewellyn crashed a left footed effort past a helpless Tom Punchard.

Street responded with David O’Hare volleying just wide before Burrows’ snap shot was held by Punchard as Bridgy had the early edge.

Predictably for what quickly turned into a no-nonsense, old fashioned Western League derby, there were no shortage of free-kicks, but it was from a fine open play move that the lead was doubled.

Kurt Robinson raided down the left and Camper bundled home his wicked cross from five yards on 19 minutes to stun the leaders.

Street were not fazed, and inside a minute they had halved the deficit as the speedy Steve Murray got away down the left and his pull back from the by line left Craig Herrod to slam it home from close range. 

Murray was finding room as Street quickly grew into the game and, after Nathan Rudge and Richard Fey were given a final warning by referee Sam Littlefair, Ross McErlain almost embarrassed home keeper Jake Viney with a free-kick which bounced just in front of him but he kept it out.

The reprieve was short lived as another free-kick was lifted in on 37 minutes and O’Hare nodded it in from five yards to level it up.

Still the frantic pace continued, and four minutes later Street were in front.

The increasingly shell-shocked home defence creaked as yet another quickly taken free-kick by Lewis Tasker found O’Hare, who swept home the third.

Just prior to the half-time whistle, an attack from the left ended with Lee Begg handling in the box which gave O’Hare the chance to complete a seven minute first half hat-trick, but Viney flew away to his left to tip the spot-kick onto a post to keep his side in the game.

Bridgy looked to have shot themselves in the foot before the hour mark when Jake Llewellyn was shown a straight red for a lunge on O’Hare, leaving the home side what looked like a small mountain to climb.

To their credit they made a decent stab of ascending it despite McErlain and Murray going close.

Both benches made changes but, as the pace began to ease, Bridgwater were still in the game and a corner looked to be heading for the goal before somehow being scrambled away with a few anxious glances going in the direction of the linesman.

With nerves fraying, referee Littlefair played almost 10 minutes of injury time but Street held on.

Bridgwater have another home derby to look forward to on Boxing Day, this time against Wellington (3pm) and will no doubt play poorer than this and win at some point in the rest of the campaign.

Bridgwater Town: Jake Viney, Dave Thorne, Kurt Robinson (c), Mark Armstrong (Shaun Copp), Josh White, Lee Begg, Harry Horton, Jack Jenkins, Ryan Burrows, Syd Camper, Jake Llewellyn