Somerset County League
Premier & Division 1 Cup
Worle 1, Middlezoy Rovers 3

MIDDLEZOY were in cup action on Saturday, as they faced a potentially tricky tie against a Worle team who had only lost once this season in the league below.

The opening stages had a typical cup feeling about it, as Worle were up for a battle to claim the scalp of a higher division team, and the game was end-to-end on a bobbly pitch.

Zoy had the ball in the net first when a lovely move resulted in Aaron Whaites playing a ball across the box for Charlie Lintell to tap home, but unfortunately for the visitors, Whaites had been flagged offside.

It wasn’t long before Zoy did break the deadlock, as a Whaites corner was cleared to the edge of the box where it fell to Dan Luce, who took one touch past the oncoming defender and unleashed an effort into the net from 25 yards out.

Zoy started the second half brightly as they looked to kill of a Worle team that looked dangerous on the break, and Lintell nearly gave Zoy a two-goal lead when Andrew Smith played him in, but his effort was straight at the keeper.

The much-needed second goal came on the hour, as the move of the game saw some fine one-touch football between Luce, Whaites and Lintell in midfield before Lintell’s deep cross found Steve Hall, who cushioned a header into the path of Smith to stroke the ball home.

From here it looked like the visitors would coast to victory, as they created chances at will.

Jamie Temlett had a chance blocked when well-placed and Jed Williams had the ball in the net only for the linesman to have his flag up again.

However, Worle struck next, against the run of play, when they were awarded a penalty for a Lintell handball, and the striker gave Greg Turner no chance.

For the next 15 minutes, Zoy were under the cosh and, with a succession of Worle corners and chances, it looked like the game was going to be turned around.

But the away side managed to see out this period of pressure, though, with some good saves from Turner, and they began to take control of the game once again.

They finally got a third goal to put the game beyond doubt as Craig Wright’s cutback found Luce on the penalty spot, and he drilled the ball home to give Middlezoy a hard-fought victory and send them into the quarter-finals.

Man of the match: Dan Luce

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BRIDGWATER Town Reserves were knocked out of the league cup on Saturday after a 2-1 defeat at Watchet Town.

Tom Sparks and Jamie Milton's goals for the hosts secured their passage into the last eight.