Toolstation Western League Premier Division

Bridgwater Town 3, Clevedon Town 2

JAKE Brown's 79th-minute winner salvaged three points for Bridgwater Town after they had earlier let a two-goal lead slip against 10-man Clevedon Town at Fairfax Park.

Goals from Jack Taylor and Brown either side of Liam Dempsey's brainless sending off looked to have put the hosts in the driving seat, only for Syd Camper and Alex Camm to haul Clevedon level before Brown's late winner sent the majority of the bumper 364 crowd home happy.

The hosts dominated the early stages without creating much, and Clevedon spurned the clearest opening of the opening 20 minutes as Lucas Vowles' lob dropped wide with Jake Viney on no man's land.

Bridgy then made their possession count on 22 minutes and, though the scorer was familiar, his goal owed everything to a terrific run down the left by Jake Llewellyn.

Picking the ball up just inside his own half after smart work by Harry Horton, Llewellyn surged past three challenges into the area before putting his cross on a plate for Taylor to head home from close range.

Town came close to doubling their advantage when Mike Duffy, who had been clattered by Dempsey shortly beforehand, saw a 25-yard effort tipped round the post by Sam Blackiston.

Dempsey's 10 minutes of madness was not over, as he flew into Dave Thorne to receive the most blatant of second yellow cards nine minutes before the break. If you were to look up 'second booking' in the dictionary, there's a fair chance you would be greeted by that challenge.

Bizarrely, and in a sign of what was to come, Clevedon posed more of a threat in the remaining nine minutes of the first half with 10 men than they had in the previous 36 with 11 and could easily have levelled before the break.

Viney was called into action to superbly tip over Archie Ferris' looping header before later saving with his face from the same player after the striker had latched on to a loose backpass from Brown.

Brown made amends after the break by doubling the hosts' lead inside three second half minutes with a goal which really should have made the points safe.

Again Llewellyn was the architect, turning his man inside out on the right before delivering a low cross which wasn't cleared - Brown pounced on the loose ball to fire home from six yards.

Bridgwater's two-goal cushion did not last long, however, and it was game on again before the hour as a former Robin halved the deficit, Camper smartly curling a free-kick into the bottom corner from 25 yards.

For the next quarter of an hour the hosts looked like the side down to 10 men as Clevedon pushed hard for a leveller.

It arrived on 70 minutes as Camper turned provider, whipping in an inviting cross which Camm flicked home from close range.

The equaliser jolted Bridgy back into action and they restored their advantage when Brown picked up Duffy's pass and calmly rolled his shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Llewellyn should have had a hat-trick of assists soon afterwards only for substitute Sam Towler to somehow head over from three yards - a miss the Robins almost paid for as Camm's shot was scrambled off the line on with two minutes left.

Bridgwater invited late pressure by giving away a series of needless late free-kicks, but the hosts clung on to consolidate their position in the top five and move to within two points of second spot.

A youthful Clevedon side deserve credit for the way they fought back into an entertaining match, though the Robins will know there will be no room for such lacklustre spells in some of their tougher matches to come.

Bridgwater Town: Jake Viney, Dave Thorne, Jake LLewellyn, Mark Armstrong (capt), Lee Begg (Joe Swift 80), Tom Ellis, Harry Horton (Sam Towler 62), Mike Duffy, Jack Taylor, Jake Brown, Ian Bellinger (Kurt Robinson 76)

Subs not used: Patrick O'Halloran, Charlie White

Mercury man of the match: Jake Llewellyn

Attendance: 364