Southern League Division One S&W

Bridgwater Town 2 North Leigh 1

ON several occasions this season Town have matched the best in the division but this time they went one better to beat high-flying North Leigh, writes Mark Hollidge.

Reeko Best was the man to snatch the late winner - and they deserved it too.

Make no mistake, North Leigh are a thoroughly good team and this was the most satisfying home performance for many a day.

Town started at a cracking pace and had three sights of goal in the first 10 minutes. A left wing cross from Sam Towler was well aimed for Ibrahima Diallo.

The tall striker got his header on target but with insufficient pace to trouble James Foster in goal.

The exuberant Josh Wadham twice cut in from the right wing - his first effort went a foot wide and his second wasn’t cleanly hit and Foster gathered it easily.

The players were finding the pitch a little slippery early on, but the surface was in remarkably good condition considering recent weather conditions.

It took North Leigh a long time to get into their stride, with numerous offside decisions not helping their cause.

Town had another chance to open the scoring at the midpoint of the first half. Wayne Turk failed to clear the ball from the penalty area and he teed the ball up for debutant Isaac Reid.

Much like the earlier effort from Wadham, he couldn’t manufacture a clean strike and the effort was saved.

At last, the visitors pressed forward with some purpose and they could and should have gone ahead. After 25 minutes a volleyed shot from outside the area was deflected to Jamie Cook, looking offside near the penalty spot. He struck the ball instantly but Jake Viney plunged to his right to save superbly.

Then a minute later North Leigh won a penalty.

There was some tug of war in the penalty area when a corner kick was delivered and a penalty was awarded.

Cook struck a low shot with some venom but Viney managed to block the shot with his legs.

Town were again quick out of the traps when the second half began.

Some poor defending allowed Reid to bustle towards the goal.

His low shot beat Foster but it struck the outside of the left post.

Moments later Wadham’s miscued cross from the right wing had Foster backpedalling before striking the inside of the post and being cleared.

Almost immediately after, that precious opening goal arrived.

Reid reacted quickly to a ball from the left, lifted the ball over Foster and then had a simple task to roll the ball over the line.

Turk’s volley at full stretch forced Viney to go full stretch to paw the ball away and after 71 minutes North Leigh came ever so close to an equaliser.

A superb free kick from Stuart Hole was met with a downward header from Cook, but the ball hit the left post and stayed out.

The reprieve didn’t last long, with Jon Else on the right wing a persistent threat and Callum McNish headed his cross in at the near post, from five yards.

The winner from Best was a body blow to the visitors, as he showed impressive pace to outstrip Michael Hopkins before drilling a low shot from 15 yards past Foster at the near post.

Town will need to play just as well against league leaders Cinderford next Tuesday.

Viney, Adams, O’Sullivan ,Towler, Palmer, White, Best, Byrne, Reid (Connick 62), Diallo (Sinnott 74), Wadham