10:22am Friday 5th April 2013
TAUNTON Town will be hoping to rediscover the form tomorrow at Sholing which saw them gain an Easter success over local rivals Bridgwater Town.
Taunton welcomed back regulars Rob Norrish and Rodney Marsh on Easter Monday and it was the latter who put the Peacocks on the road to victory in the first part of a late season trilogy with Bridgwater Town, writes James Wright.
Marsh curled a tantalising cross from the right on the quarter hour, and Carl Cliff Brown out-muscled Luke Purnell at the far post to squeeze home a header to atone for his late penalty miss at Swindon Supermarine on Saturday.
Marsh’s next contribution was even more effective. After Owen Irish had almost glanced home a corner, the returning forward chested down the half-cleared ball and ripped an unstoppable left-footer into the top corner from the edge of the box. On a bitterly cold afternoon, the match lacked the passion of recent encounters between these two near neighbours, both sides doubtless mindful of the draining schedule they face over the coming month.
The lethargic visitors finally arose from their slumber midway through the second half when Ross MacNab just missed the target with a shot on the turn after the former Taunton striker latched on to a long clearance.
Substitute Zayne Simpson had a free-kick charged down as Bridgwater briefly threatened a comeback. But their hopes were extinguished when Purnell completely misjudged the flight of a 20-yard looping header by Irish. The ball arced over the stranded keeper into the net – a piece of good fortune thoroughly deserved by the centre-back.
Taunton thus chalked up a fourth consecutive victory over their friends from up the A38, and will have an early chance to go nap next Tuesday at Fairfax Park.
Neither side has anything left to contest in the league bar the whittling down of the horrendous backlog – over half a campaign between them. The Somerset Premier Cup semi-final, sensibly put back to April 30, is therefore likely to be this season’s mostly meaningful derby.
Taunton: Grant Fisher, Ben Mammola, John Harris, Owen Irish, Kyrtis MacKenzie, Rob Norrish, Jamie Short, Shane Kingston, Carl Cliff Brown, Rodney Marsh, Craig Herrod. Unused subs: Ed Weeks, Alex Jeannin, Tom Hopkins, Khaled Badavi.
Bridgwater: Luke Purnell, Tim Legg, Darren Rice (Zayne Simpson 55), Bradley Middleton, Phil Veal, Ollie Chamberlain, Graham Mercieca (Craig Veal 64), Harry Nodwell (Andy Venning 82), Ross MacNab, Dave Pearse, Steve Fitzpatrick. Unused subs: Darryl Cazley, Andy Venning. Match Sponsor: Aspen Catering; Matchball Sponsor: Tim Rutland/Steve Gee; Attendance: 271
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