PORTLAND TOWN 4

WINCANTON TOWN RES 3

TOM Cherry netted an eruption of goals in Portland Town's see-saw 4-3 win over Wincanton Town Reserves at Milborne.

Seeing a host of changes to last week, Portland started the better, playing some neat football through the lines.

They came close through Cherry when Shaun Martin tipped his snapshot wide on three minutes, from the corner Mark Lambert headed just wide at the far post with the goal yawning.

Ben Tyrell had to be sharp to halt Ryan Shepherd in his tracks as he loomed in on goal, making a smart save with his feet.

READ MORE: Portland Town 4-5 Chickerell United - match report

At the other end, Callum Norman then saw an effort smothered by the keeper at the second attempt.

Portland were just about the better team in the first 15 minutes but a misplaced pass by Jordon Moore was misjudged by Lambert and Shepherd was in, a very slight touch was adjudged a foul and the free-kick was given 20 yards out, Patrick Golden whipping home for 1-0.

This led to a very poor 15 minutes from the hosts as they went long with their passing.

The pressure told when a corner came over, the Wincanton attackers outmuscled their markers and Will Fairey nodded home.

Town were deflated and worse was to come as a long throw was flicked on and Ben Martin beat Rob Townley to the ball as it dropped to lash home the third on 31 minutes.

Wincanton were up and going for the kill, a cross then flashed across the six-yard box with no finishing touch so manager Kieron Neilson-Howes rang the changes, four of them as Town looked for a change in tempo.

On 38 minutes, Cherry was bundled over and Norman fired just wide from the set-piece.

The momentum had swung but Tyrell did have to react with a smart save after the ball went goalward in a scramble, at the other end though the breakthrough finally came on 43 minutes.

George Christopher played in Cherry who found just enough space to prod past Martin for 3-1.

The second half was a very different affair as Cherry outmuscled the centre-back and forced a save low down from Martin.

Ash Owens played in Cherry again but he could not get his shot away and then found Norman with a slide rule pass but the talismanic forward lifted his effort high and wide.

Norman had a goal disallowed for offside but Town caught Ryan Biss sleeping and Cherry homed in to finish with a deft finish for 3-2.

Wincanton did show resilience and twice bought saves from Tyrell who was enjoying a good afternoon as he repelled the danger with extended saves.

The imposing Will Osborne then fired just wide from 20 yards and Pat Byatt produced a fine tackle in retreat as a clearance set Luke Johnson free, the defender sliding in to block.

Town got their composure back and then proceeded to dominate the last 20 minutes, Christopher stopped one-on-one by Martin's feet and then Will Turland almost nicked the ball from the Wincanton stalwart but he was rebuffed just in time.

Martin then tipped over a fine header from Joe Watters from 10 yards as Portland pushed for a leveller.

A desperate Wincanton were pushed deeper and deeper before the equaliser came on 86 minutes. Harry Mitchell's long throw, in his first involvement after freshly entering the fray, was flicked on by Watters and there was Cherry to fling his head in where it hurts to nod home his hat-trick goal.

Town were now sensing the win and just a minute later Steve Lambert sprayed the ball wide to Mitchell and his delicious cross found the man of the moment, Cherry, and he did the rest from six yards as he got in front of Biss to head home his fourth and the clinching goal.

Neilson-Howes said: "It was a carbon copy of last week except it was us smiling after the game this time.

"We just had a feeling, after we grabbed the goal just before half-time, that we would get something out of the game.

"Cherry is on fire at the minute and fair play to him as he has got us over the line. We can now go into the rest of the month with confidence."

Town: Tyrell; Driver (Owens), Watters, Townley (Mitchell), M Lambert, S Lambert, Harvey (Jones, Byatt), Norman, Turland (Christopher), Cherry, Moore.

Remarkable Carpets man of the match: Tom Cherry.