The Seasiders roared back to the top of the table with an exciting win to complete a double over Barnstaple in a game featuring some outstanding goals.

On a ground where they haven’t won since 1990, Clevedon started in a determined fashion, dominated the early stages and went on to create the best chances in the first half. After only 4 minutes Alex Camm sent Freddie King through to win a corner which King played short for Cam Steer to cut into the box, but home keeper James Weeks pushed Steer’s shot on to the bar. Then a minute later Sam Beresford picked out Camm only for the final shot to be blocked.

Clevedon kept pressing and on 8 minutes another ball was played through to Camm who went round Weeks and again found a defender blocking his shot with the ball ricocheting around the area until Oscar Bridgman’s follow-up was eventually cleared.

Weeks then punched another corner clear, and Barnstaple began to get into the game. Caleb Selway cleared a corner, then a Gabriel Rogers ball found Josh Parry to cut in, but James Dunn was on hand to push the shot over.

As the game ebbed and flowed, on 28 minutes a Beresford run into the box saw the striker brought down and the referee immediately pointed to the spot. Camm stepped up to take the kick, but Weeks went the right way to push the ball away for a corner for what was Camm’s first penalty miss in four years after 15 in a row had been successfully converted. To add to Clevedon’s misery Glen Hayer then hit the resulting corner just wide of the post.

When the game resumed, Gabriel Rogers was then sent to the sin bin and as Clevedon tried to press home their man advantage Bridgman headed over and Beresford shot over after being put through by Freddie King, but Barnstaple also created chances. Parry put a shot into the side netting, Tommy Rogers headed over and Dunn was quickly out to block Parry again.

Then having created the best first half chances Clevedon were disappointed to concede just before half time when Ryan Keates went down in the area from Steer’s challenge with a penalty the inevitable result and this time Tommy Rogers sent Dunn the wrong way from the spot to put Barnstaple 1-0 up at half time.

After a disappointed Clevedon had trooped off at half time, they came out for the second half a completely different side and equalised straight from the restart when Beresford timed his run perfectly to latch on to Hayer’s through ball and score emphatically past Weeks as he came out. Freddie King then ran on to another great through ball from Callum Kingdon and despite the attentions of two defenders tucked an accurate shot past Weeks and just inside the post to make it 1-2.

The Seasiders couldn’t hold on to their hard earned lead and Barnstaple hit back immediately when Scott Piper found the space to shoot past Dunn to make it 2-2. But it could have been even worse for Clevedon when Dunn had to stretch to tip a Gabriel Rogers shot over.

Undeterred Clevedon again took the game to Barnstaple and on 59 minutes, having just replaced Harrison Coker, Joe Teall’s first touch was to head the ball on for Beresford whose shot was deflected for a corner which saw Beresford’s powerful header just clear the bar. Then just after the hour Harrison Kyte replaced Alex Camm and again had an immediate impact sending Bridgman racing past a defender down the line for a cross which saw superb reactions by Beresford with his back to goal to send a spectacular overhead shot looping over Weeks and dip into the far corner of the net and Clevedon were ahead again.

The game became increasingly disjointed with injuries and substitutions, much to Clevedon’s advantage, but Hayer did well to stop Piper and Callum Kingdon blocked substitute Dan Jennings. Then 2 minutes into added time Clevedon gave themselves some breathing space with another well worked goal. Teall headed the ball on again to Beresford who burst into the box and unselfishly squared the ball to the unmarked Kyte to smash in the fourth for a 4-2 lead.

But as before Clevedon conceded straightaway when a Barnstaple corner was only cleared to Gabriel Rogers whose well executed chip went over Dunn and into the net. Despite coming under some pressure in the last 2 minutes of added time Clevedon successfully kept Barnstaple out to complete a remarkable 4-3 win.

Seasider’s Man of the Match: Sam Beresford’s two goals and the brilliant overhead just shaded it from Freddie King.