In their first game under the new North Somerset Sports Foundation banner, the Seasiders dominated the first half but a great rear guard action by Shepton limited the damage to a single goal. With a change of shape at half time the visitors equalised early in the second period and went on to dominate themselves, but ironically it was a mistake at the back which gave Freddie King the chance to grab the winner for Town.
Clevedon were into their stride straightway, winning two early corners, when Syd Camper’s shot from the left was pushed past the far post by Shepton keeper Owen Crawford and a Lucas Vowles shot deflected over from Freddie King’s lay off. King then sent Vowles through, but Crawford was quick off his line to clear.
A good combination between Glen Hayer, Elliot Nicholson and Alex Camm saw Crawford grab Camm’s cross at the second attempt, Caleb Selway’s long ball fell nicely for Vowles to turn and shoot but just wide and Henry Westlake’s shot from a corner was also deflected wide.
Freddie King and Westlake then combined to pick out Vowles, but Crawford was down at the striker’s feet to save, and Cam Steer set up Vowles for another shot which was blocked. With still only 20 minutes on the clock Teall’s ball into the box caused mayhem with Shepton getting bodies in the way to keep their goal intact.
Finally, the pressure told on 24 minutes when Freddie King was quickly on to Camper’s long ball to set up Vowles for a shot with another Shepton block deflecting the ball out for a corner. Freddie King sent over a great cross from the corner which was headed powerfully in by Teall to put Town 1-0 ahead.
Jacob Sloggett then put a shot wide for the visitors, but normal service was soon resumed when Camm’s shot deflected off Will Banks and just wide of the post. Hayer headed back across the six yard box from Steer’s corner and the ball was only cleared to Teall who fired over.
Clevedon kept pressing forward and Crawford was down to block Nicholson after a good move involving Freddie King and Vowles and then another long ball forward found Vowles who exchanged passes with Camm before firing over.
Just before half time Sloggett broke down the left for Shepton and Hayer sliced the cross out for a corner, but Hayer was in the right position to head the corner clear, so after a scintillating attacking display from the Seasiders it was still only Clevedon Town 1 Shepton Mallet 0 at half time.
Shepton changed shape at half time and after only two minutes were level as Callum Gould’s shot took a wicked deflection and spun in off the far post. Clevedon had a chance to retake the lead almost immediately when Freddie King’s through ball to Vowles saw Crawford out to hack clear, but Shepton started to take the game to Clevedon, and it was the turn of the Clevedon back three of Camper, Hayer and Selway to get blocks in to deny the visitors clear cut chances.
Clevedon were restricted to breaks but still looked dangerous. Camm and Teall combined to set up Vowles for a shot that was blocked for a corner which saw Westlake’s shot deflected over for another corner from which Westlake’s shot flew over.
Shepton went close on 68 minutes when Callum Gould’s ball in caused some problems until Teall cleared, but then the two King’s combined well with substitute George setting up Freddie whose shot was well saved by the diving Crawford and gradually Clevedon were looking more dangerous.
On 78 minutes George King cut out a Shepton corner and found fellow replacement Harrison Kyte to send Freddie King clear only to shoot narrowly wide. Two minutes later though Clevedon were ahead from another break when George King's ball forward saw Crawford racing out of his area to clear but completely missing his kick, giving Freddie King time to look up and calmly steer the ball into the net for his 50th Seasiders goal.
Now the Shepton defence looked less assured and Crawford misjudged a punch from a Steer corner, but Hayer put the follow-up over the bar and the keeper then had to scamper back to cover a misplaced defensive header back. Some late Shepton pressure came to nothing, so Clevedon claimed a hard earned victory with a final score of Clevedon Town 2 Shepton Mallet 1 to take the Seasiders back to the top of the table.
Seasider’s Man of the Match: Joe Teall with another fully committed performance in midfield capped with the first goal but well supported by the hard working Freddie King.
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