A disappointing result for Clevedon Town against a tough Brixham side who came with the clear intent to disrupt the home side, which they did very effectively by constantly breaking the game up and getting blocks in whenever Clevedon threatened - writes Paul Davis.
Despite a barnstorming finale by the Seasiders in nine added second half minutes, the visitors managed to hold on to the advantage and extend their lead at the top of the table as Clevedon fell to their first defeat in 20 games.
The early exchanges saw chances for both sides, the first falling to the Seasiders after 5 minutes.
Following a good build-up, Oscar Bridgman cut in from the right to find George King who set up Freddie King for a shot which drifted wide.
Bridgman was then called upon at the other end to cut out several sharp breaks by Brixham, then Caleb Selway headed wide from a Freddie King free kick for Town.
A good through ball from George King saw Lucas Vowles stopped in his tracks by a close offside call, and George King put a free kick over after Freddie King had been brought down again.
Charlie Johansen shot over for Brixham, Bridgman went past three Brixham defenders, but his cross was just too hard for the incoming James Tait then Bridgman was blocked by Harvey Field.
James Dunn parried a long shot, but his attempted kick clear was returned back and in a frantic goalmouth scramble, Glen Hayer headed one shot away before George King hacked the ball clear.
On 33 minutes, as Harrison Coker challenged Kieran Parkin in the box from a Brixham corner, the referee pointed to the spot and Johansen sent Dunn the wrong way from the penalty kick to give Brixham the lead.
Freddie King then put a free kick over and the final action of the half saw Tait blocked by George Dandridge for a half time score of Seasiders 0 Fishermen 1.
The second half continued in the same way.
Hayer headed away from Fin Newell, but then Town found an equaliser out of the blue on 54 minutes.
George King won the ball in midfield to find Bridgman, whose ball into the box picked out Freddie King to make space and roll a left foot shot beyond the reach of Nicol just inside the far post.
Clevedon looked to capitalise, and Nicol was out quickly to stop Bridgman, but Clevedon conceded again on the hour when Brixham broke down the left and Johansen cut into the box to shoot from a narrow angle, and despite Dunn getting a hand to the ball, it ended up in the back of the net.
With nothing to lose, Clevedon pressed forward and George King’s free kick after Vowles was brought down was spilled by Nicol who managed to gather the ball before Elliot Nicholson could get to it.
Nicol then saved from Harrison Kyte from another George King pass and Nicholson’s cross picked out Vowles to turn and shoot, only to be foiled by another Brixham block.
Five minutes into added time, the pressure finally told when the ball was played into the box for Joe Teall to set up Vowles to shoot into the corner of the net for Clevedon’s second.
The question was whether there would be enough time to find an equaliser, but first Clevedon had to see off another break from Brixham when Dunn was on hand to save from Jayden Maslen.
Back came Clevedon piling men forward and with all 22 players in the Brixham box for a corner eight minutes into added time, including Clevedon keeper James Dunn, an incredible scramble saw the ball eventually fall for Teall to hit a stinging shot but with Nicol in the right place to make the save for a final score of Clevedon Town 2 Brixham 3.
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