Toolstation Western Premier Division

Shortwood United 2

Shepton Mallet 5

By Harry Ash

DESPITE taking a 2-0 lead, Shortwood never had sufficient control to suggest that a first win of the season was possible, and Shepton Mallet showed their superiority in the second-half.

Forest Green Academy loanee Rendijs Kalnins scored within five minutes of his second start for Shortwood, as he ran in behind the Shepton defence to latch onto Lee Bowles’ through ball and lift a shot over the onrushing Cameron Pike.

The visitors took twenty minutes or so to settle, and were soon threatening the Shortwood goal regularly. A vital interception by captain Joe Tryner cut out Francois Allen’s pull back, before Joe Morgan’s low cross was stabbed just wide by the stretching Craig Loxton.

Against the run of play, Shortwood scored a second after Taylor Marsh’s looping corner was met by Jacob Nowell, who powered a header into the roof of the net. Shepton scored a very important goal on the stroke of half time, which arguably shaped how the second half played out.

Play continued despite what was surely a high foot from Allen when challenging Tryner, and when the ball was returned to the striker, played onside by the recovering Tryner, he fired a shot into the bottom right-hand corner from twenty yards.

Shepton, aided by Shortwood’s tiring legs, completely controlled the game in the second half, and ran in four simple goals.

Three minutes after the restart, Tyson Pollard’s low cross was tapped in by Morgan from point blank range.

Fifteen minutes later, Pollard himself scored a third, combining brilliantly with Morgan once again before curling a shot past Adam Clarke. With twenty minutes to play, Shortwood had their first real attack of the half, and Kalnins almost stole in ahead of Pike to divert Marcus Bebbington’s cross, but the young goalkeeper did well to gather.

Shepton made it 2-4 in the 84th minute, and once again it was the Morgan and Pollard combination that did the damage; the former laid off Dave Stone’s cross to the latter, who had time to pick his spot from eight yards.

Shortwood had a penalty appeal with two minutes to play, as Bowles claimed his shot was handled, but the half-hearted claims were ignored. Stone completed the scoring, taking advantage of an exposed Shortwood defence, in the first minute of stoppage time, tapping in Kailan Gould’s low cross.

Shortwood: Adam Clarke, Marcus Bebbington (yellow card 80’), Jacob Nowell (Harry Elliott 55’), Tom Hoskins (Jamie Walker 79’), Joe Tryner (C), Ben Langworthy, Jack Gardner (Levi Mathews 62’), Lewis Bainbridge, Rendijs Kalnins, Lee Bowles, Taylor Marsh

Shepton Mallet: Cameron Pike, Tom Hill, Oliver Bryant, Ross Padfield, James Billing (C) (Conrad Peck 46’), Oliver Morris (Ryan Fry 46’ (yellow card 79’)), Joe Morgan, Craig Loxton, Francois Allen (Dave Stone 82’), Tyson Pollard, Kailan Fry

Attendance: 74

Star Man: Joe Tryner.