Welton take the honours

Somerset Premier Cup 1st Round

James Billings headed Welton into a twelveth minute lead.

Paulton equalised through Paul Milson with seventeen minutes to go. However a spritly Welton struck through an Ashley Lewis header in the eighty second minute and as Paulton drove forward for an equaliser Dean Evans made it 3-1 with three minutes to go.

Welton go into the next round of the Premier Cup ater beating Paulton at West Clewes.

It was the visitors who had the best of the opening exchanges before Welton’s central defender Alex Brain suffered a knee injury and had to be substituted after only a ten minutes play.

Despite the early pressure it was Welton who created the first clear chance when Chris Lewis shot wide. Welton continued to press their visitors and a Danny Maye volley from the edge of the area narrowly missed the target.

Welton should have taken the lead when Lewis turned his marker, hit a cracking shot that rattled the Paulton post and the ball rebounded to James Billing, who with an open goal in front of him, shot wide. Minutes later Billing redeemed himself when he met a cross and headed over the advancing keeper and into the empty net to make it 1-0.

The second half saw both sides step up a gear.For Paulton Chris Lane shot from the edge of the area went wide and then a free kick by Kane Ingram landed on the roof of the Welton net. Welton responded and a rasping Dave Blake shot from twenty five yards out went inches wide and Ollie Edwards went close with his effort.

The visitors equalised in the seventieth minute when Paul Milson hit a loose ball from a free kick with Welton defence in disaray and slotted the ball past Tristan Westlake.

Both sides then used up all their allocation of substitutes and with five minutes remaining and the game appeared to heading to extra time. However five minutes from time Welton substitute Ashley Lewis met a free kick from the right and headed home past a crowd of players to give Welton the lead.

With the game well into added time Welton made it 3-1 when a great cross field ball from Maye found Ashley Lewis on the left, and his pin point pass fell to Welton captain Dean Evans who volleyed passed Courtney Redwood in the Paulton goal.