Evo-Stik Southern League South and West

Yate Town 1 Taunton Town 5

THREE goals in twenty minutes were the decisive goals that sent Yate Town packing on Tuesday night in an Evo-Stik Southern League South and West defeat at home to Taunton Town.

Luke Bryan fired a thumping goal to put the Bluebells into a 1-0 lead but a trio of strikes, two headers and a penalty, saw a lively Taunton grab a deserved victory before the dominant Somerset outfit got two more towards the end.

Indeed, it was something of a rear-guard first-half for the Bluebells as their defence held firm against some applied Taunton pressure.

Taunton’s Jordan Rogers could have scored on ten minutes when he missed a tap-in from a cross into the six yard area with home keeper Jono Brown struggling.

Moments later, the Bluebells were doubly lucky when a free kick into their danger zone saw a Taunton head send the ball crashing against the post and, from the rebound, another head put it onto the crossbar.

Yate’s first meaningful move inside the visiting half saw a cross from right swing into the Taunton goal area but it was defended easily.

Midfielder Mitch Tippins, who has been in great form since returning from a nasty year-long injury, thrust the ball towards Taunton’s goal only for his powerful strike to deflect off a visiting body for a corner.

Play swung from end to end, with Yate’s defensive line again on their mettle to prevent some meaningful attacks, full backs Mayson Evans and Matt Guy, in particular, having solid games in the back four.

And as the half-time whistle approached, Taunton had Yate on the back foot again, midfielder Owen Irish thrashing a ball towards Brown but watching it deflect for a corner.

The interval arrived with the teams locked together in a goal-less draw thus far.

But that stalemate lasted only four minutes into the second-half and it was Yate who made the breakthrough thanks to Bryan.

The Bluebells had already had a corner in the opening moments of the period when a ball into the Taunton box was deflected out for the Bluebells midfielder to fire a spectacular shot into the top corner, giving Taunton goalkeeper Lloyd Irish no chance of stopping.

That really got Taunton’s goat and they made the Bluebells pay, upping the pace of their game and going 3-1 up within twenty minutes of Bryan’s strike.

Brett Trowbridge made yards along the Yate byline but was brought down for the ref to point to the spot.

Up stepped Shane White to power the penalty into the corner, with Brown going the other way.

The next two goals were almost mirror images of each other as first Craig Veal was left unmarked in the home goal area to head past Brown, and then striker Matt Wright added the third in the same manner.

Quick-fire play saw Yate stretched by the opposition as they struggled to get some possession to use in the opposite end of the Jelf Stadium.

Yate tried to fight back in the closing minutes but a second goals from Wright and White put the tin lid on a tough evening.