Yate 3-1 Cinderford
 

Yate Town earned promotion to the Southern Premier League thanks to a 3-1 victory over Cinderford Town at Lodge Road writes Tom Mason.

Olly Mehew scored a brace and Adam Price turned the game around after Nick Rhodes had given the away side an early lead.

The Yate Town boss Paul Britton made one change from the semifinal victory over Moneyfields, the suspended Elliot Keightley making way for Mayson Evans.

It was the visitors who made the better start with Bluebells goalkeeper Ross Grimshaw being tested by James Harding early on, but he was more than equal to the forwards effort.

The hosts were under the pump for much of the early stages and the goal came in the 15th minute when Nick Rhodes headed in from close range following a corner.

Yate were much improved after going behind and grabbed an equalizer just nine minutes later as Mehew tapped in from close range after Josh Ford's shot was heading goal bound.

The chances kept coming at both ends as Grimshaw was once again forced into action denying goal scorer Rhodes from another header as they away side looked to regain the lead.

Captain Nick Peare spotted visiting keeper Alex Harris off his line and went for an audacious effort which nearly caught Harris out, but the keeper was able to just get back at tip it over the bar.

Yate were looking the stronger as the break approached and they went in front for the first time five minutes before it as Mehew netted again, applying a cool finish into the bottom corner after Jack Twyman had done brilliantly to find him as the hosts went in to half time in front.

It was the hosts who started the second half the stronger, creating the best chance through Michael Bryant, who hit the post with a superb effort as Yate looked to put the game beyond their Gloucestershire opponents.

The away sides best chance at the start of the half came through Craig Norman as his header was well blocked and then Josh Ford headed the resulting corner away.

It was the visitors who played on the foot, knowing they needed a goal to just force extra time and Grimshaw was busy having to come off his line to stop Harding from going through to score.

The away side nearly forced it into the net, but Grimshaw who was under pressure was just about able to get clear the danger for the hosts as they looked to hold on.

Second half sub Ross Langworthy came close to putting daylight between the two as he ran towards the box, but Harris in the Cinderford goal came out to deny him.

The all-important third goal came through midfielder Price, who caught Harris out with a strike from outside the box low into the bottom corner.

The away side wasn’t to give up as Lorcan Sheehan’s effort was superbly saved by Grimshaw in the Yate net.

Just moments later Josh Hunt was picked out at the back post but he couldn’t direct is effort goalwards as it went out for a goal kick.

Ford, had a chance to kill the game in the last few minutes but his effort was well blocked by Harris to keep it at three.

The hosts defended brilliantly at the death to see the game out and earn promotion to the Southern League.

Yate were backed by a bumper crowd of 1,094 by far their biggest of the season which was simply superb at step four in the non league.` Yate Town: Grimshaw (GK), Humphries, Keightley, Peare ©, Ford, Boulton, Price, Guest, Bryant (Langworthy 68), Mehew, Twyman (Kamara 72) Cinderford Town: Harris ©, Turl, Binns, Watkins (Hunt 76), Lewis, Rhodes, Norman (Atkinson 76), Sheehan, Waugh, Harding, Macdonald (Greaves 81)