Peppermints pay for slow start in Bridgwater loss

NEWQUAY’S excellent recent form was blown away inside 10 opening minutes at Mount Wise on Saturday as they felt the full force of leaders Bridgwater United.

Skipper Tom Llewellyn’s sixth minute strike was followed by Jacob Spence’s header from a corner after nine minutes and it could have been more in a stunning first 20 minutes.

Callam McOnie got one back six minutes before half-time and the Peppermints, who had scored 19 in their last four games, had chances to equalise, but Bridgwater also could have killed off the game.

Newquay manager Shaun Middleton said: “It was a very hard game against a really good team. We didn’t give ourselves the best start to go 2-0 down after eight minutes.

“It went completely against everything I said in the team talk, but against a top team sometimes you can’t predict how fast they’re going to come out the blocks – and they certainly came out the blocks fast.

“We were kind of lucky to be only two down after 20 minutes as they really did put the pressure on us.

“But once we settled, in my opinion I thought we probably edged the game, but going two down against the top team is always going to be an uphill task.

“Having said that we created some very good chances and then we went toe-to-toe with them. And really, if if we came away with a point, I don’t think anybody would’ve complained about it.

“But certainly lessons to learn against a very good team in front of a very good crowd so, yeah, very disappointed about the result but proud of how the players reacted.”

Llewellyn’s opener, a cross come shot from the right wing, was followed by a crazy three minutes from the visitors which included a miss from Shea Mannings, confident penalty shouts rejected and a shot from George King which was brilliantly tipped around the post by Shaun Semmens.

From the resulting corner, though, Spence was picked out on the far post and his emphatic header gave Semmens no chance.

Newquay gradually got a foothold in the game and reduced the arrears six minutes before the break with a McOnie flick deceiving debutant goalkeeper Ollie Saunders from Tom Shepherd’s free-kick.

It could have been 2-2 four minutes later when Louis Price’s pass left Tim Nixon with only Saunders to beat, but this time the keeper made an excellent save.

Two minutes into the second half, Jack Bray-Evans’ ball from the right picked out Price on the left of the penalty area, but he volleyed his shot wide.

The home side continued their dominance and had penalty claims turned down in the 56th minute after a clever Shepherd free-kick caused mayhem in the six-yard box, with Saunders twice pushing away shots.

Bridgwater recovered and had opportunities to kill the game off, but twice Mannings was denied by Semmens.

Newquay were reduced to 10 men in injury-time as skipper Harry Downing was very harshly given a second yellow card for a foul on Saunders.

NEWQUAY: Shaun Semmens; Jamie Edlin, Tom Moxham, Jacob Kevern (Sam Fearon, 13; Cam Turner, 58), Harry Downing (capt), Ross Fallens, Tom Shepherd (Al Ahmed, 83), Callam McOnie (Alex Cole, 79), Tim Nixon (Ben Shaw, 90+5), Jack Bray-Evans, Louis Price.

Peppermints’ man-of-the-match: Ross Fallens.