Somerset Trojans 2

Flanagan’s Onions 1

Somerset Trojans kept their Premier Division title hopes alive with a nervy win over Flanagan’s Onions last night.

Trojans scored twice in the final ten minutes to rescue a game that appeared to be beyond them for much of the evening, going top of the table in the process.

Leo Burgess dragged his side level from the penalty spot nine minutes from time, and Alton Trott completed the comeback three minutes later when he fired in from close range as the home side laid siege to the Onions goal.

Defeat was particularly tough on the visitors, who battled hard for much of the game and will look at their own penalty midway through the second half, which was saved by Shaquille Bean, as the turning point.

The Somerset goalkeeper was Trojans’ best player last night, and the only reason they were in a position to win at all. Bean made a string of fine saves in the first half to keep his team in the game, and was at his best again to save the penalty, when he dived well to his left to palm away Vincent Minors’ spot kick.

Flanagan’s were also left to rue a hamstring injury to Keston Lewis that forced the striker to limp off moments before half time. His absence, and the lack of a replacement up front meant that Flanagan’s were constantly on the back foot.

Lewis had already put his side ahead at that stage, running on to a Minors flick and while Bean did well to stop Lewis’ first effort, the follow-up crept under the goalkeeper and dribbled over the line.

With little more than 10 minutes gone, Trojans had plenty of time, and chances to get back into the game, but their lack of a real striker, and their constant indecisiveness going forward meant the space they did create was largely wasted. Burgess and Thaj Wade were two of the biggest culprits, but the entire team was guilty of overplaying.

The loss of Lewis ended Flanagan’s night as an attacking threat, and Somerset had it all their own way after the break and did everything but score. Stephen Gould, the Flanagan’s goalkeeper, made a good save to deny Jaz Ratteray-Smith, and Burgess should have scored but took too long on the ball inside the Onions area and the visitors hacked the ball clear.

Flanagan’s penalty, when it came, was entirely against the run of play, and Trevin Ming can count himself lucky that Bean came to his rescue after he had needlessly pulled back Nelson Bascome inside the area.

As the game drew to a close Somerset threw everything at the Onions goal, but still needed some help to finally break through. Martel Laws jumped into Ming at a corner, the Trojans player collapsed to the floor, and Anthony Francis, the referee, had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

From seeing their title hopes fading, Somerset were given a new lease of life and Flanagan’s helped them towards three vital points by charging up field from the restart looking to retake the lead. Not even Trojans could ignore the gaps that were left in the Onions defence, and Trott got the last touch as he and four of his team-mates queued up to finish a cross from the right.

The margin of victory might have been greater, but Gould denied Dion Stovell and Wade at the death as Flanagan’s desperately tried to salvage a point when for much of the game they looked like taking all three.