Recap

Report

The Peacocks steadied the ship after two drubbings on the road to claim a point against their Berkshire visitors. The result was about right, with neither side doing quite enough to warrant victory after Tom Smith’s opener for Taunton was cancelled out by Bracknell’s second half equaliser.

The hosts made four changes to their starting line-up from the Gosport game, with new keeper Josh Gould making his debut while Tom Purrington, Morgan Lewis and Jay Makshanskyj all came in for Aysa Corrick, the departed David Duru and the ill Eddie Jones. The opening half hour reflected the drab grey afternoon with little to excite the 703 crowd and although both sides had spells as play flowed from end to end, no real chances were created. Taunton’s first corner after eight minutes led to Jayden Nielsen’s shot hitting a defender to generate ignored appeals for handball and Max Herbert’s cross into the box for the visitors was glanced comfortably wide as the threat from both teams remained innocuous with too many passes going astray.

The Peacocks finally began to find their flow towards the end of the first period, breaking from a Bracknell free kick via Nielsen and Alfie Moulden down the left but Smith’s assist was planted over the bar by Jack Matthews. Robins’ keeper Michael Eacott was then called upon to make his first saves of the afternoon, Purrington finding Malshanskyj whose precise strike was parried and Moulden’s follow-up blocked from tight on the post.

A trio of corners were won as the game entered first half stoppage time, Malshanskyj’s attempt kept out by Eacott and Jake Hodgson’s follow-up deflected over from the second corner, before a route one delivery led to the Peacocks breaking the deadlock two minutes into added time. Gould’s long punt downfield was flicked on by Toby Down and fell perfectly for the unmarked Smith to slot across Eacott into the bottom corner. Vehement protestations from the Bracknell bench that the goal was offside had to be managed by referee Scriven, but it counted (and looking at the highlights justifiably so) and Town were ahead going into the interval.

Taunton remained on the front foot when play resumed attacking the Town end, Matthews’ cleared cross recycled by Purrington to Moulden whose strike from just outside the box flew narrowly wide while Purrington had another sight of the target but blazed over the top. Bracknell meanwhile were having a decent amount of possession but not unduly menacing the scoreline, Herbert’s free kick being curled over the bar after substitute Remy Coddington’s run had been illegally curtailed.

Former Yeovil player and new signing Josh Owers replaced Nielsen after 66 minutes to make his Peacocks’ debut but two minutes later the Robins were level. Ollie Woodhouse uncharacteristically lost possession in midfield, allowing Bracknell to break through Jake Scrimshaw who fed the lively Coddington alongside him to curve a looped finish from 18 yards beyond Gould into the top corner.

This goal out of the blue knocked Taunton off their stride and for a time they lapsed into ‘Gosport’ mode when they looked at sixes and sevens. Joel Rollinson’s angled shot took a deflection past the far post for a corner and a move down the right saw Coddington square to Scrimshaw whose effort rolled inches wide of the far post. With 12 minutes remaining the Peacocks made a trio of swaps, but it was Bracknell who again came close when a ball over the top found Scrimshaw and Gould was forced into a low diving save to push the shot away.

The closing minutes swung back in Taunton’s favour as they tried to snaffle a winner. Down headed wide from Owen Brain’s corner before eight minutes of stoppage time produced a late surge, with Eacott blocking Brain’s shot from the right and then Smith agonizingly just failing to get a touch on a Morgan Lewis cross from the left. With a sharper edge the Peacocks might have won this game, but it was important not to lose after two poor results. Onwards to Walton-on-Thames on Tuesday evening.

Line-Ups

Taunton: Josh Gould, Ollie Woodhouse, Toby Down, Tom Purrington (Aysa Corrick 78), Tom Smith (captain), Jake Hodgson, Alfie Moulden, Jack Matthews (Opi Edwards 78), Jayden Nielsen (Josh Owers 67), Jay Malshanskyj (Owen Brain 78), Morgan Lewis. Unused sub: Will Merrett

Bracknell: Michael Eacott (captain), Ethan Burden, George Knight, Max Herbert, Darryl Harrison, Jahiem Dotse (Remy Coddington 61), Anthony Cheshire, Joel Rollinson, Jack Matton, Sam Ashton (Ben Purcell 87), Jake Scrimshaw. Unused subs: Ethan Mosdell, Jack Viera, Denzel Abia

Officials

Referee: Craig Scriven (Highbridge)
Referee’s Assistant 1: David Middleton (Watchet)
Referee’s Assistant 2: David Lilly (Somerton)

Attendance

703

Reaction

“On reflection we probably slightly edged it but maybe not enough to win the game………” watch the reaction of manager Richard Luffman on Peacocks TV HERE

Highlights

Match highlights can be seen on Peacocks TV HERE

Photos

Match photos from club photographer Debbie Gould can be viewed HERE

Taunton Town MOM

Jake Hodgson receives the Taunton Town Man Of The Match award from Club Director Richard Smith

Many Thanks To Our Match Mascots 

Tone Youth Under 11’s