Recap
Report
The Peacocks secured a deserved point against play-off hopefuls Aveley after they recovered twice from falling behind. An uninspiring first 45 minutes had seen little to enthuse from either side until the contest suddenly woke up with all the goals coming in the final quarter.
Skipper Nick Grimes failed a fitness test, leading to a reshuffle with Callum Dolman stepping into midfield, the only change from the midweek defeat against Weymouth. And it was the hosts who had the better of the early exchanges, with Zac Bell powering in from the right to go down in the box but no penalty given, and then Ollie Chamberlain bursting down the opposite flank without managing to pick out a teammate with his cross.
That set the stall for most of a fragmented first half, with several promising openings breaking down with the final ball while Aveley similarly probed around the Town area but failed to create a real opportunity. Those that did intermittently pop up were heavily weighted in favour of the hosts. Zac Smith’s cross was intercepted by an Aveley leg to prevent Ross Stearn from capitalising, with Smith’s follow-up cross blocked for a corner. The crowd briefly came to life when cheering a booking for the Millers’ bench, but it took until the 38th minute for the initial effort on target, Chamberlain’s shot proving a routine hold for keeper Jonathan North. Dan Ball also fired a strike over after North had made a hash of dealing with a Lloyd James’ corner but little else to say on a forgettable first half.
Events continued in the same mould after the interval, with neither team manufacturing a clear chance. Chamberlain sliced an effort well wide following a James corner before the game was interrupted by two bouts of handbags. Nat Jarvis and Siju Odelusi squared up and were cautioned as a result and another flashpoint in the Taunton box ignited by Dan Ball’s challenge on Jason Ring produced two further yellows.
These two incidents seemed to act as a catalyst because when love and peace had been restored the game finally sparked to life. Ring’s drive was clutched on the line by Town keeper Dan Lavercombe after a free kick had been cleared while two Aveley defenders were caught out by a high ball, presenting Jarvis with a sight of glory and his half volley wasn’t far off as it scorched just wide. Rabby Tabu Minzamba latched onto a loose ball to curl a snapshot over the top, with the first Town change happening soon after when Evander Grubb replaced Stearn.
A hectic ten minute spell then saw fortunes swing twice in the visitors’ favour, only for the Peacocks to quickly restore parity on both occasions. The stalemate was broken after 71 minutes when Ring followed up on his cleared long throw to deliver a towering header across the box and Manny Ogunrinde was on hand to steer home at the back stick. There was no time for heads to drop as Town were back level two minutes later, James’ corner from the left being met by a strong header from the impressive Minzamba who claimed his first goal in claret and blue. A slack pass from James then led to Razzaq Coleman De-Graft sprinting down the pitch to be halted by Bell’s challenge. Referee Jackson pointed to the spot and Odelusi, who had netted a hat trick in the earlier fixture, fired home into the bottom corner on 78 minutes. Advantage Aveley again.
Marley Rose replaced Jarvis and his impact was immediate, although not quite how he might have intended. His mishit shot reached Smith on the left and the chip into the box found Chamberlain whose header may or may not have gone in until Millers’ captain Harry Gibbs gave it a helping hand (or foot) by flicking beyond the stranded North with eleven minutes remaining.
The sudden goal frenzy had finished though and the rest of the game saw neither side able to clinch a winner. Seven minutes of stoppage witnessed a Town break, with Smith trying to reach Grubb but North claimed the cross while one last foray from Aveley was snuffed out. A respectable point and an industrious battling performance from the Peacocks but it’s wins that are needed to dispel any thoughts of the ‘R’ word, and with three of the four sides beneath them gaining victories to close the gap, there is still hard work to be done.
Line-Ups
Taunton: Dan Lavercombe, Zac Bell, Dan Ball, Ollie Chamberlain, Lloyd James, Nat Jarvis (Marley Rose 78), Rabby Tabu Minzamba, Ross Stearn (Evander Grubb 69), Zac Smith, Cameron Evans, Callum Dolman. Unused subs: Marcus Day, Louie Slough
Aveley: Jonathan North, Jason Ring, Eduino Vaz, Siju Odelusi, Jalen Jones, Harry Gibbs (captain), Manny Ogunrinde, Ikechi Eze, Joe Gbode (Charlee Hughes 63), Arjanit Krasniqi (Garrett Kelly 55), Razzaq Coleman De-Graft. Unused subs: Chris Regis, Nana Kyei, Dougie Yates
Officials
Referee: Matthew Jackson (Sutton-in-Ashfield)
Referee’s Assistant 1: Cain Collins (Melksham)
Referee’s Assistant 2: Oliver Kaya (Wokingham)
Attendance
766
Reaction
“I thought the heart and the desire today was absolutely magnificent, we showed things today that will see us through…….” watch Rob Dray’s match reaction on Peacocks TV HERE
Highlights
Match highlights can be seen on Peacocks TV HERE
Photos
Match photos from Club Photographers Darren Harris can be viewed HERE and Debbie Gould HERE
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance MOM
Rabby Tabu Minzamba receives the Taunton Town Man Of The Match award from club steward Martin Bamforth
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Bishops Lydeard Under 12s