Ultimately this was a comfortable looking score line for the Seasiders Under 18s, after an explosive start, but in reality, it was a hard-fought game against a battling Winscombe side, and it took two late goals in added time to seal the victory.

Clevedon took the lead with their first attack in the second minute when an early ball into the box fell to Kayden Howarth who smashed the ball into the roof of the net for his fifth goal of the season. Winscombe recovered from the shock and a strong run down the middle by Ted Palmer ended with a well-timed Josh Pike tackle.

Clevedon began to dominate playing up the slope and two strong runs on the left from Sol Kent and Reuben Gager ended with corners. A miskick by the Winscombe defence presented a chance for Harrison Campbell and then Charlie Thornton shot wide after a Gager pull back.

Winscombe keeper Mitch Morton was then in action to smother Gager’s shot from a Henry Westlake pass, but the keeper was unable to hold a Howarth shot and the ball was cleared before Moreton denied Gager again on the edge of the area. The keeper then produced a great reaction save with his legs to divert another Howarth shot round the post and the half time score remained Winscombe 0 Clevedon Town 1.

There was another brisk start to the second period with Clevedon increasing their lead on 54 minutes. A long clearance fell to Gager in the clear to shoot past Moreton, only for Winscombe to pull a goal back straight from the restart, when a strong run down the right by Palmer saw his ball in hit the far post and rebound into the net.

With both sides making changes, the game became more of a stop start affair with neither side able to dominate. Moreton saved from Clevedon substitute Omar Alrawi after he was put through by Kent and Gager continued to look lively and fashioned a half chance for Alrawi and then saw his ball in sliced away for a corner.

Clevedon were unlucky on 81 minutes when Campbell hit the post from Gager’s pass and then Campbell could only shoot straight at Moreton from a corner. Clevedon at last found a breakthrough right at the end of normal time when more good work from Gager set up Alrawi to slip the ball past Moreton to put Clevedon 3-1 ahead.

With nothing to lose Winscombe pushed forward in added time and inevitably left gaps at the back, which presented another opportunity for Alrawi which he put past the post, before Westlake’s pinpoint pass into the area set up substitute Riley Griffiths to smash the ball joyfully into the net for a final score of Winscombe Under 18s 1 Clevedon Town Under 18s 4.

Clevedon Town Under 18s Line-up:

1. Josh Jenkins
2. Orion Carter
3. Sol Kent
4. Adam Hodgetts
5. Josh Pike
6. Stan Irving (c)
7. Harrison Campbell
8. Charlie Thornton
9. Kayden Howarth - Goal on 2 minutes
10. Henry Westlake
11. Reuben Gager - Goal on 54 minutes

12. Kian Coumbe replaced Josh Pike on 46 minutes
14. Riley Griffiths replaced Charlie Thornton on 75 minutes - Goal on 90+2 minutes
15. Harry Blackburn
16. Omar Alrawi replaced Kayden Howarth on 60 minutes - Goal on 90 minutes
17. Jack Burdge replaced Orion Carter on 64 minutes.