Match report by Kev O'Brien

Shepton fully deserved to win their replay at Willand and progress to the next round of the FA Cup which will see them visit Portishead on Saturday 20th August.
Willand's Brett Worbey, who scored his side's goal at Shepton with a 20 yard free kick, missed the target with a similar chance after five minutes, but Shepton looked the better side up to the break, coming back with chances themselves for Tyson Pollard and a half chance for Cormac Pike. Worbey went close again just before the half hour mark with a harmless looking effort that nevertheless only went a foot wide, but five minutes later Shepton took the lead with a superbly placed header from James Billing , after he latched onto a well hit free kick into the danger area by Pollard. Pollard almost made it two in a minute with a 30 yard shot at an empty net, only for home keeper Mike Searle to recover and scramble back to collect the ball. The last chance of the half went to Willand's Jason Kennard, but after a decent run past two opponents, he blasted his angled shot well over the bar.
Willand pressed at the start of the second half, but Shepton's defence was so well martialled by Lewis Matthews and Ross McErlain in the middle, well supported by Pike and Dave Thorne, that keeper Jamie Rothwell was rarely troubled. A good Shepton move started by Craig Loxton and carried on by Pollard, set up a headed chance for Ash Willmott that forced Searle to tip over for a corner, before Willmott forced a second corner a minute later as Shepton chased a second goal. Both keepers made saves either side of the mid-point of the half, Searle's from the impressive Pollard, before Searle was forced into making another good stop from Willmott two minutes later. But with a quarter of an hour remaining, Shepton's positive play brought them a two goal cushion after Willmott latched onto a loose ball before unleashing an unstoppable angled shot that beat Searle all ends up and went in off the far post. Pollard almost netted a third before Willand's best move of the game saw Luke Alden set up substitute Jordan Ford, only for Ford to put a shot the wrong side of a post from only 8 yards. A frantic finish saw several more goal threats at either end, headers from Kai Fisher and Will Nichols, then a shot from Ryan Guppy in quick succession for Willand, before Shepton rounded off a splendid effort with chances for Charlie Bridges, Thorne and Loxton, before McErlain fired a free kick inches wide in stoppage time.
A great team performance that earned Lewis Matthews MoM honours from Billing and Loxton.

Team
1.J.Rothwell
2.D.Thorne....cautioned
3.C.Pike
4.L.Mathews
5.R.McErlain
6.C.Mooney
7.C.Peck
8.C.Loxton
9.J.Billing....scored one goal
10.T.Pollard
11.A.Willmott....scored one goal

subs used
C.Bridges
T.Pawley