A pulsating contest saw Shepton hold potential League champions Mousehole to a 3-3 draw, to delay them taking top spot in the table and also ending their impressive 13 match winning league run.
Amazingly, all the goals came in the second period, but there was no lack of action in the first half either, Shepton having the edge in the opening 20 minutes despite missing four of their regular starters. Danny Constable and Josh Jenkins went close early on, and a splendid 25 yard drive from Braeden Symes after 10 minutes forced a fine save from Mousehole keeper Ollie Chenoweth. Soon after, a Callum Gould corner took a deflection before being headed off the visitors goal line, before Mousehole then started to threaten at the other end, particularly through Hayden Turner who brought the first save of the day from Tom Easterbrook midway through the half. Another Turner shot , appropriately on the half turn, just cleared the home crossbar, before he hit two dangerous crosses in from the left flank that saw Mark Goldsworthy and then Reece Thomson head just wide and just too high respectively. Gould fired Shepton’s next chance just wide after good work from Fin Haines and Jasper Jones, and then an audacious 45 yard free kick from Gould had Chenoweth scrambling to tip the ball over his bar. The last action of the half saw Easterbrook making an excellent save from a powerful Tallan Mitchell strike.
Five minutes into the second half, Shepton forced two corners in quick succession, both taken by Andy Martin, and Constable fired the second one past Chenoweth to put his side in front. Easterbrook cleared the ball to safety following a Mousehole free kick, but midway through the half he seemed to lose the flight of another free kick for the visitors in the bright sunlight, and the ball cannoned off the keeper to the feet of Mark Goldsworthy who netted from 6 yards. Five minutes later Shepton regained the lead when a Gould free kick saw the ball run loose, and Jenkins reacted quickest to fire home from 12 yards. This time the lead did not last very long as Mousehole made it 2-2 almost from the restart, as they forced a corner and Thomson snuck in at the far post to head in unmarked. With 5 minutes of normal time remaining, Mousehole substitute Josh Bassett raced clear, and broke through Martin’s attempted tackle, only to be denied by a brave dive at his feet and ball steal from Easterbrook who rushed from his goal line. Then apparent disaster struck in the last minute for Shepton as the referee awarded a penalty to Mousehole for a trip by Joel Sisson on Jack Calver, duly despatched by Turner to put his side in front for the first time. But having put up their best performance for some weeks Shepton’s spirit was not broken, and deep in stoppage time Gould beat his marker near the by-line and his cross found Martin, making his first start of the season and who stooped to plant a header from 8 yards past Chenoweth for a deserved equaliser, to end a marvellous game. The whole Shepton side played well, with Josh Jenkins taking MOM honours for his non-stop work from start to finish, though it could have been any one of half a dozen of their heroes on the day.
Thanks to match sponsors Edric and Caroline Hobbs.

Team
1. T. Easterbrook
2.J.Sisson….cautioned
3.C.Ball
4. M.Wood
5.A.Martin….scored one goal
6.C.Gould
7.F.Haines
8.B.Symes….cautioned
9.D.Constable….scored one goal
10.J.Jones
11.J.Jenkins….scored one goal
Subs used
K.Richardson….cautioned
A.Seviour
J.Sloggett

Attendance 338