Town were edged out by the odd goal in a 5 goal thriller at Farnborough.
The game was played in warm sunshine on a lovely pitch which enabled both sides to play good football.
The game started somewhat scrappily, with Frome on the back foot while they tried to suss out the opposition without really coming under any danger. Although there was a scare in the 11th minute when Harry Baker went down injured and looked like he would be unable to continue, but thankfully he was ok after treatment.
Dan Demkiv was effective down the right side, linking up well with Connor Roberts, but unable to find the telling cross or shot as Frome came more into the game. In the 20th minute, Rickie Scott fired a shot over the crossbar, shortly followed by a beautiful crossfield move involving five Frome players, which was finally scrambled out for a corner.
There were further half chances for both sides, but the hosts took the lead in the 30th minute when the impressive Fernandes gave the Frome goalkeeper no chance, with a fierce low drive into the corner of the goal. The hosts had another shot blocked before Sam Teale rose to win the header from a corner, but his effort was cleared and the half ended 1-0.
TJ Davies replaced Kane Simpson at half time and Frome came out with a sense of urgency, forcing a series of corners and half chances, with an Ollie Knowles strike hitting the defensive wall and deflecting for a corner, and Baker shooting wide. On the 49th minute parity was restored as Marcus Mapstone rose to head home a Connor Roberts cross as he overlapped Demkiv on the right side – a pattern of play that was great to see and effective more than once in the game. The level-pegging only lasted 3 minutes however as Fernandes waltzed through the Frome defence to score his second in a super passage of play from Farnborough.
The game continued at a frantic pace, with both sides spurning chances and the hosts scored again in the 75th minute after a lovely spell of play, leaving Frome needing to go all-out attack.
TJ Davies was troubling the home defence, along with Demkiv, and Ryan Bath pulled one back on 79 minutes after good work by Davies down the right to set up a frantic finish. but despite giving everything they were unable to find an equaliser.
Once again this season Frome were left empty handed whilst perhaps feeling they deserved something out of the game. The margins are fine at this level but there is plenty to be encouraged about. They have a week off now to reorganize, before facing another new side in Walton Casuals at Badgers Hill on 29th September
Man of the match was Marcus Mapstone. Attendance 316
Gary Collinson
