Frome Town 4-1 Burnham – Calor Southern Premier Division, Sat 19th April.

TOWN ran out 4-1 winners in a match which was closer than the scoreline might suggest, but clinical finishing made it a comfortable home win in the final analysis.

Frome went very close to taking the lead in their opening attack as Ben Thomson did everything right as he chased a through ball, rounded the keeper, then opened up his body to give himself a better angle to pass the ball into the far corner with his left foot, but the curl just failed to bring it inside the far post.

After a Ben Wood cross had just kissed the outside of the Burnham far post, Burnham took the lead in the 3rd minute with a bizarre goal, as Aaron Couch chased a long clearance from the heart of the defence. Darren Chitty had come out of his area and seemed to have plenty of time, but his clearance cannoned straight into Couch and the ball rolled gently into the unguarded net for the opening goal.

It could easily have been 2-0 a few moments later, but this time Chitty was the hero as he made a great left handed save to deny Nik Kemamba who had managed to completely evade the Frome defence and was clean through on goal.

Frome equalised in the 12th minute as Thomson won a freekick on the right and Jack Vallis rose to meet a Jon Vance free kick and produced a clinical header into the corner of the visitors goal from twelve yards out

Vallis could well have headed Frome into the lead after nineteen minutes, as he rose to meet a perfect inswing free kick from Ben Wood, but this time the header went just the wrong side of the post.

Burnham were making a game of this and Chitty had to make two saves around the half hour mark, the first to deny Kemanba with a comfortable save and the second to deny Couch who had twisted and turned inside Josh Ford and brought a really good save with a fierce shot at the near post.

With the score level at half time, Frome were a little slow to get going in the second half and Burnham applied pressure for much of the opening ten minutes without creating a clear cut chance, but the Frome started to get more of the ball and they took the lead in the 61st minute as a low left wing cross from Ben Wood saw Kris Miller fouled in the box as he went for the ball. The referee pointed to the spot and MIller coolly slotted away the penalty as he has done numerous times this season.

Miller went very close to increasing the lead in the 74th minute as he was put clean through on goal, with a fierce right foot shot bringing a good save from Adam Lawrence, but Miller was quickest to the rebound and his second effort just hit the base of the post and went to safety.

Frome made it 3-1 in the 79th minute as great run from Matt Smith took him past three defenders and he looked up and rolled the ball invitingly into the path of Thomson who slotted home easily from 6 yards out.

It was 4-1 three minutes later as Mark Cooper overlapped on the left and pulled the ball back for Ricky Hulbert to attempt an acrobatic volley, but he succeeded in setting  up Smith who scored with a right foot volley from the edge of the area.

Burnham hit the home crossbar in the 85th minute from a free kick, but the final move of the match saw good play from Rhys Baggridge and Hulbert on the right, and as the ball was pulled back perfectly for Miller, a fierce right foot shot brought an excellent save from Lawrence.

Kris Miller was awarded the “H&B Tyres Man of the Man Award” by match sponsors Sandstone Media for a another strong performance on the right of midfield.

Frome Scorers: Vallis (12), Miller (61p), Thomson (79), Smith (83). Burnham Scorers : Couch (3) Crowd: 242. Star Man: Kris Miller. Entertainment Value: 4