Thursday 16th April
Somerset Premier Cup Semi-Final
Bath City 1-3 Frome Town
Frome Town won 3-1 at Twerton Park over a youthful Bath City side to set up a final against Portishead Town in the Somerset Premier Cup.
The final will be on Tuesday night, 21st April, at the same venue – just as Frome Times goes to press.
The Dodge definitely started the game brightly and created a few decent opportunities in the early stages.
Sam Meakes had a chance after taking a touch inside the area following a cross in from the left by Zak Drew. However, Charlie Binns got down well to make the save and smother the danger for the Romans.
Kynan Murchison also had a snapshot from just inside the D which flew only narrowly over the crossbar.
Jensen Wakefield had an attempt as well from a header from a Brendan Holmes delivery. However the striker was off balance as his effort was wide.
The hosts then took an unexpected lead after 21 minutes following a free-kick conceded by Murchison, Sam Stirling netting with a really well hit strike which flew into the bottom right corner past Dan Brabham.
The Robins did not seem like they lost confidence after going a goal behind away from home though. And 15 minutes later, they would get a deserved equaliser after a long ball was played over the top of the Bath City backline. Meakes was there free in space and had plenty of time to stab home the equaliser past Binns to make it has 14th goal in all competitions as both sides went into the break level at 1-1.
The second-half started off very cagey until just after the hour mark when the visitors really started to pile on the pressure and create a lot of chances.
Wakefield had two very good chances to find the back of the net. The first of which came in the 63rd minute after he did well to find some space on the edge of the box and his strike from distance was very unfortunately just wide of the left post.
The second came just four minutes later following a cross to the back post from the substitute Albie Hopkins; Wakefield’s header was again just wide of the goal.
Holmes looked to also bend one into the top right corner from long range but saw his effort high and wide over the crossbar.
David Duru also had a couple excellent chances to put Danny Greaves’ side in the lead. One in the 68th minute from a Sam Heal cross and his header from point blank range was headed down into the turf and over the bar.
And then three minutes later Duru received a pass from Harry Lucas and Binns did brilliantly to get fingertips to his effort as it looked like it was nestling in the far-left corner from the right side of the penalty area.
With ten minutes of the 90 to go though, the Dodge finally found their deserved lead. Duru struck the ball quickly inside the D and it forced Binns to parry it into the path of the eager Wakefield who rushed on to the rebound and tapped home. A goal very much deserved for both Frome Town and Wakefield.
Five minutes later, the Robins made a substitution that saw incredible appreciation from the travelling fans as Jon Davies made his return to the pitch for the first time in 18 months following an ACL injury.
It did not take long for him to get involved as on 86 minutes he played the ball down the left channel to Sam Heal. The number three would play a cross into the box and Hopkins was left unmarked to tap home and seal the tie in front of the travelling Dodge faithful.
Frome Town had booked themselves into the final of the Francis Hillier Somerset Premier Cup for the second season running where they will play Portishead Town on Tuesday night, just as Frome Times goes to press.
Report: Harry Minton
Photo: Thomas Groves.
