DESPITE taking the lead in the 51st minute, Frome’s involvement in this season’s Somerset Premier Cup came to an end as Caelen Simpson equalised and then Ash Mcgrane popped up to score the winner in the first half of extra time.
Frome rested a couple of key players in this match, with Lewis Farquarson taking his place in goal for the first time and Lewis Graham (who had come on as a striker in the recent Paulton match) starting the match as centre-half alongside Chas Hemmings.
As the match started, Farquarson was brought immediately into action to save from a low header following an Odd Down free kick, but as the match settled, it seemed to be Frome that were starting to create the chances but the final accuracy was always left wanting.
With Ryan Bath heading an Ollie Knight cross wide, Darren Jefferies shooting over the bar, Jackson shooting wide after turning his marker, Bath putting several more shots wide and Chas Hemmings bringing a good save from the Odd Down keeper, accuracy was in short supply, and with Farquason again saving well just before half time, the scoreline of 0-0 wasn’t really a reflection on the game as a whole.
Farquarson was again on hand to tip a shot onto the post at the start of second half, but soon after one of the chances was made to count as a cross field pass to Darren Jefferies allowed him to feed Jackson, who turned and shot into the far corner of the goal, to give Frome a 1-0 lead.
With Harry Barnes replacing Jackson in the 56th, he quickly found himself in a “one-on-one” with the keeper who won the day as he made a good save, but then, after Jefferies had hit a shot inches over the bar and Odd Down had somehow missed a sitter from six yards, Odd Down equalised with a cross from the right and Caelen Simpson scored with a shot from just inside the area. The equaliser inspired the home side, but they couldn’t find the winner and with Frome substitute Sam Teale hitting the post just before the end, neither could Frome, and the match moved into extra time.
Odd Down took the lead in the 9th minute of extra time as a cross into the area was turned in by Ash Mcgrane, and despite Chas Hemmings bringing a great save from the home keeper towards the end, Frome failed to find the equaliser that would have led to penalties.
Reports; Colin Carpenter
