Portishead Town 0 Frome Town 0

By Matt Gillett / 21st October

It was spoils shared as Portishead Town went toe to toe with a very strong Frome Town side. A point apiece represented a fair outcome after this fiercely contested 0-0 draw.

Portishead, once again unchanged, made a quick start with balls out to either wing, stretching Frome. Jayden Nielsen wide right and Jay Murray on the left threatened with their pace and skill. After a 5th minute foul on Nielsen, Mitch Osmond rattled the woodwork with a glorious free-kick over the Frome wall. Jamie Adams forays down the right were another key feature of Posset’s high tempo game, fellow full back Aron Robbins also happy to get forward on the opposite side. Tom Llewellyn again was involved all over the pitch, winning possession and using the ball effectively.

Jack Davidson

With Portishead’s early dominance it was the 14th minute before the home keeper Ryan Thacker was called into action, tipping over a dangerous right wing cross. On 28 minutes Frome had the ball in the net but the referee had already blown after an attacker collided with Thacker. Unfortunately,the injury Thacker sustained required Fin Croft to replace him just a couple of minutes later. Croft went on to give an assured performance, dealing with everything that came his way.

In the 35th minute from Osmond’s cross Ethan Feltham headed just wide at the far post. Then as the half closed first Ollie Woodhouse and Adams made perfectly timed tackles to keep the visitors out. Frome asserted themselves as the second period opened and it took another stunning Woodhouse interception to clear for a corner. Sean Keet, the clear victor in his battle with Frome’s dangerous Archie Ferris, also made a vital 54th minute clearance as Portishead’s defence stood firm.

Posset began to wrest back control around the hour mark as Kyle Egan was involved in several good moves on the right. From his cross after 73 minutes Feltham, non-stop and always a threat, saw another header go wide. Both teams continued to strain every sinew looking for the breakthrough. If the pace dropped at all as the game went on it could only have been from blistering to relentless.

While Frome remained dangerous coming forward, their keeper Kyle Phillips had to deal with a number of threatening balls into his penalty area. Portishead introduced Jack Thorne and Lucas Vowles to the attack as they looked for the win. In the 93rd minute it was Phillips clawing away Woodhouse’s header from Egan’s free kick as Posset almost snatched it at the death.

A riveting encounter with much to admire, and if defences ultimately came out on top it certainly wasn’t for the want of trying.