Cheddar’s late bid for the Toolstation Western League Division One play-offs all but came to a halt at Bowden’s Park on Easter Monday after a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Warminster Town.
With Warminster assured of a play-off place and Cheddar’s recent run of good form of seven games unbeaten, the match was rightly billed as a test of character for both teams.
But the home side’s task was made doubly difficult when centre-back Ryan Sandford was shown the red card on 13 minutes.
The talented youngster was adjudged to have committed a professional foul on Corey Gardner, as Town's striker attempted to win the ball.
It looked to be a harsh decision so early in the game, and against such formidable opposition many a team may well have crumbled.
But to their credit, Craig Mawford’s young charges withstood the artillery posed by the free scoring Wiltshire side incredibly well and on another day, there may have been an entirely different result.
Predictably, the visitors went ahead on 17 minutes, as Gardner – Warminster’s best player – threw caution to the wind, skipping past two Cheddar defenders and goalkeeper Kieran Webster.
For the second time in four minutes however the incident had a touch of controversy about it, as there appeared to be a foul on home centre-forward Nathaniel Groom seconds earlier.
However, the hosts hit back when Sam Beresford - untested at this level - eased past two Town defenders and unleashed an unstoppable effort that whistled past Sam Thomson to level on 19 minutes.
On 25 minutes, Gardner created a good opportunity for himself but although well positioned, his effort went over Webster’s crossbar.
Undeterred by their lesser numbers, and injury-hit team, Cheddar continued their resilience and Beresford was unlucky with a well struck shot on 38 minutes, aided exceptionally well by young midfield dynamo Ethan Reed, who has an incredible engine.
However, Gardner was always there or thereabouts, and his positional sense got him in front of his marker to hit an effort just over the woodwork from 16 yards.
Following a tense opening to the second half, the industrious Groom evaded three defenders before being upended just outside the 18-yard area, but the normally lethal Ricky Bennett’s free-kick was cleared.
Groom’s all-out effort was commendable as was his undying spirit and the young Cheddar striker was incredibly unlucky on 72 minutes, as his byline hugging run took him past three defenders and his shot on target was diverted off the line by full-back Bradon Humphrey.
Whether tiredness or a momentary lack of concentration, Cheddar conceded the first of two late goals on 82 minutes.
Martin Johnson's dangerous cross evaded everyone in the penalty area apart from Gardner, who swivelled in mid-air before arching forward to send a rising shot high into the net past Webster’s despairing grasp to put the visitors back in front.
On the stroke of full-time, Gardner evaded his marker inside the area and was brought down by Webster and Ian Jeffrey’s spot-kick was slammed into the back of the net with precision, sparking scenes of wild excitement on the Warminster bench as the Wiltshire side moved up to third position in the table.
Down but by means out, this was an incredibly brave and resilient performance by Cheddar who were undone by two mistakes at the back in a performance that matched, and occasionally bettered, the team with a full complement of players for prolonged periods.
Reaching the play-offs is still mathematically possible, but they will need to win their last two games. starting with Wells City on Saturday (April 23) and hope that fifth-placed Radstock Town [who lost at Wells on Easter Monday] achieve no more than a point from their last two games.
Cheddar’s Good Friday fixture at Bishops Lydeard saw the Cheesemen return with an impressive 1-0 victory over the Taunton-based side.
Kristian Bell got the winner on 50 minutes following an incisive through ball from man-of-the-match Ricky Bennett.
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