The magnificent seven: Clevedon Town run riot in big win at Weston AFC
Clevedon Town trio, from left to right, Ernie Cooksley, Josh Morgan and Freddie King. - Credit: pitchero.com/clubs/clevedontown
Clevedon Town under-18s produced a fabulous attacking display by scoring five second-half goals to beat neighbours Weston AFC 7-2 on Tuesday.
However, Clevedon lost out on the league championship by a goal difference of only two goals to Bristol Manor Farm as both teams finished with 10 wins and two defeats on Tuesday.
But after their win against Farm in the Roger Stone Memorial Cup Final and with over half the side already making first-team appearances, it will go down as another great season for the young Seasiders.
Clevedon made a great start and were 2-0 up in just 11 minutes, and it was fully deserved.
Jack Burdge picked out Freddie King and he shot across keeper Tommy Skidmore to give Town the lead after 10 minutes.
A minute later it was two when Morgan latched onto a long ball and lobbed Skidmore as his defence appealed in vain for offside.
Clevedon could have increased their lead on 17 minutes when King’s free-kick, after Ernie Cooksley had been hauled down on the edge of the area, was saved by Skidmore.
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But a soft free-kick at the other end saw Weston pull one back when Callum Black’s shot took a heavy deflection off the Clevedon wall and wrong-footed goalkeeper Matty Gregory.
Clevedon were unlucky straight from the restart when King hit the outside of a post, while Tom Kemble headed a King free-kick over from close in, Skidmore saved from Cooksley and Oscar Collins deflected another King free-kick away for a corner.
It was a surprise when the next goal came from the home side as Town lost the ball in midfield and a quick through ball put Black in the clear and he beat the advancing Gregory to make it 2-2.
The action continued with a stooping header from another King free-kick going wide, before Gould was sent to the sin-bin, but Clevedon kept going forward with King and Josh Morgan both going close.
The final action of the half saw Gregory save from Collins as the half time score remained 2-2.
With King at the centre of everything Clevedon started the second period as they began the first. King cut in and shot just beyond the far post, then a long ball just eluded Ed Maule before Morgan side footed King’s corner just wide.
The pressure told after 59 minutes when King’s shot through a crowd of players made it 3-2 to Clevedon.
It was 4-2 after 70 minutes when King cut in from the left, won a crunching tackle with Black and substitute Jacob Grinnell’s shot took a deflection and looped over Skidmore into the back of the net.
Black was sin-binned for taking his protest too far and Clevedon took further advantage four minutes later when Kember headed King’s great corner in from close range for 5-2.
The irrepressible King was wide with a couple of other chances before Louis Potter flattened him just inside the box and the referee pointed to the spot.
King had to endure a twice-taken penalty when Skidmore saved his first effort but had strayed from the goal line and King made no mistake with his second.
Clevedon continued to press going into added time and a great passing move saw substitute Reuben Gager’s powerful shot pushed out by Skidmore and the alert King was on hand to follow up and score Clevedon's seventh.
