Weston bowed out of the Men’s Somerset Premier Cup 2-1 to Frome Town following two late goals inside the final 10 minutes.
Frome had a couple of early chances when James Ollis volleyed Callum Evans’ cross over the bar from just inside the box, before Ollis turned a shot wide at the near post from George Rigg’s corner. Lloyd Humphries had Weston’s first shot from 18 yards, the effort trickling wide of the target.
Lucas Vowles had the first clear opportunity of the night when he took down Humphries’ pass on his chest to run in behind 1-on-1, but his dink over Seth Locke was blocked by the onrushing keeper. Luke Purnell reacted sharply to hold Kane Simpson’s attempt from Evans’ cross, and six minutes later Frome came closest to breaking the deadlock when Simpson raced onto a knock forward and rounded Purnell, his shot from an angle cleared off the line by a sliding Nick McCootie, playing out of position at centre-back.
Sonny Cox had his first chance of the night when a well-worked move saw the ball moved out to Jay Murray on the right, his first-time cross being turned wide of the far post by the No.9. Humphries then had a shot go wide from 25 yards.
Weston broke the deadlock six minutes before half-time when they nicked the ball off Frome inside Weston’s half. Working the ball into the front three at speed and with Frome in transition, Ben Griffith rolled a pass into Alfie Moulden sprinting through the middle. Cutting back onto his stronger left foot, the No.7 bent his shot around the diving arm of Locke to put the cup holders in front.
Griffith couldn’t get enough contact with his head as he stretched to meet a Vowles cross, Locke holding the attempt. Vowles then had an attempt from outside the area, his shot swerving wide of the goal before Rex Mannings failed to convert from six yards out after Ollis’ deflected shot had rolled into his path.
Into the second half, Humphries had the first attempt when his swerving free-kick was tipped over the bar by Locke with Vowles then heading Moulden’s resultant corner wide. Purnell then had to be alert to deny Joe O’Loughlin at the back post after the left-back had arrived unmarked to meet Mannings’ cross.
Ollis curled over from 25 yards as Frome looked for a way back into the game, before Purnell was forced into action again to tip Simpson’s effort wide for a corner after the forward had turned inside the area from a throw-in. Once Weston had cleared the corner, Vowles got away down the right and his resulting cross was headed wide by Cox at the far post.
Ollis’ shot went wide of the post after he had skipped inside McCootie, with Weston substitute Sahr Nanoh blazing wide of the target down the other end with his first touch of the ball.
Frome got themselves level however when a backpass from near the halfway line was underhit, allowing Ollie to race in and round Purnell, managing to roll his shot past the diving keeper and over the line from the edge of the area.
Weston had a chance to get back ahead five minutes from time when Moulden’s cross caused a scramble inside the area, Vowles, Griffith and Nanoh all being unable to turn the ball into the net before Frome could clear.
Their missed chances would be made to pay a minute before the end when McCootie’s underhit backpass to Purnell was pounced upon by Simpson, and he rolled the pass across to Mannings who could finish the tie off by rolling the ball over the line from 12 yards as Frome became the first side to beat Weston in the Men’s Somerset Premier Cup since May 2017.
FT: Weston 1-2 Frome (Moulden 39 – Ollis 81, Mannings 89)
Weston XI: Purnell, Murray, Kempster (Javier Blazquez 72), Humphries (C), Pope, McCootie, Moulden, Bastin, Cox (Sahr Nanoh 78), Vowles, Griffith. Unused substitutes: Turner, Harris, Ignacio Blazquez.
MOTM: Alfie Moulden.