A huge sense of disappointment was the overriding feeling in the home changing room after this game, where Cheddar dropped more points and kept up their draw every other game record. Despite the feeling that many positive had been achieved during the game, it was a game that Cheddar controlled and should have been out of sight in, but once again dropped two points.

The fact that the home side once again took an opponent to the cleaners for much of the game was tempered by their inability to close out a game when it is, to all ends and purposes, a match that is won.

Cheddar had a couple of changes from their last game, the 6-4 win at Castle Cary, with Mike Kay and Rob Branch both out and a late cry off from defender Jim Hewlett. With the Reserves game being called off on Saturday morning Tim Richens was able to call up Jack Tinton as replacement and also to draft in for his first starting game the Reserves top scorer, Adam Jones.

Cheddar started brightly and were creating chances galore, as they always do, but these chances came and went with both strikers guilty of missing opportunities. They say that the sign of a good attacker is that he forgets his missed chances and then goes looking for more, this was certainly the case for Cheddar as Jones continued to hunt in and around the Mangotsfield bo.x On 20 minutes a perfect cross came in from Tom Manning on Cheddar’s left and with Paul Whittaker screaming for the ball to nod in from close range, Jones nipped in front of him and got the header past the visiting keeper.
Soon after it was two nil as Jones again got the ball in the box and turning sharply shot the ball low into the corner of the net giving the keeper no chance.

Cheddar continued to look threatening at every occasion and the Bristol side were no threat at all as Whittaker in particular looked awesome in his defending, well supported as ever by Skinner on the right and with Tinton and Dann also being composed in all they did. The missed chances came back to haunt Cheddar as a comical (to the visitors or neutrals, but not Cheddar themselves) goal for Mangotsfield got them back into a game in which they were clearly second best. Gary Dann had a free kick on the left about halfway and as he went to cross the ball into the Mangotsfield box, he slipped and the ball ended up with the visitor’s left wing on Cheddar’s right. This player ran at Paul Skinner but was held up, so he tried a speculative shot which Lawrence Jenkins parried wide of the goal but an alert Mangotsfield striker followed up to slot home to get them back in the match.

Half time came with the warning that the visitors would now come at Cheddar and to stay composed. This never happened and on 55 minutes Cheddar went 3-1 up as Jones scored his hat trick goal from close range following a corner. Casual visitors would have thought this was the game done and dusted but Tim Richens and Martyn Panes knew from this season’s experience that this was far from the case, Cheddar having given away several two goal leads already. However with Cheddar’s defenders seeming in control it was still hard to see where the goals were going to come from, but Cheddar seemed to die in the last 20 minutes again and Mangotsfield came on strong.
Sure enough with 25 minutes to go Cheddar lost a visiting striker and he slotted home past Jenkins and Jack Tinton’s despairing dive to set up a thrilling finish.

Cheddar made a couple of substitutions due to the pitch taking its toll on the fitness and also a worrying injury to Skinner. Whittaker continued to keep the visitors at bay with impressive reading of the game but even he was helpless for the Mangotsfield equaliser. A corner was given that was clearly a goal kick but the initial cross was dealt with by a brave challenge by the hard working Adam Kotas, his header clearing the Cheddar area but a shot came in from 30 yards that flew into the top corner, giving Jenkins no chance.

Despite their total domination of the first hour there was now only going to be one winner, the visitors and only one superb challenge from Whittaker stopped Cheddar losing a game that they should have won.

Cheddar now have a tough run of games coming up with Bridgwater and Cleeve the next opponents, there is still no doubting the ability in the side and they continue to run sides ragged in attack but they have to work hard on fitness and mental toughness to kill off games that they have in the bag or else a relegation struggle will be the end of season challenge.