I had contemplated giving up and heading home but I thought that with a bit of luck there wouldn't have been any goals. When I drove up to the gate I asked what the score was (as the pitch was in view from the carpark) and the chap was about to answer when he said "hang on". I looked to my left and saw the ball up in the air by the goalmouth, followed by the players heading back to the centre circle. "That's 1.1" he said, "Dawlish have just equalised". The curses I was saying in my head shall remain there!
From the match report I read in the Non League paper, Welton scored after 2 minutes and had some good chances to extend the lead before Dawlish equalised. So having kind of seen the second goal I was anxious to see at least one more before the end of the game. It looked like my wait might not be too long as Welton put a shot just wide of the keeper in the 14th minute but as time went on I started to worry. Welton had another shot straight at the keeper after half an hour but both teams didn't really create any decent chances for the rest of the half.
During the interval I had a read of the programme that one of the gatemen had kindly offered me after I explained that they had sold out at the main gate. The ground was in a nice setting with the Somerset hills in the background although I was surprised to see a slag heap to the left. I hadn't realised that this was an old mining area. The ground had a distinct slope and the main stand was rather dilapidated - half of it was crumbling and the other half looked like it hadn't been maintained for many years.
In the second half both teams hit the woodwork on more than one occasion. In the 49th minute Welton took a shot from the edge of the box that rebounded out of the edge of the post with the keeper beaten. There were a number of heavy sliding tackles that pleased the home supporters when it was their players making them. When the players from Dawlish (who didn't possess the "balls of steel" referred to by one local) produced the same type of tackle the supporters were baying for blood.
There was a rare Dawlish attack in the 70th minute that seemed to be going nowhere. The ball had been played into the box but the player was surrounded by 3 Welton players who were protecting their goal. One of them jumped in to make a tackle but only succeeded in bring the Dawlish player to the ground. The referee awarded a penalty which was converted to my delight as I had started to worry that there wouldn't be any goals in the second half.
Welton continued to dominate play and made some good chances to score. In the 75th minute they put a header just wide from a corner and five minutes later managed to hit a corner over the keeper's head and onto the top of the crossbar. Dawlish had almost scored again between those chances when a Welton defender had slipped, allowing Dawlish in for a one on one against the keeper. The player got a shot away but the ball hit the post and went out for a goalkick.
The game was now flowing from end to end. In the 80th minute the Dawlish keeper ran out of his area to clear the ball and hit it short - Welton regained possession but put the shot wide as the keeper scrambled back. Three minutes later and Dawlish were unlucky not to extend their lead. A shot hit the crossbar and bounced down, hitting the body of the diving keeper. Luckily for Welton it was not enough for the ball to roll back across the line and they managed to clear it.
In the last minute Welton earnt another corner. The ball was hit deep and headed back into the centre, where a Welton player headed the cross against the crossbar and another player headed the rebound onto the bar again. The ball bounced back to the first player who chose to shoot but he couldn't get the ball past the bodies on the line. The referee blew the final whistle and the locals decided it was their turn to hit the bar. I wandered back to the car and planned a route home to avoid any carnival traffic!
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