Hart proud despite Blazey's first league defeat of the season

ST BLAZEY’S unbeaten start to the season was brought to an end at the 13th time of asking on Saturday as they suffered a narrow defeat to new leaders Clevedon at The Hand Stadium.

In horrendous wet and windy conditions, Blazey fought back from conceding a fourth minute goal from Ben Griffith to equalise through winger Cam Hutchison just after half-time.

They then had opportunities to take the lead, but after being reduced to 10 men by a sin-bin for Kai Burrell in the 77th minute, they saw Clevedon substitute Nick McCootie grab an 84th minute winner.

It brought to an end a magnificent run of eight wins and four draws for the Green and Blacks since the season started in late July.

It was also sweet revenge for Clevedon, who had lost 3-2 at Blaise Park at the end of August.

Blazey boss Dan Hart said: “On reflection there is a huge sense of pride in the way that we responded to going behind early in the match.

“With everything baked in: from unavailability to the conditions and an improved opposition from the Clevedon team we faced in the early part of the season, that early goal and the way in which Clevedon started could’ve rocked us, but we responded solidly and as a team we dealt with that experience well.

“In the second half we were dangerous at times, Cam scored a lovely equaliser and for the next 10 minutes, that was probably our chance to go and win the game.

“Olly (Redd) fired just wide, and we probably missed being able to have the opportunity to bring on the likes of Harry Blows and Teigan Rosenquest into the game, both of whom weren’t available to us. These are fine margins.”

He went on: “Kai was sin-binned for something he said, I’m not sure there was anything there, and while I thought the referee was tremendous for the whole game, he may have jumped into that decision a little quickly.

“That 10-minute spell was well navigated until the goal, but it’s a learning human factor for sure, we have to be available to the group to perform, and we have to be more disciplined at times.

“Overall, though, we pushed them in every way possible and it was a good advert for the league in horrendous conditions.

“We’ll restart now and look forward to the FA Vase tie at Wantage next Saturday.”

Some Blazey followers decided not to travel in the dangerous conditions, while those who did endured nightmare journeys.

St Blazey vice-chairman Paul Bowden, a seasoned traveller with Blazey and Plymouth Argyle, wrote on social media: “Worst trip to and from football I’ve ever had. The roads were absolutely awful.”

On the face of it, it did seem strange that Blazey were asked to make the 280-mile round trip when storm warnings were still in place, while matches scheduled for Saltash and Newquay in the same division were postponed the day before to prevent Somerset side Street and Bristol-based Brislington from making similar journeys.

ST BLAZEY: Kyle Moore; Reece Shanley, Aaron Bentley, Jordan Bentley, Jack Calver (capt); Charlie Hambly, Sean Thomson, Tallan Mitchell; Olly Redd, Kai Burrell, Cam Hutchison. Subs: Will Tinsley, Ben Fowles, Todd Hanrahan, Mac Dewsnap (gk).

Blazey man-of-the-match: Jordan Bentley.