BEAMINSTER FOOTBALL: Donovan strike snatches a point

What the odds are of a side scoring in such a situation in consecutive games must be long, but having won a short corner for feet, the umpires signalled time; the rules allow for the short corner to be taken, but once cleared out of the D the game is over.

Beaminster had got themselves back into the game with a well worked short corner routine that resulted in Jackie Gape scoring, and repeated the move in an effort to salvage a draw.

Emma Davies’ injection was stopped by Gape who slipped the ball sideways to skipper Jenny Clarke. She returned the ball to Gape who jinked past a player, but when her shot was charged down by the keeper and a defender the chance appeared to be gone. But the ball fell kindly to Ruth Donovan who nudged it over the line.

This was a strange match with Beaminster scoring early against a Yeovil 2nds side occupying second spot at the start of the day. However they appeared to lack vision and looked lethargic until the final 25 minutes of the match when they came back from 3-1 down to share the spoils.

Beaminster got off to a cracking start with Megan Tuck scoring an excellent goal after just four minutes. Ali White’s long ball out of defence set Tuck clear of the Yeovil back line, and after pushing the ball beyond the keeper appeared to have lost her opportunity, but her speed and long reach was just enough to turn the ball in from an acute angle.

The goal seemed to spur Yeovil more than Beaminster, and the visitors took control. It was no surprise therefore when they equalised on 15 minutes when they caught the home defence off guard following a quick free hit.

Regardless of the situation, you can rarely fault Beaminster for enthusiasm and endeavour, but they appeared rather lacklustre all over the pitch for a time on Saturday, and Yeovil took advantage.

They dominated the rest of the half although the hosts should have taken the lead on 21 minutes when Davies found Tuck with a superb ball down the right. She took the ball to the bye line before cutting it back across goal but unfortunately Lucy Timbrill failed to connect cleanly at the far post with the goal at her mercy and the chance was missed.

Yeovil’s pressure finally told two minutes before the break when Taryn Critchard mis-controlled a ball in the D and a visiting forward slipped the ball wide of keeper Rachel Andrews.

They increased their advantage eight minutes after the interval following a short corner that was confidently driven home. At this point Beaminster looked dead and buried.

However two minutes later they were buoyed by a move involving Davies and Gape that saw Tuck’s flick just clear the far post.

Beaminster finally found their form and three minutes later Gape scored the first of their short corner goals with a perfect routine. Confident and aggressive they pounded the Yeovil goal but it looked like they would go home empty handed until the last dramatic moments.

White and Clarke were strong in defence with Davies always looking to support and run in midfield. Gape had a quiet first half but was back to her best in the final 25 minutes and help tip the game back Beaminster’s way, whilst Tuck’s strength and speed up front worried an experienced Yeovil defence that lacked pace.

On the balance of play Beaminster just about deserved a point.

 .ff