Frome Town secured their place in the final of the Somerset cup with a composed and professional performance against local rivals Paulton Rovers at Winterfield Road.
Rex Mannings, Matt Wood and Elliott Dugan were all on the scoresheet for the Robins this evening, setting up a showdown against either Weston-super-Mare or Clevedon Town in the final.
The game may not have been as entertaining or dramatic as the 7-2 last season, but it was a measured and disciplined performance from Danny Greaves men that saw them over the line.
It also provided valuable game time for players who have struggled for minutes in recent weeks. A reshuffled group took to the field with Dugan and Curtis Hutson leading the attack, while Zak Drew returned from injury and completed over an hour on the pitch. There was a also a debut for Tom Richards but his night was cut short at half-time due to a broken nose.
The away side made a perfect start to the game, taking the lead in the 9th minute after a slick move between Dugan and Hutson allowed the former to slip Mannings through, who made no mistake with the finish.
However the hosts hit back almost instantly after Dan McBeam won a penalty, he took responsibility and made no mistake, sending Seb Tylek the wrong way from 12 yards.
But Frome wasted no time in restoring their lead, as in the 19th minute a corner found the head of Wood who planted his effort to restore his sides lead.
Just before the break, the Robins thought they had given themselves a two goal cushion when Ethan Vaughan’s effort was spilt by the keeper, a battle for the ball commenced with Drew eventually tapping home-only for the referee to blow for a free-kick.
The second-half saw the Rovers apply some early pressure at the start of the half, but Frome’s defence stood firm, limiting the hosts to half chances. The visitors eventually got on top and nearly extended their lead in the 63rd minute when Hutson skipped past a defender, only to fire his effort over the bar.
Ten minutes later however, Frome would finally grab a third, as a ricochet in the box fell kindly to Dugan who smashed home his first goal for the club, all but sealing Frome’s place in the final.
With the away supporters in full voice behind the goal, the Robins saw out the remainder of the game comfortably, marking their first Somerset Cup final appearance since 2014.
Reaching a final is a big achievement, but attention now swings back to the league, where Frome travel to Basingstoke, in what will be another tough and important fixture in our battle for survival.
Match report and live updates by Harrison Richards
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Steve & Zeb chat to Harrison Richards and John Hinde before and after the 1-0 win against Hanwell Town FC.
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