Something of a familiar pattern is beginning to emerge at The Cobblers’ home fixtures; start brightly, take the game to the opposition, create chances but don’t take them then let the game slip after halftime (eg the recent defeat to Portishead). Had you written that script before tonight’s game you would have seen it come to life in this Somerset Premier Cup quarter-final tie as Street failed to capitalise on their first-half dominance against a side currently ranked as joint-favourites for promotion.

Despite the absence of a couple of regular starters Street had much the better of the first half and should have gone in at the break at least one up with Archie Heywood unfortunately putting a free header over the bar from six yards out. A couple of other promising attacks came to nothing with the final ball going astray but the visitors hadn’t threatened much so there was all to play for as the teams emerged for the second half. The game was then effectively decided in a six-minute period from the 65 th in which three identically-scrambled goals were scored, the first and third by Clevedon and the second by Jakob Dickens, bundling the ball home from a corner.

With Street chasing another equaliser they were more open at the back and were eventually caught on the break with ten minutes to go as Clevedon made the game safe with their third bringing it to a disappointing conclusion from a Street perspective even if the result followed the formbook.

By Antony Randle