Frome Town crowned a successful Southern League ground inspection in the morning with an excellent 3-0 victory in the evening over a committed Street side, in a match that was full of good football from both sides.
With the AlderSmith Stadium now passed for Southern League football by the FA, if the Club finish in the top two of the league and above Dawlish, then promotion will be automatic, so the players and playing staff now know that the future is in their hands, and they certainly responded to the challenge in this game.
With recent signing Gavin Eyre starting in midfield and Matt Cowler retaining his place at right back after his return from injury, Andy Crabtree started with Sim Allison up front alongside Mark Salter, and utilised Ian Kennedy's ball winning skills alongside Leigh Burke in midfield.
On an excellent surface in perfect weather conditions, the match started in at a lively pace, and Frome were first to show as a long Cowler throw in was met by the head of Cheeseman bring a comfortable save from Webb in the visitor's goal.
An 11th minute Missiato corner was the first of three Frome corners in quick succession, and they took the lead from the third one as a Eyre produced a perfectly flighted ball that was powered home by the head of Mark Salter in the 13th minute. (Co-incidentally, Salter had also scored the winner with a header in the 13th minute in the Street in the encounter earlier in the season.) Frome again went close in the 15th minute as Eyre caused problems on the right wing before finding Salter in space, but the shot went several feet wide of the far post from a tight angle.
The Frome midfield and forwards were now playing the game mainly in the Street half, with a very fluid formation, intelligent running off the ball when in possession, and closing Street down very quickly when they lost possession.
It was good to watch, and a second goal almost arrived in the 20th minute as Kennedy found Allison on the left wing, and a good quick run and pass resulted in a Lapham shot the far post from 20 yards.
However Street showed why they have been having a good season, and although they were under pressure for much of the first half, their defence did well and ensured that Frome chances were few and far between for the rest of the first half.
Cowler's long throw again caused problems in the Street defence in the 50th minute as Cheeseman's header found Salter, bringing a save from Webb, and Harvey went close in the 53rd minute as he just failed to make contact with a diving header from a right wing corner.
However, after getting through the first few minutes, Street seemed to find their feet, and the second half was a much more even affair, with both sides playing good attacking football, resulting in an "end to end" match, but strangely few chances as both keepers proved adept at marshalling their defences and being in the right place at the right time.
As the match wore on, it looked as if Frome would come away with the victory, but there were nagging doubts that Street might snatch an equaliser in the closing minutes, however the result was sealed in the 86th minute as Salter was pulled back by a defender as he ran into the box, and Lapham stepped up for the direct free kick to produce a superb, curling right foot shot into the far top corner of the goal from 22yds.
The third goal came in the 91st minute as Allison attacked the dead ball line on the left wing, found space between two defenders, looked up and produced a perfect chip to the far post that Salter powerfully headed home from 5 yards for an excellent goal to round the evening off.
Simeon Allison was awarded the Man of the Match award by Clive Lewis who sponsored the match.
Frome Team: Fey, Missiato, Cowler (85 Bryant), Harvey, Cheeseman, Burke, Lapham, Kennedy (67 Calake), Salter, Allison, Eyre (79 Rawlins) Street Team: Webb, Cox, Walby, Clifford Jones, Higgins, Lambert, Sheard, Davey, Brisgrove, Palmer, Pople, Subs: Milner, Bellinger, Cushing Referee: A Matthews, Assts: R Hulme, A Fricker
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