Williams the standout as City come from behind to settle for a point
Gloucester City had to settle for a point having come from 2-0 down at the TigerTurf Stadium, despite a Man of the Match performance from Ed Williams.
Two poor goals to concede had City trailing Taunton at the break for the second time this season, but just like the opening weekend of the season, Mike Cook’s side took a share of the points – with Brandon Smalley’s brace either side of the break earning the hosts a point.
But after a dominant second half, City just didn’t have the quality needed to find the all-important fifth goal of the afternoon and had to make do with salvaging a draw – despite the fact it should have been more.
Harry Emmett’s early effort was saved well by Taunton keeper, Josh Gould, before former City man Owen Brain whipped in a corner that nearly went straight in – but Tom Smith was deemed to have got the final touch on the line.
Gould was called into action on a number of occasions in the first half, beating away Williams’ effort and one from Kev Dawson.
The hosts were punished for sloppy play in their own third on the half an hour mark, when Jack Rice-Lethaby was slipped in and duly fired into the top corner.
The game felt like it would be out of sight moments later, as Brain was allowed to take the ball down, turn and get a shot off in the box – but his effort crashed off the post and the hosts were just about in it.
Williams stung the palms of Gould for the second time in the half, before the resulting corner was bulleted home by a Brandon Smalley header.
Following the restart, City took the initiative and control of the contest, with Williams looking lively – although his final pass was finding his teammates on their heels on more than one occasion.
Williams curled straight at Gould just before the hour mark, before his cross from the right was allowed to bounce through the Taunton box and Smalley was on hand to tap home with 18 minutes left of normal time.
There was only one side looking likely to win it from there, with substitute Stanley Anaebonam injecting a bit of pace into City’s attack, and his deflected effort produced a stunning fingertip save from Gould.
Gould would go on to keep out Williams one final time, before Ty Duffus’ 85th minute header was cleared off the line.
And as the game ticked into the fourth minute of ten added, Gloucester should have won it.
Once again a cross from the right made it’s way to Brandon Smalley at the back post, but a combination of a miskick from the City forward and a sprawling Gould, the Taunton keeper was able to make the save and smother the loose ball.
The draw keeps Gloucester City in 3rd in the Southern League Premier Division South table, 14 points ahead of Taunton, who now find themselves nine points away from the play-off places in 7th.
Next up for Mike Cook’s side is a trip to Bishops Cleeve in the County Cup on Tuesday night, before they look to avenge November’s defeat to Bracknell, when the Tigers head to Berkshire next weekend.
Gloucester City: Thompson, Leadbitter, Richards-Everton, Duffus, Emmett, Dawson, Williams, Pinchard, Evans, Grubb, Smalley
Subs: Ball, Hanks, Crosbie, Richards, Anaebonam
Taunton Town: Gould, Jones, Grimes, Smith, Brain, Moulden, Rice-Lethaby, Matthews, Nielsen, Feltham, Bennett
Subs: Purrington, Zebroski, Hodgson, Cummins, Woodhouse
C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Ed Williams (Gloucester City)
READ MORE: Check out the results in and around Gloucestershire from Saturday right here
Cover photo taken and copyright Jamie Brain Photography. Visit his Instagram @jamiebrain_photography
