Top of the table Clevedon Town welcomed their largest crowd since April 2009 for the first North Somerset league Classico, and in a typically tight well contested derby game the enthusiastic home support roared the Seasiders home for a hard earned victory.

After a watchful start the first chance of the game came on 9 minutes when Syd Camper’s powerful shot was deflected, and former Town keeper Jason Mellor pushed the ball over for a corner which led to Freddie King’s shot being cleared.

Nailsea went up field and home keeper James Dunn was quickly out to foil another former Seasider Lucas Vowles. Joe Teall twice set up shots for King which were cleared and then a direct run by Alex Camm into the box took him past 3 defenders before a great recovery tackle by Andy Head put the ball out for a corner.

Nailsea went close on 22 minutes when a lapse in the Clevedon defence saw Vowles land his chip on the top of the net.

As the game ebbed and flowed Elliot Nicholson was felled by Hamish Hurst when he burst forward but King’s free-kick hit Teall and was cleared. Camm’s cross was cleared for a corner by Dan Cook as Sam Beresford was about to pounce and Syd Camper’s cross following a short corner was headed just wide by Glen Hayer just after the half hour.

Then when another Camm cross for Beresford was intercepted, Nailsea broke up field with Head picking out Lloyd Mills and Camper headed the ball out for a throw in. The long throw fell nicely for Dan Cook whose shot flashed across the goal and just wide, with Sol Kent on hand to stop the next attack, first heading clear and then reacting quickly to block the follow up.

Another Town short corner saw Mellor save from Teall’s header and then King’s shot from 20 yards from Teall’s through ball just missed the target. Clevedon finally made it count on 41 minutes when a great defence splitting Camper pass saw Beresford’s deft touch guide the ball past Mellor.

But the lead only lasted 3 minutes when typical of the game, Nailsea went up the other end and equalised when Oliver Carter’s cross from the right was headed home at the far post, so at half-time it was honours even at 1-1.

There was an explosive start to the second half in a decisive 3 minutes which was to prove Nailsea’s undoing. First Mills picked up a yellow card after tangling with Camm near halfway, then on 51 minutes Clevedon regained the lead when Beresford controlled a ball into the box on his chest to volley home for 2-1. Two minutes later the disaster was complete for Nailsea when Mills was shown a second yellow card for a tackle on the halfway line, and they found themselves a goal down and a man down.

Both teams reorganised, Nailsea bringing on Miles Hardidge for Harry Pruett and Clevedon swapping Harlee Vozza for Camm, and straightaway Vozza was in action bobbling a shot just wide. But Nailsea worked hard to minimise the numbers disadvantage and tried to pick something up on the break, and they almost succeeded on 70 minutes when Dunn pushed away a Hardidge shot low down and Hayer was on hand to complete the clearance.

Town then went close on 78 minutes when the referee played a good advantage and a quick exchange of passes between Beresford and Vozza ended when Mellor saved Beresford’s final shot. Vozza then combined with Nicholson down the right, but Hurst cleared the cross. Clevedon made one last throw of the dice when Owen Punselie replaced Beresford and almost immediately it paid dividends. A typical Vozza run down the right saw his shot from a narrow angle blocked, but Punselie was in the right place to smash the ball in from close range and put Clevedon 3-1 up.

It almost became four deep into added time when Cam Salmon’s cross saw Punselie’s header and Vozza’s follow-up both blocked before the referee brought proceedings to a halt for a final score of Clevedon Town 3 Nailsea & Tickenham 1 which extended Town’s lead at the top to 4 points.

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Match Report by Paul Davis