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Rovers Under-18s continue to be unbeaten in their Somerset Floodlit League campaign after an emphatic home success over a battling Glastonbury outfit. Leading scorer Levi Edwardson took the scoring honours with a hat-trick and there was a double from Under-16 player Jordan Ford. The evening’s first goal – one of three to come from set-pieces, was scored by Bailey Jason-Ryan and the final goal of the evening was scored by another Rovers Under-16 player, Billy Greene. Glastonbury missed a second half penalty when the ball struck Harrison Burton’s crossbar. Home skipper Tom Badcott was once again at his imperious best and his team’s unbeaten run at Silver Street now stretches back 30 months since a Taunton and District Youth League defeat to Wembdon in May 2013.

In their most impressive performance to date the new Rovers U15’s team made it six straight wins on the bounce against the Falcons B team from Norton Fitzwarren. The Falcons went into the match sitting top of the table and determined to reverse their only loss earlier this season to the Rovers. In a game between the best two teams in the division it took over twenty minutes for the deadlock to be beaten when the in-form Sam Ayers muscled his way into the box and crashed the ball home to gain the lead. Despite the guile and creativity of Aiden Harrison, Kai Morgan and Christian Walsh it was the engine room of centre midfielders Jacob Turner and Captain Tom Jeacock who gave Willand the midfield supremacy which lead to Oscar Walsh going on another trademark jinking run to make it 2-0 after half an hour. Sam Ayers made it three a few minutes later to see Rovers into the interval 3-0 to the good.

The second half continued to see the Falcons probe but man-mountains Matt Futcher and Haydn Tucker ably assisted by Oli Billings, Ryan Borkowski, Chris Badcott and the impressive Harry Taylor ensured keeper Ben Gubb was largely untroubled. Further goals in the second half from Walsh, Blackmore and Futcher were scored with Sam Ayers completing his hat trick and goal number 26 for the season.

Man of the Match was the supreme Tom Jeacock who was every inch the captain throughout.

Goals were shared out on the day between Ayers 3, Walsh 2, Futcher 1, and Blackmore 1

The Willand Line up: Ben Gubb, Hayden Tucker, Harry Taylor, Tom Jeacock (Capt), Matt Futcher, Jacob Turner, Aiden Harrison, Christian Whales, Chris Badcott, Oscar Walsh and Sam Ayers. Subs: Oli Billings, Ryan Borkowski, Gareth Blackmore and Kai Morgan.

Against a Bridgwater team who they had beaten 19-0 two weeks previously this cup tie proved rather more problematic for the unbeaten Rovers U15’s.

Bridgwater took the lead within two minutes before the clinical Sam Ayres equalized twice, all within the first 10 minutes!

The remainder of the first half belonged to winger Christian Whales who scored four to take the Willand team to a 6-2 interval lead.

The second half saw a similar pattern with Willand scoring great team goals only to give sloppy goals away at the other end leaving goalkeeper Ben Gubb exposed at regular intervals. Sam Ayres took his match tally to an impressive five goals, Oscar Walsh pocketed three, Josh Herbert a brace and Kai Morgan one to add to the four for Christian Whales which made the final score line 15-5 in favour of Rovers and onto the second round of the cup.

Rovers: Ben Gubb, Hayden Tucker, Tom Jeacock (Capt), Oli Billings, Josh Herbert, Christian Whales, Chris Badcott, Oscar Walsh and Sam Ayres, Ryan Borkowski and Kai Morgan.

Subs: Jacob Tucker and Gareth Blackmore