City end season with County Cup win

City ended the 2022/23 season in style this evening with a 4-1 win over Paulton Rovers at the Optima Stadium to lift the Somerset Premier Cup. They dominated the game from start to finish but fell behind on 11 minutes when former Roman Leo Eglin sent Butcher racing clear to slot the ball past Max Harris. Opi Edwards was denied by a great block by Martin three minutes later as City looked to patiently pass the ball around the excellent playing surface. Paulton did occasionally pose a threat on the break but just past the half hour mark City looked to have won a penalty when Scott Wilson was taken out by keeper Sainsbury but the referee saw nothing wrong with the robust challenge. The keeper was again in action on 40 minutes when he did brilliantly to block Edwards’ close range header but two minutes later he could do nothing to keep out Dan Hayfield’s glancing header from a Chris Lines corner. The pattern of the game was unchanged after the break with Wilson, Rex Mannings, Jordan Dyer and Hayfield all going close. With the prospect of extra-time looming City finally broke Rovers resistance with nine minutes left. Dyer was fouled just outside the box and Hayfield lashed home the free kick. With Paulton finally forced to commit men forward City took full advantage with two goals in stoppage time. Luke Spokes won possession on the halfway line before sending Wilson racing forward to shoot  past Sainsbury. Then Spokes got on the scoresheet himself, blasting the ball home from just inside the area, to make it 4-1 and secure City’s first Somerset Premier Cup success for 15 years.