PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY ROUND-UP

The pre-season friendly schedule is now underway for the club's two senior teams.

The First Team began at home to a Clevedon United side who will be lucky to retain their Screwfix status next year based on this 2-1 Nailsea victory. Jim Lee and Matt Long scored the Nailsea goals, but in truth there could've been many more in a convincing demolition of the suburb of Nailsea.

Another victory followed at Tytherington Rocks on July 31st where Jim and Stu Lee both notced, along with John Mark and an own goal in a 4-3 win.

Screwfix side Backwell United proved too strong for Nailsea the following Thursday, winning an entertaining game 6-3. Home scorers were Rob Wilson, Matt Long and Ben Cook.

The side finished their pre-season programme at the Hand Stadium against Clevedon Town, where they were defeated 3-1, the Nailsea goal coming from Stu Lee.

The Reserves opened their season on July 22nd with a 4-1 win against Yatton at the Grove. Goals came from Tom Hicton, Scott Exley, John Mark and Matt Smith in a good team performance. Manager Dave Brace will be hoping for a similar result when the two sides meet again in September in the Somerset Cup.

The second Reserve team friendly was equally succesful as Bristol North West were seen off 5-1, goals from Parsons (2), Horton, Buxton and Roberts (pen).

Two days later the team travelled to Keynsham Town Reserves and achieved a good 1-1 draw in sweltering conditions, the goal coming from Alex Parsons.

The Reserves finished their pre-season preparations against Bridgwater Sports. Despite having to wear bibs due to them bringing 2 incomplete kits, Bridgwater looked well organised against a distinctly below par Reserve team running out 5-1 winners, Scott Exley scoring the consolation.

Tony Peacock's managerial career got off to flying start against Somerset Division 3 side Yatton, with his team racing to a 4-0 half-time lead. The visitors came back well in the second half but the A's held on to win 5-4, goals courtesy of Nick Allen (2), Chris England and two Yatton players scoring own goals.

The following game saw Peacock's charges play Nailsea Old Boys at Greenfield Crescent. The A's controlled the game with fluent passing football, and after around 75 minutes found themselves 3-0 up, with goals from Tom Patterson (2) and Si Taylor. Then the crucial, match turning moment arrived, as the referee pointed to the spot when an A team player was tripped in the area. Manager Peacock knew that the situation required not only a cool head but an exquisite finisher to make sure the ball hit the net and his team would secure the victory. So he turned to centre-back James Holman. The opposition 'keeper Midge Sampson was visibly shaken by this move, and appeared nervous and uncomfortable as Holman approached the ball. Holman struck the shot sweetly, low and hard to the keeper's right, and left Sampson clasping at fresh air, whilst the A's celebrated what they now knew to be a fine victory. Si Taylor added his second and the A's 5th to complete the triumph.

The As' third pre-season friendly saw two more members of the HMZ team get on the score-sheet, as trialist Tony Smith opened the scoring and Rich Holman added the second in a sound 4-0 beating of Selkirk. Andy Roper and manager Tony Peacock added the other two goals:

United made all the early running in this pre-season versus a Selkirk team with many familiar faces, some from the pubs and some as United rejects.

United's play was orchestrated from their impressive centre midfield trio of Tracey, Holman and Roper, who got early ball to the wings and the front pairing of Taylor and make-shift Allen, but United were unable to score with some tame efforts, and it was Selkirk who went closet to opening the scoring with a back post cross clipping Holway's back-post.

However, an awkward looking injury to veteran Simon Taylor forced him from the field to be replaced by Essex trialist Smith who repaid his manager's faith within minutes, as he casually controlled a cross and walked the ball round the excuse for a keeper to open the scoring. With only minutes left 'til half time, Rich Holman pounced on some very sloppy Selkirk defensive play and he was able to steer the ball home from a tight angle to take Peacock's troops two nil up at the break.

United made a few half time changes including American returnee Pete Barnard for his first friendly of the season and player-manager Anton Peacock, but no changes to the robust defence who had kept the Selkirk front line at bay.

United scored instantly in the second half when a Holman cross was met on the volley by George Roper to send his side 3 up. United were now totally dominant with keeper Holway having nothing to do, but instead of opening the floodgates to more goals they started to play like individuals, luckily for them they had Mills and McLaughlin in fine unforgiving form at the back to keep things tight on ship.

Nailsea's fourth goal game when Peacock found himself walk through the Selkirk defence and around the keeper to put an end to the scoring and the match as a contest.

United should have added to this, but chances went begging as Allen and Tracey failed to test the keeper from close range.

With Beef, Cooke and Barnard adding the grunt United looked strong, and the pace of Cooke threatened the Selkirk defence enough to pip Dave Mills to the MoM accolade from manager Peacock.

The A's finished off their pre-season preparations at Chew Magna on August 28th. Nailsea were the stronger team for the vast majority of the game, and were rewarded for their dominance when Jo Parsons headed home from close range in the first half. A combination of the linesman's flag, misfortune and poor finishing prevented the A's adding to their lead until shortly into the second half when Peacock ran through and rounded the keeper to make it 2-0. With the heat affecting both teams changes were inevitable, and these disrupted the smooth passing football that the A's were enjoying. Nailsea sat back on their lead and were stunned when Chew's first effort on goal with ten minutes to go allowed them to pull a goal back. The game then descended into controversy after a bizarre piece of refereeing. As Chew lined up a free-kick 30 yards from the Nailsea goal, one player tapped the ball to his team-mate, who wasn't paying attention. Smith nipped in to steal the ball and play it through to Peacock who was clean through on the Chew goal. At this point the referee claimed he didn't see the free-kick taken and ordered it back, causing outrage amongst the Nailsea players. To add insult to injury a Chew striker then headed home to steal a 2-2 draw from a game they were never really in. Strangely for an A's friendly there was no HMZ goalscorer, but the website team took some consolation from manager Peacock jointly awarding the MOM to Rich Holman, James Holman and Tony Smith.

Remaining fixtures before the league season starts can be seen here