Heavy defeat at home

Sometimes it’s perplexing and difficult to explain how a team can be so good, competitive, and successful one week, and yet produce a lack lustre performance lacking in spirit, urgency, and fight seven days later.
The only change to the Wells starting line-up that did so well in defeating a strong Willand side in Devon the previous week, was the introduction of Mat Hurley in the centre of the park, a move that should not have weakened the side, and if anything, enhanced the attacking options available to the Blues, but football as they say is a funny old game, and whilst Hallen began the game with a degree of purpose to their play, Wells appeared uninterested and showed very little imagination or invention. Quite often, sides can produce the goods when maybe one or two players are off their game, but on Saturday, City had eight or nine who were far below par, and this reflected in a comprehensive victory for the village side from the outskirts of Bristol.
It was no surprise when Hallen took the lead on 15 minutes, after dominating the opening exchanges. Ash Bennett surged forward at pace to collect the ball on the edge of the City box, and drove the ball low, in off the right hand post, giving City Keeper Den Dancey no chance.
The visitors dominance was rightly rewarded with a second goal on 35 minutes, which again could and should have been better defended by the Wells rearguard. Jake Derosa found himself in plenty of space just outside the area, and picked his spot with a delightful finish, planting the ball over the head of the motionless Dancey.
As for City, they mustered little during the opening 45 minutes to trouble the visiting keeper, although Hurley did well to create an opportunity for himself, but the effort went wide of the target.
Any expectation of a City revival during the second period was soon doused as Bennett rose above the Wells defence in the 50th minute to easily score unchallenged, nodding home from a yard or so out.
The Cathedral side were thrown a lifeline on the hour when Jamie Howson scored his fourth goal from three outings, when he notched the goal of the game. The striker turned his man 25 yards out to fire an unstoppable shot into the top right hand corner of the net. The goal, albeit against the run of play, sparked City into life and the possibility of a fight back briefly raised its head. City should have reduced the arrears minutes after Howsons strike when the Blues had three efforts cleared off the Hallen line in a goalmouth scramble before Mark Randall missed the target. The Hallen defenders doing exceptionally well, by throwing their bodies on the line. However, the Bristol side soon regained their composure, and their grip on the game, by scoring a fourth when Kyle O’Donovan was left unmarked to coolly slot home.
As the game entered the final stages, centre back Ben Robertson leapt the highest to steer a fine powerful header into the net from a Ross McErlain free kick to give his side a glimmer of hope.
City introduced all three of their substitutes; Liam Black, Tyler Cornish, and a debut for recent signing Linas Vaitkus, now available since his international clearance has been received from the Lithuanian FA
However, Hallen were not to be denied their victory and carved City apart as the home side pushed forward trying the retrieve the game. Hallen, were awarded a penalty with five minutes remaining when Derosa’s shot was handled by Liam Black, but Bennetts firmly struck spot kick was excellently turned around the post by a fine save from Dancey.
The visitors completed the scoring in the dying moments of the match when Derosa was again left unmarked to pick his spot.
The final whistle ended a miserable afternoon for the Blues, who missed a golden opportunity to close the gap on the leading sides, and manager Tim Moxey will be looking for a positive response when they entertain Ilfracombe at the Athletics Ground this Saturday..