Yate Town 3 Willand Rovers 3
Tomlinson 23, Adams 78, Baidoo 90+1 Watts-Barciela 33, Rooke 49, Dorothy 90+13
Southern League Division One South
Tuesday 4th March 2025
Yate Town extended their lead at the top of the Southern League Division One South table to ten points after a thrilling draw against Willand Rovers. The result sets up an eye-watering test for the Bluebells on Saturday where they travel to second placed Evesham United.
Lucas Tomlinson opened the scoring, scoring from close range after a corner was not dealt with by the visitors, but they got themselves right back into the game ten minutes later as James Watts-Barciela finished well into the far corner beating Joe Thomas.
Joe Guest climbs high to win this first half header.
The second half didn't start as Yate would have planned with the visitors taking the lead, with the hosts not dealing with a corner kick themselves and Willand's Finley Rooke swept the ball home. The game was slowed down by the visitors who made it very difficult for Yate to get any rhythm going but the equaliser did eventually come with brilliantly well worked goal. Substitute Marlon Jackson combined with King Baidoo before the ball was eventually squared to Jamie Adams who made no mistake in slotting past the keeper.
Jamie Adams levels the scores.
Following the equaliser, it was one way traffic as Yate pushed for the winner and they had thought they had won it in stoppage time with King Baidoo heading home from a corner.
King Baidoo scores, what he had hoped to be the winner!
However, in controversial circumstances, Willand managed to equaliser in the 13th minute of added time, despite only 7 minutes of added time being suggested. A clearance evaded Lewis Hall and Willand forward Harvey Dorothy finished well past the on rushing Joe Thomas.
Yate Town: Thomas, Taylor (Nderemani 83'), Byrne, Hall, Christopher, James, Adams, Guest, Baidoo (Lenihan 90'), McCootie (Stearn 69'), Tomlinson (Jackson 72')
Unused Sub: Wyatt
Bookings: McCootie (53), Stearn 75)
Willand Rovers: Burton, Shanley, Searle, Guppy, Edwards, Richards, Kennell, Hewitt, Bak (Dorothy 64'), Rooke (Wellington 77'), Kempster (Watts-Barciel 12' - Camilo 84')
Unused Sub: Allen
Bookings: Kennell (39), Richards (75)
Referee: Adam McAnoy
Attendance: 321
Photos by Aaron Norman.