Beer jumped out of the bottom three of the Fresha League Premier Division with a 2-0 victory against fellow strugglers Bow AAC at the Furzebrake on Saturday, writes Richard Honnor.

It was the Fishermen’s first league win at home this season and a welcome three points, but it was not a convincing performance.

The visitors were in control for long periods of the game, but failed to convert their superiority into goals.

The Fishermen started well and were gifted a sixth minute goal when the Bow keeper palmed Chris Long’s corner into his own net.

The visitors came back strongly and Beer’s back line were at full stretch to keep out the lively Bow forwards.

Bow carved out a brace of early chances with a good strike just over the bar and then forcing Beer keeper Mike Westlake into a desperate save. Back came Beer to enjoy their best spell of the match and, on 15 minutes, might have increased their lead when Richard Walker put James Melville through one-on-one with the keeper. Melville got to the ball first but his toe-poke went narrowly wide. Three minutes later Walker went desperately close with a header from a Chris Long free-kick.

Bow came back strongly and, with midfielder Alex Bowden controlling the centre of the park, the Fishermen were unable to get their passing game going, resorting to long hopeful balls and counter-attacks by Melville and Walker. Bow were now creating chances of their own, the best of which came on 43 minutes when their striker shot into the side netting after rounding Westlake.

The second half was dire from Beer’s perspective! On 46 minutes Bow were unlucky not to equalise when a fierce volley crashed against the crossbar. The visitors were finding lots of space down either flank and totally dominated the first 20 minutes as The Fishermen were penned in their own half.

Again Bow hit the woodwork and spurned several half-chances, Beer finally woke up on 65 minutes and created two good chances within minutes of each other, the first falling to Long who shot wide and then to the tireless Melville who again beat the keeper to the ball but was foiled by a retreating defender. But back came Bow and they should really have equalised on 84 minutes when their striker put the ball wide as keeper Westlake advanced to narrow the angle. A minute later Bow hit the woodwork yet again after carving open the Beer defence and, on 86 minutes another Bow chance went begging when a header drifted just wide.

As the game went into added time Westlake kept his side in the game with a good save. Then, on 92 minutes Beer nailed the points with a rare moment of quality. Richard Walker went past the Bow left back and his pinpoint cross was headed home by James Melville to make the score a flattering 2-0 for in favour of the Fishermen. The Beer Man of the Match award was presented to James Melville by match sponsor Jimmy Green Marine Sail Surf and Snow, but Bow’s Alex Bowden earned the overall award for a splendid performance at the heart of Bow’s midfield.

On Saturday (January 23), Beer’s first team travel away to Topsham Town whilst the Reserves entertain Kentisbeare at the Furzebrake in a Division Five match (2.15pm). The sponsor for the second team game is Cloth Shop Seaton and Crewkerne.