A SOLITARY second half goal saw Wellington’s young side knocked out in the first round of the Isuzu FA Vase away to Ilminster Town on Saturday, August 15.

Going into the tie on the back of 10-1 and 9-0 defeats, it was a much closer game than most would have expected but the Tangerines were left still looking for their first win of the season.

Ilminster, who play below them in the South West Peninsula League, had won both of their games so far and edged a tight contest.

The first chance did not arrive until the 33rd minute as Taylor Jefferson headed over for the South Somerset side from a good position.

Wellington, with chairman Mike Hall again in charge of team affairs, could then have gone ahead just before the break when skipper Josh Baker – their only remaining senior player from last season – was denied by a fine block for former Tangerines keeper Shay Allen.

It was Ilminster who made what proved to be the decisive breakthrough six minutes into the second half.

Josh Phillips got in behind the defence and drilled a low shot across keeper Harry Lawrence.

It was nearly 2-0 after 77 minutes but Connor Noble produced a great clearance and young Lawrence pulled off a superb reaction save from the resulting corner.

Wellington threw men forward in search of an equaliser and went close twice in injury time as a corner by Vinnie Wright-Harper Innis hit the top of the bar and then Allen saved well from substitute Isaac Baker, another 17-year-old in the squad.

Wellington: Harry Lawrence, Connor Noble, Vinnie Wright-Harper Innis, Connor Pengelly, Jordan Ford, Sam Poole, Rohan Poulsom, Luca Staniforth, Josh Baker, Ollie Ackland, Harvey Conroy. Substitutes: Gabriel Plant, Nat Hawkins, Lewis Oaten, Sam Sharif, Isaac Baker (all used).