BUCKLAND Athletic are now winless in four in the Jewson Western Football League following their 2-2 draw against Bridgwater United on Saturday, March 22.

It was a game of penalties at Homers Heath with the referee pointing to the spot on three occasions, two of these being successfully converted.

“Frustrated” was the word that Bucks manager Dan Hart used to describe the game for his team and understandably so. Particularly in the first 45, they just couldn’t put any noteworthy moves together and giving away two penalties didn’t help.

The absence of captain Ben Carter was felt for Buckland as they lacked that control they needed in the middle of the park, Hart himself suggesting that they “looked a bit vulnerable”. Defender Myles James donned the armband in his absence.

Jack Taylor opened the scoring for the away side, winning a penalty and then stroking it down the middle to convert it after 10 minutes.

Irritation continued to mount across the field for Buckland and yet they netted an equaliser practically out of nowhere. Ben Fowles’ scuffed shot was pounced on by Luke Forward and the winger poked home his second of the campaign. Amidst the celebrations, young Will Hall was down in the centre circle and had to make way, Sam Morcom coming on in his place.

Bucks midfielder Teigan Rosenquest was following Hayden Chambers away from goal and much to his bemusement, was adjudged to have tripped the Bridgy man on the brink of half-time. Adam Seedhouse-Evans dived to his left again and this time was level to Taylor’s effort, sending the teams in all-square at the break.

What Hart dubbed as “a crazy afternoon” continued with Ryan Bush winning Buckland a penalty in the early stages of the second half. The striker dispatched from 12 yards out and wheeled away in celebration to complete the turnaround.

Offside goals at either ends followed, Bridgwater’s being more of a point of contention with a goal-bound shot being tapped in on the line unnecessarily.

As the clock ticked away and it seemed more and more likely that Buckland would take all three points despite massively underperforming, the aforementioned Chambers picked out the top corner from just inside the penalty area and he was quickly joined near the corner flag by his teammates to celebrate this memorable strike.

Things went from bad to worse as Jared Lewington talked his way into the sin-bin in the final minute but there was to be no winning goal at either end anyway.

Buckland were the second-best team for spells of the game and didn’t deserve to claim all three points, Hart saying this on the nature of the draw: “I personally feel that we as a collective could and should have done more to see that through to a win.”

Elsewhere, Barnstaple Town pulled off a surprise 3-0 result over leaders Portishead Town, meaning Buckland were the only team between second and seventh in the current standings to drop points. That being said, in Hart’s words, “Anyone in this league can beat anybody.”

He continued, “We’re in a league where, as much as we think we’re in a sticky patch, everyone else seems to be as well.”

Moving forward and the Bucks “Want to win [their] home games and have now got the opportunity to try and do that again against Ilfracombe next week.”