Tavistock go top of the table after winning eight-goal thriller Shepton Mallet's unbeaten start ended by ruthless Lambs
TAVISTOCK moved to the top of the Toolstation Western League Premier Division with a breathtaking 5-3 win over Shepton Mallet in wet and windy conditions at Langsford Park.
Shepton arrived in side boasting the last remaining unbeaten record in the division, having won five and drawn four of their nine games so far this campaign.
Tavi have been steady if not spectacular so far this campaign but in strikers Liam Prynn and Josh Grant, we have one of the most potent strike forces in the division.
Grant, who now has 11 goals this season, got Tavi off to a superb start, only for Shepton to level things by half-time. They then took the lead before a blistering spell from Tavi which saw three goals in ten minutes.
Grant bagged his second of the game, to level things up, before Prynn made it 3-2 and Jake Miller added a fourth on his return to the club. A debatable penalty allowed Shepton to pull it back to 4-3, but Prynn wrapped things up in stoppage time with a superb free kick – his 13th of the season so far.
“We started well with good work by Josh Parry squaring it for Granty, who finished well, but they got a cheap penalty really, which they scored from, when Warren (Daw) slipped,” Henderson said.
“We were on top and had two or three other opportunities and I said to them to keep doing the right things and we will score, but then we were going forward, the move broke down and they scored with a massive deflection off (Ben) Crossy.
“But the boys just rolled up their sleeves and had a good 15 minute period where we scored three times. Then, between our fourth and fifth goal, we have given them another penalty and given them a foothold in a game that I felt we totally bossed. On another day, it could have been 7-2.
“But it’s another step in the right direction. We are top of the table now, but it is very early to go top of the league.
“Everyone was writing us off when we were losing players and we got off to an indifferent start, but there are a lot of good teams in the league and you only have to be slightly off it in one game and you get turned over.
“I think the challenge for us now is to be consistent and I’ve set the boys the challenge of being in the mix at Christmas and then go from there.”
With Callum Watson away, Miller started alongside Dave Hallett in the middle of midfield and with an eye-catching performance from substitute Daniel Koita, Henderson’s youthful squad is looking in good shape.
“We are a good side going forward, but we need a squad of players going forward. We can’t play the same XI players every week and that’s no good for anyone,” Henderson said.
“That said, I think it has benefited some players. I haven’t been able to rotate Prynny and Granty and playing every minute of every game has brought the best out in them. Prynny is playing the best football I have ever seen him play.”
