Somerset County League Premier Division.

Bishops Lydeard 1, Castle Cary 2.

BISHOPS Lydeard boss Neil Harper felt his men should have wrapped the match up in the first half as they slipped to a disappointing home defeat against Castle Cary on Saturday.

While Nick Whybourn and full debutant Dale Webber linked up well in attack, Lydeard couldn't put their opponents away and paid the price.

Harper said: “We played some really good attacking football in the first half hour and they couldn't really cope with us, but we just got the one goal.

"Both our strikers played well but we couldn't finish them off.

“I was speaking to their linesman, who said 'we're playing awful and you're playing well', but I said '1-0 is never enough', and sure enough just before half-time they scored.”

There was drama before the match when the scheduled referee fell ill while inspecting the goalnets and was taken by ambulance to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton.

Chris Bowker, who referees youth games for Lydeard, stepped in to officiate after Cary gave the go-ahead.

Lydeard took the lead on 20 minutes when Corner Stores man of the match Matt Fowler got to the byline and delivered a fantastic cross that Ali Warren finished with a trademark header at the far post.

The home side continued to press and create chances but Cary equalised when Lydeard failed to clear their lines and a shot went through a crowd of players and into the net.

Webber had a chance with a carbon copy of Warren's goal but he couldn't generate enough power on his header.

Lydeard didn't look like scoring again as the game wore on and with Cary showing more creativity, they grabbed the winner in the final ten minutes when their lively striker reached the byline and his cross was firmly converted from close range.

Lydeard, who are tenth in the table, will hope to get back to winning ways when they host Frome Town Reserves on Saturday.

Frome will go top if they get at least a draw against Taunton Blackbrook on Wednesday.