TAUNTON Town were given a reality check after two self-inflicted goals saw Bashley leave the Viridor Stadium with three Southern league points after a 2-0 success on Saturday.

It was a chalk and cheese performance by the Peacocks whose attractive fluency in the first 35 minutes contrasted with their laboured efforts after the break as they tried to recover from their deficit.

Apart from an early Bashley foray when Jamie Price blocked a Clive Makoni effort, it was pretty much one way traffic toward the visitor’s goal from the off. A snap shot from Brett Trowbridge went wide and a back-heeled pass from the same player found Price who set up Steve Murray to swivel and fire narrowly past the upright.

Bashley keeper Callum Maher then made two telling stops, firstly a fine diving save to tip a Ben Carter free kick round the post and then foiling Murray who was through on goal after latching onto Ben Mammola’s headed clearance.

At this stage it seemed a matter of when Town would score and not if, and the ideal chance arrived just past the quarter hour. Good build-up down the right involving Price and Jamie Short culminated in Murray being hauled down by Richard Morse. However Murray got to his feet to screw the penalty well wide of Maher’s right post.

Craig Herrod’s cross flashed across the face of the Bash goal as Town sustained their offensive but they were jolted on 39 minutes when they fell behind. Mammola booted the ball out for an unnecessary corner which Bouwe Bosma played across to Nuno Pereira on the edge of the box and his forward pass was seized on by Mitchell Speechley-Price who turned to net past Joe Perry.

Price came close on two occasions for the Peacocks before a further defensive slip-up gifted Bashley a second goal two minutes before the break. The normally reliable Mammola’s header back to Perry was underhit, allowing Makoni the chance to nip in before Perry and despite being grounded by the ensuing challenge for the ball, he was up quickly to fire into an open net.

Ben Kirk and Rodney Marsh were brought on for the second half as Town attempted a salvage operation but this struggled to gain any momentum.

Marsh fed Short whose drive was parried wide at the near post by Maher and Herrod’s strike didn’t count after the whistle had already blown for an infringement but it was more huff and puff rather than seek and destroy as the gutsy visitors, although not causing the hosts any attacking concerns, capably coped with Town’s increasingly disjointed raids.

Sub Joe Bushin and Herrod had attempts blocked, Carter fired over the top from the edge of the box with Maher on the ground and late on Steve Kingdon headed into the side netting but it was a case of being ‘one of those days’ as the Peacocks endured a league defeat for the first time since March 29.

Taunton: Joe Perry, Jamie Price, Steve Kingdon (captain), Owen Irish, Ben Mammola (Ben Kirk 45), Rob Norrish (Rodney Marsh 45), Jamie Short, Ben Carter, Steve Murray (Joe Bushin 65), Brett Trowbridge, Craig Herrod. Unused sub: Aidan Chainey.

Bashley: Callum Maher, Richard Morse, Ronan Moore, Matt Oldring, Jamie Thoroughgood (captain), Chris Hall, Leighton Speechley-Price, Bouwe Bosma (Blayne Kinley 72), Clive Makoni (Aaron Dunne 78), Nuno Pereira, Mitchell Speechley-Price (Ryan Brading 58). Unused sub: Husam Aurow.

Referee: Mark Greenwood (Honiton). Assistants: Graeme Martin (Exeter), Lewis Ibbeson (Exeter). Match Sponsor: Steve Raybould Construction. Matchball Sponsor: Mayfair Town & Country. Attendance: 307.