PARTY TIME FOR THE PEACOCKS!
THE PEACOCKS are the champions of the Southern League Premier South after beating close rivals Farnborough on a thrilling last day of the season at the Cygnet Health Care Stadium.
The game was settled by a cracking winner from Jay Foulston with three minutes to go as fans glanced nervously at their phones to see how Hayes & Yeading were faring, the only side that could realistically overhaul them.
Overall it was a scrappy game, with little being created at either end until the hosts took the lead after 38 minutes when Foulston’s corner was cleared and Joe Guest’s drive back into the box was brilliantly headed in by Ross Stearn, making his first start since dislocating his shoulder last month.
Jake Wannell headed a decent chance wide for the home side before Farnborough drew level on the stroke of half-time, Will Buse parrying a shot from Paul Hodges and the loose ball being fired home by skipper Courtney Fearn.
The game continued in the same vein after the break, with defences on top.
Four corners at the start of the half failed to yield anything for the Peacocks while a free-kick from Ben Adelsbury hit the wall.
Will Buse in the Town goal, meanwhile, was rock solid as he caught anything within arms’ reach.
After 87 minutes, the roof was taken off the Cygnet. A Town attack ended with Lloyd James playing a superb pass into the path of Foulston who picked out the opposite corner with a peach of a shot from the left side of the box, sending the vast majority of the 2,303 crowd into dreamland.
Three minutes of stoppage time were seen out and the final whistle witnessed joyous scenes as the fans celebrated with the players who can now look forward to National League South next season.
Taunton’s head of football Rob Dray said: “This group of players have been superb all season and yet again found a way to win the most important match of the campaign. The fans were also absolutely brilliant.”
STAR MAN: Jay Foulston (Taunton)
ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★