AFTER 648 minutes without scoring, Town found the back of the net through Graham Mercieca to end their goal drought against North Leigh on Tuesday evening.

By the 26th minute they were 3-0 up before the home side pulled one back by half time then got well on top running in five goals without reply in the second period.

In a rearranged match, North Leigh started strongly with Matty Taylor (twice) and Josh Dutton-Black spurning good chances to score inside the first 15 minutes.

Bridgwater’s only goal-scoring opportunity fell to Jack Durrant whose shot skimmed the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

After 16 minutes, against the run of play, Lewis Irish played an inch perfect through-ball to Mercieca who collected the pass and calmly found the net past keeper Lonsdale to put Town ahead Bradley Middleton doubled the advantage nine minutes later with a superb piece of quick thinking as he saw the goalkeeper off his goal line and lobbed the ball into the unguarded net from just inside the North Leigh half.

A minute later the home stopper strayed off his goal line and was beaten from 35 yards by Kyle Thomas - things were looking good for Town.

But, Taylor started the home side’s recovery with a goal on 28 minutes, before having another disallowed for hand-ball a few moments later - then came probably the defining moment of the game just before half time.

After what appeared to be an innocuous challenge, Middleton received his second yellow card of the game and was dismissed by referee Blanch as was Simon Futcher for the home side who was shown a straight red card for an alleged head-butt.

With Middleton missing, and the change in formation due to the substitutions of Irish, Mercieca and Thomas inside the first ten minutes of the second period, Town began to fall apart.

Michael Hopkins was the first to find the back of the Robins’ net in the second half with a strike on 49 minutes and doubled his tally ten minutes later to level the scores at 3-3.

Stuart Hole put the hosts ahead for the first time on the night after 62 minutes, converting from the spot after Dutton-Black was upended inside the penalty area, and Taylor completed the second half rout with goals on 66 minutes and two minutes into stoppage time to leave Town shell-shocked.

Bridgwater: Wood, Nunn, Townley, Turner, Peek, Lyons, Durrant, Middleton, Irish (sub Jones 46), Mercieca (sub Peppin 55), Thomas (sub Brimson 55). Not used: Piper and Pitcher