Portishead Town returned to winning ways after a narrow defeat to Nailsea & Tickenham on New Year’s Day, writes Matt Gillett.

St Blazey were convincingly beaten 4-1 on an afternoon that might easily have yielded more goals.

St Blazey, in 18th with just one win in eight, started with a high defensive line.

It looked a very risky strategy even before Portishead went ahead on 6 minutes.

Callum Eastwood’s long ball over the defence put Ethan Feltham clear with the striker rounding the keeper then finishing from the angle.

Posset constantly threatened to spring St Blazey’s offside trap and, but for a somewhat flag-happy assistant referee, would have been in on goal even more times.

St Blazey struggled to cope with the energy and rotation of Portishead midfielders Eastwood, Kyle Egan, Mitch Osmond and Tom Llewellyn.

With Posset pinning the visitors in, St Blazey’s keeper Shaun Semmens was kept busy.

As Feltham got away on the right Semmens had to grab his cross with Calum Townsend lurking.

In the 24th minute Sean Keet headed down Egan’s corner and the keeper saved low from Townsend’s inventive backheel.

On 42 minutes Egan passed to Feltham who turned his defender and was tripped just inside the box.

Egan drove home the penalty for 2-0.

Four minutes later Feltham again broke into the area tempting Tom Cavanagh to bring him down.

The frustrated Cavanagh hardly helped his team’s cause by smashing the ball against Feltham, earning himself a straight red card.

Egan again confidently converted for 3-0, his 11th goal of the season.

After the break ten-man St Blazey largely sat deep seeking damage limitation.

Posset dictated play, moving the ball across the pitch and opened up the defence creating more chances.

Egan, Eastwood, Townsend, Toby Lawrence and Feltham were among those going close to extending Portishead’s lead.

In the event St Blazey got the next goal after 70 minutes, George Newton finishing well, for once managing to make space against the Posset defence.

Although on this occasion unable to keep a clean sheet it was just the 11th goal conceded in the last 15th games, three of those coming in the 4-3 win over Saltash.

With this high-scoring Posset side, 62 goals from 23 league games, it would be easy to overlook that strong defensive foundation.

Posset had the last word in the 84th minute.

Osmond and Egan combined at a free kick on the left with Osmond’s shot pushed wide by Semmens.

From the corner Jason Quick’s effort was blocked and Feltham buried the loose ball.

Eight goals in eight games from the No.9 and 19th for the season.

Portishead moved five points clear at the top of the table, albeit with some of their rivals having games in hand.

Plenty more twists and turns to come in this exciting season.