Ashton & Backwell United recorded their first win in four games as they eased to a 3-0 victory at Wells City.

In very bright sunshine, the Toolstation Western League programme returned for the first time in two months, following the lockdown and a meeting with FA to postpone fixtures until December 18.

The Stags, resplendent in new away kit sponsored by SNT Plumbing and Heating threw off the woes of their Buildbase FA Vase defeat at Cheddar and were straight on the front foot as Ben Jones nearly opened the scoring after 10 minutes.

Jones was denied by a very good saving tackle from Mark Randall, son of former Bristol Rovers and Stoke City forward Paul, but it seemed disaster might have struck when Joe Bishop had to leave the field following a very heavy collision with goalkeeper Lewis Coombes when resisting a Wells attack.

Jordan Scadding came on as a substitute and Sam Thomas moved into the back four, before A&B hit straight back.

A long upfield clearance was latched on to by a Paul Uppington and he helped it forward, which saw goalkeeper Rob Brown make a complete hash of his clearance kick, with the ball bobbling back to Uppington who went round the keeper to slot in the opener.

Wells were certainly not quietened by this and put the Stags under sustained pressure, as Craig Herrod eluded the defence to feed James Bayliss who shot over.

Tom Hill drew a good save from Coombes and five minutes before the interval Thomas missed his man on the edge of the box and Bayliss hit narrowly wide past the advancing keeper.

Then In the 41st minute the game's main talking point saw Wells captain Ross Padfield have a major falling out with player-manager Nathan Truckle, which led to a red card.

And Stuart Jones' side inflicted further misery two minutes later when Uppington crossed to Scadding in the box and and he beat a defender, saw his first shot charged down by the keeper, but kept his nerve to thump in the rebound.

Two goals down and a player short, Wells kept going and after Charlie Moon went clear on the left and shot from the edge of the box to force a good save from Coombes, who also parried a 30-yard free kick from Hill and another Moon shot a minute later.

The visitors were still attacking and Ben Jones, George Jones and Connor Saunders created a great passing movement with the latter's 30-yard effort only narrowly wide.

What was remarkable in the second half was that the game continued, given the strength of the deluge on the already-wet pitch, and the Stags scored a third goal.

A great move started by man of the match Uppington ended with substitute Bradley Skidmore's delightful strike from distance on 75 minutes to end the year on a high.

Ashton & Backwell United's next scheduled fixture is at home on January 2 against Oldland Abbotonians, as Portishead have chosen not to play their Boxing Day fixture.

A&B: Coombes, Charlie Saunders, Sollars, Bishop, (Scadding 20), Press, Thomas, White, Connor Saunders, Uppington, G Jones (Skidmore 72), B Jones.