Cup Classic: Tunley Down Shepton in Penalty Drama
20/09/2025
Match Report – Shepton Mallet Reserves 2–2 Tunley AFC (Tunley win on penalties)
Tunley AFC produced a stirring fightback to knock out Shepton Mallet Reserves on penalties after a breathless Somerset County League Cup match that swung from end to end before being settled in dramatic fashion.
The visitors began on the front foot, pressing high and unsettling Shepton in the early exchanges. Yet it was the hosts who carried the greater threat. A shot whistled narrowly wide in the 3rd minute, and moments later a header from the resulting corner also cleared the target.
Tunley keeper Ryan Edmunds soon became the central figure, diving brilliantly to his right for a spectacular save in the 7th minute. Captain Tyler Davis was forced into a sliding clearance soon after, and Edmunds was again at full stretch to repel a point-blank effort in the 11th minute.
Shepton’s pressure mounted relentlessly. Corners flashed wide, a thunderous effort from 30 yards out crashed against the bar in the 23rd minute, and another strike hammered the sticks following a free-kick in the 24th. Tunley, occasionally hurried and hesitant in possession, struggled to relieve the siege, and their resistance was finally broken in the 38th minute when an own goal handed Shepton the lead they had threatened all half.
Edmunds’ reflexes prevented further damage before the break, including a sliding stop in the 43rd minute after a defensive misplay which sparked a tangle with a forward and earned both players a lecture from the referee. Shepton wasted another opening in stoppage time, blazing over, but reached the interval deservedly in front.
Second Half
Tunley began the second half as they had the first, carving out an early chance which drew a save and a punched clearance. But in the 47th minute Shepton doubled their advantage, a neat finish tucked inside the far post leaving the visitors staring at defeat.
What followed was the turning point. From a corner in the 48th minute, Tunley saw a header cleared off the line, and only four minutes later Ben Curtis took the ball from a defensive clearance and raced from inside Tunley’s own half, blazing past defenders and placing the ball calmly inside the right post to halve the deficit. The goal galvanised the away side, and in the 65th minute Curtis turned provider, delivering a slippery cross that Josh Doell met with precision to level the tie at 2–2.
Suddenly it was Shepton who looked rattled. Tunley poured forward, a breakaway saved in the 70th minute and appeals for a penalty waved away. Chances followed in quick succession, with a flurry of blocked efforts before another shot trickled wide in the 74th minute. The home side were rocking.
The closing stages were tense and combative. Edmunds pulled off yet another save in the 85th minute to keep the scores level, while his defence threw themselves into blocks as Shepton pressed for a late winner. At the other end, Tunley squandered a glorious opportunity in the 90th minute, blazing over from close range, and the whistle confirmed a penalty shootout.
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Penalty Shootout
The drama continued from the spot. Shepton scored their opener before Cormac Little responded. Both sides converted their next two, with Doell and Barnaby Rich holding their nerve for Tunley.
When Shepton faltered with their fourth, Curtis thumped his in to edge the visitors ahead. The hosts levelled, but Davis saw his effort saved when given the chance to seal it. Fortune swung back Tunley’s way as Shepton blasted their sixth over the bar, leaving Callum MacDuff with the decisive kick. He made no mistake, rifling into the top corner to spark wild celebrations from the travelling support.
Verdict
A pulsating cup victory, marked by Edmunds’ heroics in goal and Tunley’s resilience, ended with a famous away triumph. From two goals down to victory on penalties, this was the sort of cup night that will live long in the memory.
