Wise and Carnell earn Puritans three points on the road

The Puritans returned home with a 2-0 victory in their penultimate premier division outing of the season against a Frome side which ended the contest with only nine players.

United had much the better of the opening period before Frome worked their way into the game and the first half developed into an equal affair.

A shot from the edge of the area from Ben Griffiths was deflected wide by Carnell and a corner saw Sam Teale’s header from ten yards fail to trouble Jack Harding who saved comfortably.

Despite having their fair share of the game, United failed to trouble keeper Carl Crabtree although they did have the ball in the back of the net in the final minute when a Tom Winters’ cross was headed home at the far post by Leam Howards but he was ruled offside.

The second half began promisingly and was much more open. Four minutes into it Frome should have gone in front when a cross saw Ryan Bath put the ball over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box.

Just before the hour mark United went close when Paul Stonehouse cut the ball back from the by-line into the path of Stephane Ngamvoulou whose shot looked bound for the corner of the net but Crabtree did well to save with his feet.

Harding had to be alert to deny Joe Raynes with both teams looking for the breakthrough in an end-to-end game. A Winters’ corner was headed home off the post by Carnell from six yards but the referee blew for a foul.

In the 82nd minute Bath received his marching orders for picking up a second yellow card following a foul on Carnell and United made the breakthrough. From Harding’s resulting free-kick just inside his own half Wise got on to the end of it and shot home at the far post from six yards.

With Sam Teale sent-off for arguing with the referee, Frome had to play the final eight minutes with just nine men. Four minutes from the end United sealed it when a Winters’ corner was headed home at the far post by Carnell.