CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR: North Wilts win battle with Sportzcoach (From Wiltshire Times)

CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION FOUR: North Wilts win battle with Sportzcoach

5:30pm Monday 17th December 2012 in Sport

FC NORTH Wiltshire won the battle of Division Four top two sides.

North Wilts continued their fine run of form, winning their fifth game in a row to ensure they will sit top of the pile at the end of 2012.

Sportzcoach Dragonz United who went into the game unbeaten in their eight games to date gave North Wilts a real challenge, but in the end a 4-2 win was enough to give the hosts maximum points.

Sportzcoach took the lead, against the run of play, when on the 22nd minute a well-placed shot from Dan Barnett from 20 yards beat North Wilts’ keeper Richard Toghill at his near post.

For the rest of the half, North Wilts kept on working, and were rewarded on the stroke of half time when Simon Gray finished from close range after debutant Craig Gingell caused an aerial threat from a deep free-kick.

In the second half, North Wilts started brightly, with Ross Lye regularly hitting 50-yard passes from the right hand side, causing the Dragonz defence plenty of trouble with the workhorse Dan Deacon being a constant aerial threat.

North Wilts should have taken the lead on 55 minutes, they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Craig Gingell, who was pulled back on a breakaway. Jason Brooks-Stevens’ penalty came back off the post, and North Wilts couldn’t get the ball back in the danger area.

It wasn’t long until North Wilts took the lead Dan Dring tucking in from 6 yards from a Dan Deacon cross.

Sportzcoach were level five minutes later, the referee gave a very soft penalty, so much so that the Dragonz players didn’t even stop or appeal.

The penalty was coolly tucked away by Marc Bowsher to take the game to 2-2.

North Wilts though showed the desire to keep on going, knowing only a win would be good enough, and Simon Gray finished superbly with 10 minutes to go, before Ross Lye made it 4-2 with the last kick of the game.

Club captain, Luke Denham said after the game: "Today was a real battle, but we showed as a team we really wanted the win.

"We can go into the Christmas break knowing we will be top, and hopefully we can continue this form into 2013. Everyone has played their part so far and a big well done to keeper Richard Toghill, who in the last two games has improved dramatically”.

This time last year, North Wilts had only won two games, and they finished the season with a tally of 18 points.

Sunday's win means they have already surpassed last season’s points tally, and all without their top scorer from last year, Liam Ralph.

Crossblades FC 4 Melksham Cosmos 3

CROSSBLADES continued their fine form over the two months when they hosted Melksham Cosmos who they had already played twice this term with both games ending in a draw after full time.

It was Tim Chilton’s side who took the points on this occasion coming out on top in a seven goal thriller.

In the bright sunshine at Nursteed Road, Crossblades flew out the traps in emphatic fashion, controlling the game and leaving Cosmos with no answers during the early stages.

Great movement from Mike Booth allowed Carl Gilbert to weave his magic and feed Carl Jacobi.

The enigmatic striker finished with poise to give the Blades a deserved 1-0 advantage.

It wasn't long before Crossblades superiority resulted in a second goal.

Carl Jacobi showed his class by setting up Gilbert, the young striker showed calmness under pressure and fired home a well-taken goal sending Crossblades in to euphoria.

Cosmos started to get back into the game, but created no clear cut chances.

It was a shock to Crossblades when completely against the run of play Cosmos pulled a goal back through Joe Griffiths to gave themselves hope a recovery.

A two-goal lead was soon restored when centre back Tayler Worthy stepped up and took a free kick, lobbing the Cosmos keeper for his first goal for Crossblades.

Once again, with only their second attack of the game, Cosmos brought themselves back in to the game with Phil Carter netting to cut the gap to the odd goal.

Just when everyone thought there could be no more drama in the first half, a free kick was won on the edge of the Cosmos area and up stepped Tayler Worthy.

Once again he bent the ball round the wall, this time taking a deflection and beating the keeper at the far post giving the Blades a 4-2 advantage at the break.

The second half was the same story for Crossblades, sitting deep and inviting the opposition to attack.

With lots of space and time, Cosmos came to life and controlled the middle of the park.

For all their efforts, chances were rare and never clear cut. While the Blades failed to trouble the Cosmos goal for the first 30 minutes at all.

After considerable pressure from Cosmos, they were awarded a penalty and Marc Bowden coolly dispatched the spot kick leaving the game hanging on a knife edge.

This spurred the Blades on and chances were frequent, Chilton, Jacobi, AshleyBartells and Chris Neate all should have scored.

Ian Hailstone who  refereed game really well brought the match to an end with Crossblades running out deserved 4-3 winners.

Old Road FC 4 Trowbridge Rangers (Sunday) 1

OLD Road FC kept their promotion challenge alive with a 4-1 success at home to Trowbridge Rangers (Sunday) who, after opening their first-ever campaign in the league with two wins, have failed to win any of their following eight matches. 

The visitors to Langley Burrell who were beaten 5-0 by the hosts back in October took a half time lead when Lawrence Giles put them one-up from the penalty spot.

Old Road raised their game in the second half and got themselves level through Jonny Ingram who headed home for 1-1.

Dan Stevens put the hosts 2-1 ahead and player/manger Andy Rose added number three before captain Max Hardman scored his first goal for the club and sealed his team's much-needed victory with the fourth of the morning.    

MATCHES OFF: FC United of Chippenham v Oakhill, Trowbridge Town Supporters Club v Worton & Cheverell (Sunday).

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