DIVISION TWO REPORT: Staverton start with a win over title rivals (From Wiltshire Times)

DIVISION TWO REPORT: Staverton start with a win over title rivals

1:10pm Monday 3rd September 2012 in Sport

AFTER back-to-back titles, Staverton started life in Division Two with a 6-4 home win over White Horse FC who are expected to be among the sides pushing them for silverware next May.

In a closely-fought contest Staverton took the lead after four minutes when Jason Povey headed in from a Staverton corner.

Levi Woods added a second four minutes later after he converted a through ball from Simon Parfitt.

Chris Stiles pulled one back for White Horse on 14 minutes and brought the scores level with his second goal three minutes later.

Staverton regained the lead on 27 minutes with a Woods shot from the edge of the box and White Horse hit back again to equalise two minutes later through a Chris Webber goal.

Right on half time Woods complete his hat trick when he added number four from the penalty spot after Jason Povey was pulled down in the area by the White Horse keeper. Staverton turned round at half time 4-3 in the lead.

Eight minutes after the re-start Staverton went 5-3 up through a Zack Manna goal but White Horse came back strongly again to make it 4-5 with another Stiles goal.

Fifteen minutes from the end came the turning point that saw White Horse reduced to 10 men when Dave Appleyard was given his marching orders for dissent. Staverton sealed the win two minutes from time when Olly Bramall netted number six.

GRFC 4 Southwick Wanderers 3

GRFC and Southwick Wanderers fought out a seven-goal thriller which saw GRFC just edging it in a game that was a credit to all those involved making it a great advert for Sunday morning and grass roots football.

Southwick took the lead on 15 minutes through new signing Bradley King-Taylor who curled home a stunner from 25 yards.

GRFC replied through the prolific Robbie Burton but fell behind again to when Tom Watchman turned a King-Taylor cross into his own net.

Southwick added a third after good work between Nick Gleeson and King-Taylor that resulted in the latter scoring his second of the morning.

Matt Baker started the GRFC comeback when he chested the ball down and beat two defenders before firing in from 25-yard with an effort that Southwick keeper Mark Binns really should have stopped.

A second from Burton completed the GRFC revival before half time as his well taken goal tied it at 3-3.

In a pulsating second half that saw both teams have chances to win it, the game was finally won by the hosts when 16 year old Harry Myles beat keeper Binns from 18 yards, Binns got his hand to the shot but could only parry it into the net.

Jordan Tarrant missed a simple chance to add a fifth for GRFC, after doing all the hard work he somehow missed the target from close range which meant his team were hanging on at the end as Southwick hunted down an equaliser.

But they came up just short as GRFC saw the game out to claim maximum points.

Kings Arms (All Cannings) 2 Sutton Benger 5

SUTTON Benger were far from impressed with the pitch that greeted them for their trip to Kings Arms (All Cannings), but worked well to claim a 5-2 triumph.

The long grass didn't stop Benger’s passing game and they went ahead when a through ball from Matt White found new signing James Weston who delightfully chipped the on rushing keeper for 1-0.

Benger soaked up some pressure which they dealt with really well as another summer signing Tom Bond dominated at the back.

Benger who had been busy in the close season in adding to their squad made it 2-0 when another summer signing Phil Baker latched on to a Steve Gawke ball and slotted home in the far corner.

Kings Arms came back into the game and two quick goals from Brett Cullen and Dave Mavin saw them go in at the break level at two-each.

Benger raised there game in the second half and Weston added a second slotting well past the keeper to regain the lead for the villagers.

Matt White added number four with a tidy finish before Weston capped a memorable debut when he completed his hat-trick when yet again he casually chipped the keeper to put the game well and truly out of sight of the hosts.

Miller Sports 0 Somerford FC 2

LAST season’s Division Three runners up Somerford began life in the higher division with a 2-0 win away at Miller Sports.

Somerford’s top scorer from last season Chris Yeo gave his team the lead when he scored from the penalty spot and the points were made safe when Matt Holdaway added a second, both goals coming in the first half.

Wren FC 1 Chippenham West End 5

WREN FC took the lead at home to Chippenham West End but they were unable to build on a promising start as West End fought back from their early set back to claim a 5-1 success and complete a hat-trick of victories over their hosts who they beat twice last term.

Michael McKeller put Wren ahead when his shot flew over the head of debutant keeper Ciaran Lyons.

West End were only behind for a few minutes, Phil Mellor heading them level. Carl Britton tapped home to give them a 2-1 interval lead.

West End increased their lead when Ben Hibberd headed in from a corner, James Mullhall added number four with a well-worked goal before Ben Hibberd scored his second of the day when he stroked home from the penalty spot to leave the final score 5-1 in favour of the visitors to Beversbrook.

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