DIVISION TWO: White Horse edge Benger in 11-goal thriller (From Wiltshire Times)

DIVISION TWO: White Horse edge Benger in 11-goal thriller

3:00pm Monday 10th September 2012 in Sport

SUTTON Benger scored five goals for the second week running, but unlike their game a week before, they astonishingly came away with no points to show for their effort as opponents White Horse came from 4-0 down to win a thrilling contest 6-5.

With confidence high after their opening-day victory over King Arms, Benger must have wondered what all the fuss was about regarding the newly-promoted sides, as they raced into a 4-0 lead within 19 minutes against White Horse.

However, their Westbury-based opponents showed tremendous courage and demonstrated the never-say-die attitude that brought them huge success last term, to steal both points at a sunny Stanley Park.

An evenly-fought opening 10 minutes, that saw neither side create any clear cut chances, was soon forgotten about as Benger embarked on a manic eight-minute period that saw them score four times.

It was James Weston, continuing where he left off a week earlier, who started the onslaught, acrobatically finishing from the edge of the visitors’ penalty box after a long ball forward had caused confusion.

It was the same direct route to goal a minute later, with Matt White this time benefitting from the uncertainty at the heart of the Horse’s defence to finish neatly and double the lead.

The guests’ nightmare start continued and with barely another minute on the clock they found themselves three behind when Phil Baker was left with the simplest of tap-ins, following good work down the left flank.

The hosts continued to apply pressure and, having gone close again just earlier, made it 4-0 when Weston danced his way into the penalty area and his cross come shot was deflected past the helpless Rich Hunt in the Horse goal.

Never ones to do things the easy way, White Horse finally came to life, and a more determined looking side replied within a minute.

After good work down the right by Chris Webber, Benger keeper Dan Young was only able to parry Pete Ayton’s effort into the path of Dale Rowland who didn’t need asking twice to score his first of the season.

If it was Benger’s fourth goal that gave their hosts some previously-unseen grit and determination, it was Rowland’s goal that ignited their belief, as they started to ask questions of their own.

Within two minutes of finding the net Horse were gifted the opportunity to reduce the deficit further when Chris Stiles was upended in the box after neat interaction between Webber and Jack Miluk.

The resulting spot kick was stroked home confidently by Ayton, to open his account for his new club.

Although the first half was to produce no more goals, chances were still aplenty – Tom Crawford heading narrowly wide for the visitors, Young saving well to deny Rowland, Hunt matching his opposite number’s reactions to deny Baker and Miluk firing into the side-netting.

The interval did little to slow things down and it was the Westbury-based side that got the all-important first goal of the second half, when a sweet passing move involving the ever-dangerous Miluk and Stiles ended with Ayton laying the ball off to the feet of Jordan Gullis, whose placed shot gave Young no chance.

Although Young saved well five minutes later from a Rowland free kick, it seemed only a matter of time before the visitors got an equaliser.

With 20 minutes to go they got the goal their efforts had warranted as Stiles latched on to substitute Craig Hatton-Pocklington’s cross to level things at 4-4.

If the home side thought their guests were going to be happy with the point, they were very much mistaken.

A fired-up White Horse continued to press, firstly forcing Tim Knight to very nearly lob his own keeper from distance, before, in the 80th minute, completing the comeback and taking the lead when Rowland curled his effort past Young and in off the post following more good play from the energetic Hatton-Pocklington.

It looked like the travelling side were going to be involved in back-to-back 6-4 results when Ayton sent a thunderbolt of a free kick into the top corner from 30 yards in the 84th minute, only for the home side to have the last say in the craziest of matches as Baker beat the offside trap, rounded the keeper and netted for his second of the day deep in injury time.

Kings Arms (All Cannings) 0 Goatacre CC FC 4

GOATACRE CC opened their account for the season with a 4-0 victory at Kings Arms (All Cannings) - a great result for the villagers as both meetings between the sides last term finished one apiece.

Ed Wilkins gave Goatacre a half-time lead and the prolific striker doubled his team's lead early in the second half.

Luke Barrett scored a third and Kings Arms were bowled over by their guests when Wilkins scored a third to complete his first three timer of what promises to be another profitable season for the forward.

The match was marred by a serious head injury to Kings Arms' Mark Roberts who suffered a clash of heads with teammate Jacob Rogers.

Kings Arms supporter Aubury Holdly took Roberts to Chippenham Hospital but due to nature of the injury and the amount of blood lost on the way from All Cannings, Holdly had to call for an ambulance.

Roberts suffered a spilt eye and broken nose with Arms full of praise for the actions of Holdly.

Miller Sports 2 Southwick Wanderers 0

AFTER an undeserved loss to Somerford in their opening game Miller Sports, under new manager Mike Stevens, picked up their first win of the season after beating Southwick Wanderers 2-0.

Miller were under considerable pressure for the first part of the game, although not many clear-cut chances were created and when one did come Alex Coombs made a fine save to deny Southwick the lead.

Miller got the first goal some could say against the run of play when Nick Groves headed home from a free kick and this seemed to deflate Southwick and give Miller more impetus.

Both teams created chances before a lovely move led to Miller doubling their lead. A flowing move led to Robert Biggs sliding the ball across to Nick Groves who loop the ball over the keeper to score his and Miller’s second before half time.

Both teams pressed for a goal in the second half and although Southwick looked as though they were going to get one they were denied by some great defending from David Jenkins, who was superb in defence.

Miller could have added a couple more goals near the death Nick Groves denied a hat-trick by the post and Mike Stevens volleying just wide when he should of scored.

Somerford 5 Wren FC 2

SOMERFORD FC collected their second win of the season courtesy of a 5-2 victory at home against Wren FC.

Somerford had the game won on their first-half showing as Matt Holdaway, who opened the scoring, set them on their way.

Ashley Monaghan doubled the lead before his second of the morning made it 3-0. Will Stone added a fourth before the interval.

Wren were much improved in the second period and scored twice through Michael McKeller and Steve Roberts.

But any hopes of what would have been an incredible comeback were thwarted when Jamie Holdaway netted a fifth goal for Somerford.

Staverton 5 GRFC 1

BACK-TO-BACK champions Staverton were made to fight for their win over GRFC who put up a magnificent battle.

Staverton took the lead after nine minutes with a Zack Manna goal and added a second on 37 minutes through Jason Povey.

GRFC were denied by keeper Wayne Gerrish who pulled off a couple of fine saves to keep the score at 2-0 and one world-class stop to somehow keep out a Charlie Austin thunderbolt.

Manna made it 3-0 to Staverton on the hour and GRFC pulled one back 15 minutes later through well-taken effort from Robbie Burton.

Staverton piled on the pressure in the last quarter missing several goal scoring opportunities and being thwarted several times by good saves from the GRFC keeper.

Goal number four came from Manna who scored his hat-trick goal six minutes from time and Staverton sealed a good solid win two minutes later when Sam Clarke netted his first goal for the 'Sky Blues'.

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