CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION: Biddestone march on at the top (From Wiltshire Times)

CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION: Biddestone march on at the top

1:30pm Monday 15th October 2012 in Sport

AFC MELKSHAM welcomed current leaders and defending S.K. Fruits Limited, Chippenham Sunday League Premier Division champions Biddestone Social to Christie Miller on a foggy October morning.

With the game in doubt up until kick-off, once given the green light it produced another thriller which lived up to expectations and saw Biddestone claim a 3-2 win.

Biddy started well, looking sharp in all departments and although Melksham played some neat football it was the visitors who opened the scoring on five minutes when Nathan Phillimore at the second attempt turned the ball home after his initial effort had been saved.

Melksham had chances to get back in the game but they were unable to find a way through their guests resolute defence and it was from an attack that Melksham were caught out and Biddestone scored their second.

A ball from defence was picked up by Kieran Baggs who skipped past Bradley Partner and his cross found Tyler Sibbick who smashed home from 12 yards on 36 minutes to make it 2-0.

Melksham continued to huff and puff and they finally blew down the Biddestone door and managed to snatch a goal back on 42 minutes.

Aaron Wiltshire and Jordan Kirk were buzzing around the box until Wiltshire hit a curling right footed shot just inside a crowded penalty area to beat Lewis Porter.

Mike Rogers brought on Luke Ballinger to add punch to the Melksham attack and, with a burst of possession by the home side that saw the champions on the back foot, Ballinger squared things up in the 59th minute.

The game continued end to end as gaps appeared in both defense's as they pushed forward looking for a winner.

Melksham brought on Ashley Fletcher and Dan Copeland to add fresh legs to the game but it was a breakaway that saw Rich Hudson give away a free kick right on the edge of the box.

Jamie Lyons' ball into the crowded area bounced around before Danny Jones got his head to it and knocked it in from close range to score what was to be winner 10 minutes from time.

Referee Neil Fautley had a faultless game in the middle and controlled a top rate match superbly.

Melksham now travel to Biddestone next week, with at least five players not fit to play, with Social getting closer and closer to retaining the title.

Bug & Spider 5 Semington Rovers 2

MARCUS Lovesey, manager of Bug & Spider FC, insisted before their game with Semington Rovers that he would step down should his team not win their first game of the season against the side who had beaten them 8-6 the previous week.

Lovesey kept his job as the Bug avenged last weeks loss courtesy of a 5-2 win.

Neurin Jones put Bug & Spider one up and his second of the game doubled the hosts lead, but with the first half drawing to a close Semington were handed a lifeline when Bobby Mitchell turned the ball in from eight yards to keep his team in the game.

The second period saw Semington have the better of the early exchanges without really threatening the hosts goal and it was Bug & Spider who scored the all-important next goal with Liam Brown making it 3-1.

Mark Smith added number four before a second from Brown took it to 5-1.

Semington scored a second late on when Alex Lewis who was making his debut for the Bug fouled Nick Mead in the area and Mead picked himself up and dispatched the spot kick with ease, but by then the points were already staying in Calne.

Westbury Rangers 1 FC Jager 1

FC JAGER and Westbury Rangers squared off again following last Sunday's game which Jager won 6-1, this time the sides fought out a 1-1 draw.

Westbury will definitely be the happier of the two teams, after playing the last 25 minutes with nine men.

Incredibly, that means Rangers have had five men sent off in their last three games and the resulting suspensions will more than likely hit them hard in the coming weeks.

The first half was all Westbury as they worked hard to avenge last weeks defeat.

Jager were struggling to break the Rangers defence down and their plight wasn't helped when Kai Miller was carried off with a knee injury.

Rangers deservedly took the lead on 40 minutes when Beau Blakeman broke the offside trap and drove the ball into the far bottom corner for the lead.

Jager upped their game in the second half and became more of a threat.

Eventually, they were able to break the stubborn Rangers defence and in the 52nd minute Ashley Barnett finished from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

As in previous weeks, Westbury's disciplinary problems became their downfall.

Dean Ranger got caught up in a bit of 'afters'and while it may be argued that the Jager player Jordan Evans went down a little theatrically, Ranger was given his marching orders.

Minutes later Ashley Easton was shown a straight red for an attempted elbow.

This left Rangers fighting an uphill battle for the remaining 25 minutes as Jager launched attack after attack to try and sneak a winner.

But Rangers defended superbly and held out for a well battled 1-1 draw. Westbury even had a few chances of their own to grab a winner, with some dangerous counter attacks when Jager were piling bodies forward.

Neither side will be completely happy with how the game unfolded and it probably seems like a point lost rather than a point gained for both sets of players, especially with Biddestone Social winning against AFC Melksham which sees them setting the early pace at the summit of the table.

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