Thursday night match round-up

9:23am Friday 11th April 2008

BOX Rovers moved level on points with third placed Westbury Rangers A last night after their 6-3 home success over North Star A that leaves the losers well and truly rooted to the bottom of the Premier Division table and likely favourites for relegation.

Rovers led 2-1 at the interval, with Tommy Ludford scoring his first of the season for the Star.

Pete Thornton and Nick Fielding, who scored his first goal since May 2005, added further goals for the Calne-based side in the second period but they weren't enough to stop them from losing for a 13th time this term as Adam Taylor and Tom Smith scored doubles and Jason Walsh and Ben Cogswell scored singles to make up Rovers' half dozen.

FC Colerne 0, Dog and Fox Ashley 4

DOG and Fox might have started their match away at FC Colerne in sunshine, but the game almost never finished as driving rain and hail forced referee Adie Hunt to call a halt a little early, with the Dog and Fox leading 4-0, otherwise the game might have been abandoned.

Both sets of players were more than happy to hear the sound of the whistle even if it was a little premature.

For the Dog and Fox it was their first victory in six outings and their first clean sheet since late September when they beat Maud Heath Sports 3-0.

For Colerne it was their fourth straight loss.

Steve Roddy set the Dog and Fox on their way when his shot took a slight deflection before finding the target and Steve Wickings made it 2-0 at the interval when he drilled home a beauty from 18 yards into the bottom left hand corner of the net.

Midway through the second half Roddy made it 3-0, when after a good move from a corner he rifled home another stunner from 18 yards. Roddy scored his third and the Dog's fourth, five minutes from time. Surprisingly, it is only the second hat-trick the prolific striker has notched this season.

Miller Sports 3, Maud Heath Sports 2

MAUD Heath Sports are still under the threat of relegation, but if they learn to hold onto a lead they may yet pull clear of the drop zone.

Maud Heath led Miller Sports 1-0 and drew level at 2-2 at one stage before Miller Sports, who returned to form after their 5-1 weekend defeat against Corsham Centre, bounced back to claim a 3-2 win.

Darren Holcombe's opener for Maud Heath was cancelled out by Ben Grinham, whose third goal of the season squared things up. James Eatough gave Miller Sports the lead only for Graham Dean to fire Maud Heath level.

Grinham's second of the game sealed Sports's fifth win in seven games, but if it wasn't for the honesty of Maud Heath linesman and manager Andy Townsend the game might have ended in a draw as he signalled that the ball had crossed the line for Miller Sports's first goal when all those around him were unsure what had happened.

Rowde 0, The Ship 2

AFTER three postponements, it was fourth time lucky as the long awaited showdown between Division One leaders The Ship and promotion hopefuls Rowde was at last played.

The first of two meetings between the sides took place at Rowde's own patch in Sands Lane and the contest which was tipped to be a thriller didn't fail to disappoint as both teams gave their all before the Ship emerged 2-0 victors.

Rowde will think that had they taken their chances then they could have ended their visitors' winning run which now stands at 16 games and it is looking unlikely that anyone will be able to sink them this term as they seek the perfect record. They now need another six wins to reach their target of 22 straight victories.

Both teams were at full strength for the gladiatorial encounter, but it was the Ship's defence, and goalkeeper Craig Brown in particular, who stood up to everything Rowde had to offer.

A goal in each half gave the Ship the points, the first coming from Lee Hayward, who tapped home a Toby Dawson cross, and the second arrived late on from Tom Bonsor, who rounded the Rowde goalkeeper to finish with aplomb as he wrapped up another two points for the leaders with his 12th goal of the campaign.

Coyote 0, British Lion 0

COYOTE manager, Chris Carr rested several of his potential starting team in ahead of their WG Parr Trophy final against Potterne on Sunday when they entertained a patched-up British Lion side, who were licking their wounds from Sunday's defeat against the same side.

Both teams could have done without the midweek game, and come the final whistle may well have wished that it hadn't been as it finished in a goal-less draw.

The Lion started well and after only two minutes Coyote centre half Richard Gray turned Luke Hunneyball's cross onto his own post.

The Lion should have taken the lead after six minutes. Darren Brown's through ball was deftly flicked on by Nick Mooney and Nathan West volleyed over from 20 yards without realising he had time to steady himself.

Despite being on the back foot for most of the first 20 minutes, Coyote came back into the game strongly as the half progressed.

After 22 minutes Tom Berrington rattled a 20 yard drive that Mark Sinclair gathered at the second attempt. Four minutes later, Ross Pike headed over Nathan Flower's corner from close range.

Flower's deliveries from set pieces posed a constant threat and seven minutes before the break his corner was hit first time by Sam McQueen but went wide. Two minutes later Gray met another Flower corner and Sinclair somehow managed to get the ball over his crossbar.

Going into the second half, both sides made substitutions, with Chris Carr bringing some of his big guns into play and Phil Oliver using some of his walking wounded.

After 63 minutes, a throw from Lion's Tom Evans was intercepted by Berrington and he hit the sidenetting with Sinclair desperately closing the angle.

Although the Lion had a little spell of possession, their chances were few and far between and Coyote looked the more dangerous going forward.

The Lion's cause was further hampered in the 75th minute when substitute Andrew Webster and Tom Evans went off within a matter of minutes, leaving the Lion effectively playing with nine men.

Although Evans returned he was a virtual spectator as Coyote laid siege to the Lion goal.

McQueen headed Berrington's free kick over with ten minutes left and with five minutes to go, Dan Shanley wasted a good delivery from Pike.

However, the Lion defence of Dave Crawford, Andy Stonestreet and Mikey O'Donnell held firm and the game ended in stalemate

Foresters Arms 2, AFC Calne 0

FORESTERS Arms moved up to fourth spot after they saw off a brave challenge from AFC Calne at Awdry Avenue, Melksham.

Foresters, who beat AFC Calne 3-1 earlier the season, completed a league double over their opponents by virtue of two-second half goals which earned them a 2-0 triumph and extended their unbeaten run to four games.

AFC Calne lost two of their influential players to injury in the first half but managed to hold their hosts who were unable to take any of their chances.

AFC Calne, who lost Craig Fry with a groin strain, and Dean Fry, who suffered a suspected chipped bone in his foot, battled on bravely and had chances of their own before and after the break to take the lead before Chris Turk scored the opener after 60 minutes with a brilliant diving header that the AFC Calne goalkeeper Aaron Ward got a hand to but could only help it into the net.

Foresters' second followed 10 minutes later when the ball fell to the feet of Luke Turvey 18 yards out and he took one touch before firing the ball beyond a despairing Ward to make it 2-0.

Foresters could have added to their tally had it not been for goalkeeper Ward, who produced fine saves to deny Turk and Leigh Rowles-Hitchcock.

FC Bradford 4, Hullavington 3

DESPITE having five goalkeepers signed on, Hullavington thought that they would be forced to use James Nation as their makeshift number one for their trip to FC Bradford in what was their first game in over a month.

But the villagers, who were bidding to set a new club record of eight successive victories, were saved at the 11th hour by the arrival Jack Ward.

But they may have wished they had used Nation as their shot stopper as Ward was guilty of a howler that gifted FC Bradford their second goal which allowed them back into the game as they came from 3-1 down to win a thriller 4-3 and deny the visitors to Poulton their record breaking win.

Hullavington took the lead through Ben Wright who scored from 18 yards following a well-worked corner and they held their advantage for the rest of the first period.

A brilliant solo effort from Charlie Powell restored parity for FC Bradford who then fell behind to a cheeky effort from Hullavington top scorer Ed Wilkins who flicked the ball up before heading home to give the villagers a 2-1 lead.

Wilkins drilled home his second goal of the game after being set up by Liam Bailey and his 32nd of the campaign to increase his team's lead and put them on course for victory.

But the game turned shortly after when Sam Jordan slid the ball between goalkeeper Ward's legs to bring FC Bradford back into the game. Now with the bit between their teeth FC Bradford went at Hullavington and Mark Robinson squared things up with a thumping shot from the edge of the area to make it 3-3.

FC Bradford manager Pete Collier made one last throw of the dice as he threw on substitute Ross Hatter and his gamble was rewarded when Hatter popped up with the winner to earn FC Bradford their remarkable victory

White Hart Combe 8, The Horse and Groom 0

HAVING fought out a goalless draw on Sunday, promotion candidates White Hart Combe and basement side The Horse and Groom met in the return match at Stanley Park, Chippenham, with this meeting going to plan as Combe hit eight unanswered goals.

James Stone was first to find the net followed by Luke Hodder and Lee Fernandez to make it 3-0 before Stone scored his second of the evening to give Combe a 4-0 half-time lead.

The goals continued in the second half with another from Fernandez, who lobbed the Horse and Groom keeper from the halfway line. James Stone completed his hat-trick with goal number six, Fernandez followed Stone's three timer with the second treble of the game when he made it 7-0 and the scoring was completed by Ben Munns.

White Hart Combe's victory means that they move up into second place behind Crown Cosmos and long time leaders Cooper-Avon.

Westbury Rangers B 0, AFC Bell 5

THE only match in Division Three saw AFC Bell move into third place behind Biddestone White Horse and Pheasant FC after they defeated Westbury Rangers B 5-0.

They returned to their Devizes base content with the victory that extended their unbeaten run to 11 matches, even if the result did flatter them a little.

Rangers were left wondering what they might have done had they not had to use Gavin Palmer as a makeshift goalkeeper as, unfortunately for Palmer, despite his best efforts he was at fault for three of the Bell's goals.

Craig Townsend scored Bell's opener when he fired home a free kick. Neil Gordon then hit the post for Westbury before Nathan Moffat made it 2-0. The second period saw Jonathan Couch add number three before super substitute Gareth Evans came off the bench to score goals four and five.

North Star B 1, Three Crowns United 12

AFTER a four week lay off that had seen them pull out of two of a possible four games due to a shortage of players, doubts about the future of Division Four side North Star B look to be unfounded as they returned to action against Three Crowns United last night.

They even gave up home advantage and made the short trip from Priestley Grove, Calne, to Stanley Park to ensure the fixture was played.

But the result was not what the Star would have wanted or expected as they were crushed 12-1 which was a complete turnaround from when the sides met in September when North Star won 3-1.

Marcus Young and Paul Maddox were the Star's chief tormentors as they were on top of their game as Three Crowns took their unbeaten run to seven matches.

Mike Cassidy scored the Three Crown's opener on their way to a 6-1 half-time lead. Paul Maddox scored a hat-trick, the third goal coming from the penalty spot, Mike Weaving scored his first for the club and Young, who had a hand in five of the early goals, completed the half dozen.

Paul Maddox scored another treble in the second half to take his tally for the game to six, Mike Cassidy scored another two, one of which came from the penalty spot to seal another hat-trick, and Paul Dodimead netted the final goal of the game.

Three Crowns were also responsible for the Star's goal when goalkeeper Steve Warner deflected a shot in his own net after a goalmouth scramble.