Robson Taylor Chippenham Sunday League News 2007/08  RSS feed | About

Pat Johnson

With all four semi-finalists in the WG Parr Trophy coming from Division One, this weekend will see only four league matches taking place.

Leaders The Ship entertain Melksham-based Foresters Arms at the Stallards in Trowbridge and as the only team left in the whole of the league with a 100 per cent record it would take one of the biggest upsets of the season to deny the table-toppers a 15th straight win.

Having already defeated the Foresters 4-1 early in the season, The Ship should have few problems in wrapping up a league double over Pat Johnson's side who will have to produce one of their best displays of the campaign if they hope to dent the hosts' push for promotion.

Lee Hayward, manager of the Ship, hopes to have many of his best players available for the game and that includes joint top goal scorer Dave Percival who are been in red-hot form of late and scored a brace in their recent win over Potterne. Along with Percival, the likes of Tom Bonsor, Dave Appleyard and Toby Dawson could also shine against the Foresters. Appleyard might even get to start the game as he always makes an impact when he comes on after starting on the bench.

Foresters will make things as hard as possible for the home team and, if Luke Turvey and Greg Wilmot can keep their good form in front of goal going and Leigh Rowles-Hitchcock and Ian Dowell can rediscover their eye for goal, Foresters have a few strikers who could get them goals.

But the Ship would have to have an off day and Foresters one they would never forget if they are to have any chance of causing a shock.

North Bradley v Rowde

Third-placed Rowde, who are presently in third spot, will close the gap on their fierce rivals Potterne whose cup involvement means that should Kevin Whitbread's side beat North Bradley they will be just one point adrift of their fellow promotion chasing villagers.

Damon Berrelly and Tim Richards's Bradley side will host a Rowde side who have lost just twice in 13 games and have netted 13 goals in their last three matches.

A new-look Bradley side missed out on a game last weekend but the last time they played they clinched their first victory in four outing, with a 6-4 success over Christian Malford. Neil Wilcox, who is having one of his best ever seasons for the club, scored twice as did Leigh Trainer, with Paul Riley and Berrelly making up the half dozen.

Rowde will prove a lot harder for Bradley to beat, but a new-found spirit within the side could leave them in with a real chance of beating Rowde.

They know they are more than capable of beating the top clubs as they proved when they beat Potterne back in November.

The result should go the way of Rowde, who will want to make the most of Potterne's league inactivity, and although they have already beaten Bradley 5-2, courtesy of doubles from Jamie Mullings and Marcus Wallen and a single from Sam Weller, they will not take anything for granted as they are well aware of what Bradley can do when they put their minds to it.

Rowde will be favourites to take maximum points that would keep their hopes of finishing in the top two very much alive.

British Lion v Chippenham Sports and Social Club

FOUR wins on the trot has seen Devizes-based British Lion climb the table to fourth place and if they can maintain their current form they might not win the title, but they could have a say as to which sides will gain promotion to the top flight.

They still have to play Potterne twice and Rowde once and it is possible that it could be the Lion themselves that steal second place from either of their near neighbours.

Next up for the Lion are basement side Chippenham Sports and Social Club and Jason Bull will take his Sports side to Green Lane, Devizes, where they will bid to extend their mini-revival to three matches in the hope of keeping the hopes of avoiding relegation alive.

It will be a massive ask for the Sports to get anything from the game as when the teams clashed in September the Lion roared to a 5-1 victory, with Luke Enderby, Nathan West, Lee Campbell and the management duo of Dave Crawford and Andrew Webster sharing the goals.

Even though Chippenham Sports have improved of late it is hard to see anything other than a win for the British Lion which would see them complete their third league double of the season.

The Sports caused a huge shock when they beat Potterne earlier in the season and if Jason Bull's Sports side can repeat that form then they might be in with a chance of causing a big surprise. But they are going to have to do it without Jason Cole, who has been suspended for the foreseeable future from playing in the league after he turned out for Pack Horse Rangers last weekend.

Christian Malford v Biddestone Arms

EVEN though Christian Malford haven't picked up a point from any of their previous 14 matches, it still doesn't seem possible that the villagers are just two points clear of the relegation zone and that unless they can muster at least one more win from their remaining four games they are in danger of slipping into Division Two.

They still have Chippenham Sports still to play but before that game their best hopes of picking up a victory will be this Sunday when they host Biddestone Arms.

But the chances of that happening are slim as Biddestone Arms defeated Malford 4-0 back in November. John Ledgister ran Malford's defence ragged that day and scored a hat-trick and if the burly target man plays this weekend he will once again prove a handful for the Malford back line.

Even though Biddestone Arms will be anticipating another victory over Malford, their form away from their Cuttle Lane pitch has been far from impressive and they have only managed one win from eight away days, so if Malford can find some form in front of goal and tighten things up in their back four they stand a chances of claiming their first points since September, when they beat Coyote 4-2.

11:58am Friday 14th March 2008

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