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

Jamie Lyons

For a second successive weekend, the fixture programme was decimated with the postponement of over a third of the scheduled 25 matches.

But unlike the previous weekend, when waterlogged pitches led to the majority of fixtures being wiped out, it was the Easter Holidays that bought about many of the games being lost as clubs were unable to raise sides due to players having family and work commitments.

Biddestone Social continue to set the pace at the top of the Premier Division as their 7-2 victory over Winsley saw them open up a two point gap on their nearest challengers, Westbury Rangers A who missed out on a game.

Biddestone Social were wary of their visitors to a very wet Yatton Road as they feared their old adversaries could prove to be a banana skin to their hopes of lifting their first ever top-flight title. However, Danny Jones and Dan Lardner's side need not have worried as they romped to a comprehensive victory that flattered Winsley who, had it not been for their much maligned goalkeeper Mike Thorpe, who made a number of great saves, could have conceded double figures.

Biddestone Social took the lead after seven minutes when man-of-the-match Jamie Lyons, who was red-hot for most of the game, broke clear and delivered the perfect cross to Danny Jones who made no mistake as he made it 1-0.

Biddestone Social doubled their lead after nine minutes thanks to John O'Meara. O'Meara might have scored the goal but it owed as much to the great build-up play from both Rob Pocock and Gary Banks who, after a series of one-twos up the wing, saw Pocock send over an inch perfect cross to O'Meara who made it 2-0.

Biddestone Social were in the ascendancy and cutting through Winsley's defence like a knife through butter and it was a surprise when Chris Tricker pulled a goal back for the visitors after 19 minutes and a bigger surprise followed four minutes later when Neil Kirkpatrick fired Winsley level from the penalty spot.

Biddestone Social regrouped and were back in front after 37 minutes through John O'Meara who drove home a loose ball from 12 yards to make it 3-2.

The teams turned around at the break knowing that the next goal would be the all-important one and it was the hosts who claimed it in the 47th minute, and again it owed much to the pace of Jamie Lyons who beat a clutch of players before crossing to Rob Pocock who turned home the fourth goal to give them a two goal cushion.

Unlike the first half, when they threw away a two goal lead, Biddestone Social moved further ahead after 57 minutes through Gary Banks who scored with an overhead kick to made it 5-2.

Gary Banks scored his second goal of the game in the 77th minute to make it 6-2. Banks was played through on the halfway line by Danny Jones and after a run of 30 yards he slipped the ball under advancing goalkeeper Thorpe.

Biddestone Social completed the scoring two minutes from time when substitute Shahram Hemarti lashed home from 16 yards.

Biddestone Social's victory extended their winning run to 11 matches and on this form they look the team to beat. With only one defeat from 15 matches they are in the driving seat and although they have a number of tough matches ahead of them before the season reaches its climax they will never have a better chances of taking the crown.

Box Rovers 3, Holt 1

BOX Rovers, Holt and referee Mark Vincent are to be congratulated for getting the game at the Recreation Ground in Box played.

Both clubs were struggling to field a team but played with whoever they had available and referee Vincent allowed the game to go ahead in tricky conditions that might have seen another official call the the game before it had even kicked-off.

Neither team were at full strength and both were missing key players. Holt, who had planned on using striker Rob O'Harrow as their goal keeper in the absence of Roy Hewitt, Dave Ivermee and Nick Corbett were dealt a further blow in the warm-up, when an injury to Mike Jenkins forced manager Stuart Faint to reshuffle his pack again. Jenkins had to play in goal and although it was his first ever appearance between the sticks he had a fantastic game.

Jenkins' opposite number Luke McFarlane produced a fine save to tip an Oli Gee shot over the bar before an error from Holt's stand-in keeper Jenkins gifted Rovers their opener which saw Wesley Newson score his first goal for the side.

Holt's Ronnie Frost had the opportunity to square things up but missed a gilt-edged chance when he headed wide from close range. Ben Cogswell scored on his debut to double Rovers' advantage and Adam Taylor increased the lead even further before Alan Fodder pulled a goal back for Holt.

Second placed Westbury Rangers A travelled to The Beeches, Shaw, to face an in-form Miller Sports side, but they were greeted by their hosts and the match referee and were told that the pitch was waterlogged and the pitch was unsafe to use. Both teams were eager to get the game played and were willing to play as in their opinion the pitch was playable but both teams had to sit out a football free Sunday for a second week running.

Relegation threatened sides North Star A and Bradford News have yet to meet this season, and the first battle between Gary Elliott's Star side and Mark Hurkett's newsmen doesn't seem to be getting any closer.

The teams were due to meet earlier this month at Bradford's Trowbridge Road pitch, but the game was postponed due to a three car accident involving North Star players.

Bradford News were set to meet the Star on their Priestley Grove pitch but the council forced a late postponement due to having to carry out work on the nearby Community Centre, which the Star use as their changing rooms.

A late pitch inspection at St Mary's, Steeple Ashton, led to the postponement of the match between Semington Rovers and Maud Heath Sports.

Allan Clarke, manager of Semington, was a little dismayed at the referee's decision to declare the pitch unfit and felt that had he waited a little while and had his team been given a little time to remove the small amount of standing water that was on the pitch then the game could probably have gone ahead.

11:14am Monday 24th March 2008

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