Thursday night match round-up

9:07am Friday 25th April 2008

Terrific Thursday lived up to expectations as the top two sides in the Premier Division continued to match each other win for win last night.

It's now becoming a case of anything you can do, we can do too, although not necessarily better.

No one could have imagined at the start of the campaign just how good this season's battle for the title would become as everyone believed a third title would be a foregone conclusion for defending champions Corsham Centre A.

But they forgot the small matter of Box Rovers, Westbury Rangers A and Biddestone Social having a say in where the title would end up.

After last night's round of fixtures we are no closer to knowing if the winners' crown will stay at the Centre or if Biddestone Social will be wearing it as both sides picked up wins that will keep the race for glory going right to the wire.

Westbury Rangers A 1, Biddestone Social 2

WHAT has been confirmed is that after Biddestone Social overcame Westbury Rangers A 2-1 in their heavyweight battle at Meadow Lane is that it now looks likely to be a two-horse race rather than the three that it could have been had third placed Rangers beaten the leaders whose win saw them maintain their five point lead at the summit.

The match, that kicked off at 6.45pm to give both sides the chance to have their best players available, saw Biddestone take the lead after four minutes. Gary Banks was the provider for Danny Jones whose shot from 14 yards deflected in off the unfortunate Nick Mead.

Jones is claiming the goal, but match referee Adie Hunt believes it was an own goal.

Westbury Rangers were back on level terms on 16 minutes through top scorer Marc Lanfear and although chances came and went for both sides neither team could find the net again in the first half.

The second period saw Westbury Rangers have the majority of the play but Biddestone Social had the better of the chances, with both Gary Banks and Dan Lardner going close to giving them the lead.

With time running out and the heading for a draw Biddestone Social full back Mike Few chanced his hand up front in the 86th minute and having been played in by Jamie Lyons he rifled home a shot that was spilled by Rangers goalkeeper Nathan Taylor.

It was Social's 16th straight win and keeps their dreams of taking the title very much alive and brought an end to Rangers' 100 per cent home record as their suffered their first loss in 10 outings at Meadow Lane.

Box Rovers 0, Corsham Centre A 2

CORSHAM Centre A's first half performance against Box Rovers proved that they has still got the appetite for the game and aren't prepared to give up their title without a fight as they overcame a potential banana skin to their hopes of claiming a third successive title.

The Centre were very good in the first 45 minutes and took the lead after 20 minutes when Shane Godsell was put through on goal and drove home a left foot beauty past goalkeeper Luke McFarlane that seemed to settle the Centre's nerves.

On 35 minutes Simon Gray was sent clear and he rounded keeper McFarlane to shoot home to give the Centre a 2-0 lead, which should have become three in the 40th minute. Good work from Gray saw him pull the ball back to James Lye who spurned a golden opportunity to make it 3-0 and seal the game for the Centre.

Box had the greater possession in the second half but failed to create any clear cut chances. The Centre had chances to increase their lead but they too failed to take any of them due to fine goalkeeping from McFarlane or poor finishing.

North Star A 1, Bradford News 5

WITH the race for the title starting to look as if it is going to go down to the wire and possibly the final week of the season, the battle to stay in the division and beat the drop is becoming just as thrilling and entertaining and could also end up being decided on the final day of the campaign.

Currently, Maud Heath Sports are just outside of the danger zone and are keeping their heads above water by having a better goal difference than Bradford News, whose 5-1 victory over North Star A saw them move onto 11 points with the Sports.

Bradford News and North Star started the evening in the bottom two positions, with Bradford being on the bottom and the Star being above them, but at close of play the positions were reversed as Mark Hurkett's Newsmen, who lost 2-0 at home to Gary Elliott's side on Sunday, gained revenge for that lose with a fantastic victory that gives them new hope of beating the drop. Had they lost they would have been as good as down and looking forward to playing First Division football next term.

Bradford, who were missing a few players from their previous battle with the Star, expected a much tougher match but they raised their own game and took the lead through Harry Hamlin's excellent finish.

North Star were fortunate to get back on level terms as their equaliser was scored by Bradford's Ashley Merchant who headed past his own keeper to square things up.

Bradford reclaimed the advantage before the interval when the Star's keeper brilliantly saved a Darren Morris shot but he turned the ball into the path of Tom Downing who didn't need a second chance to tuck the ball away to give his team an all-important lead.

The second half saw Bradford forced into making an early substitution, when Mark Maguire replaced Dominic Sims, but Sims's injury may have been a blessing in disguise as Maguire made it 3-1 when he turned home an excellent cross from Ashley Merchant.

Downing's second goal of the game made the game safe at 4-1 before Maguire put the icing on the cake when he scored a brilliant individual effort to wrap up the victory at 5-1.

Dog and Fox Ashley 3, Miller Sports

DOG and Fox must have felt that they could go on and rout Miller Sports when they scored after just 90 seconds.

Miller Sports were hammered 14-0 by Biddestone Social at the weekend, but the second rout never materialised as at full time the Dog and Fox had managed only a 3-1 success.

Steve Wickings put the Dog and Fox ahead from the penalty spot and that was how the scoreline stayed until Matthew Lay scored early in the second half to double the lead.

Miller Sports gave themselves hope of staging a comeback when Nick Ridout drilled home a tremendous free kick on 68 minutes, but that was as close as they came to getting anything from the game as two minutes from time Steve Roddy added a third for the Dog and Fox that saw them wrap up their eighth maximum points haul of the campaign and move them two places up the standings to sixth spot.

Biddestone Arms 0, Potterne 5

POTTERNE moved within one point of Division One leaders The Ship after their 5-0 victory over Biddestone Arms last night and, more importantly for Pete Huntley and Lee Sanders' village side, it took them a massive step closer to Premier Division football next season.

Potterne's win saw them open up a three point lead over third placed Rowde and if they can get one more point from their two remaining matches that should be enough to gain them promotion as they have a much better goal difference than Rowde.

Biddestone Arms could have been forgiven for thinking that they were at a Bingo Hall rather than a football pitch as all of Potterne's goals were scored by a member of the House family - so all evening long they must have got totally fed up with hearing a call of House.

Wayne House chalked up Potterne's opener with Ben House adding number two.

Steve House was next to find the target as he gave Potterne a 3-0 half time lead.

The second period saw Ben House score his second of the contest to make it 4-0 and he completed the full house and his hat-trick with goal number five.

Coyote 2, Chippenham Sports and Social Club 3

HAVING won the WG Parr Trophy with a resounding 5-2 victory over Potterne and to follow that success up with unbelievable 6-0 victory over leaders The Ship, Coyote went into their match at Southwick against Chippenham Sports and Social Club knowing that they were expected to win, but also knowing that their bubble could burst against a much improved Sports side who had suffered just one defeat in their previous five games.

Unfortunately for Chris Carr's side it was the latter as they came back down to earth with a bang as the Sports won 3-2.

Chippenham Sports found their goal under siege for the first 20 minutes, but a mix of brave defending, good goalkeeping from Graham Jones and poor finishing saw the Sports withstand the barrage and it was against the run of play that Andy Flynn put them ahead on 22 minutes.

Five minutes later Coyote goalkeeper Ashley Haines, who has been impressive for most of the season, gifted the Sports their second goal when he let a harmless looking shot go through his legs and Mark Clarke pounced on the error to fire the Sports into a 2-0 half-time lead. But it came at a cost to the Sports who lost keeper Jones through injury.

Chris Hawkins replaced him between the sticks and he was put under attack almost immediately from the restart, and it came as no surprise when Matt Minnis scored to reduce the gap to the odd goal.

Coyote got back on level terms through Tarick Yachou and with time running out it looked as if the game was going to end all square, but in their attempt to find a winner Coyote were caught on the break by the Sports and again goalkeeper Haines was at fault for the winner as he failed to come for a ball that led to Mark Clarke scoring his second goal of the game to earn the Sports their fifth victory of the season, four of which have come in the last six games.

Sutton Benger 5, FC Bradford 5

IN Division Two, Sutton Benger were involved in an amazing match against FC Bradford at Stanley Park where the two sides shared the points in a 10 goal thriller.

The point Sutton Benger took from the draw should be good enough to ensure their status in Division Two for at least another season.

Sutton Benger were left a little deflated after the game as they had led by three goals at one stage but let Bradford back into it to earn their unlikely point.

Rob Kent continued his good run of form in front of goal when he fired Benger ahead. Russell Francis restored parity for Bradford before Mike Pye regained the lead for Benger. Bradford hit back and squared things up for a second time through Lee Radwell.

Mark Bolton scored his second goal in as many games to give the lead back to Benger at 3-2 and Matt White then score two good goal as Benger took a 5-2 lead and at this stage they looked set to pick up back-to-back victories.

But it wasn't to be as Bradford replied in style with Mark Robinson reducing the gap and then Russell Francis cut the deficit to the odd goal with his second of the game. When Robinson bagged his second of the night the visitors' comeback was complete.

Both teams had chances to win the game but come the final whistle they more quite happy to settle for a point each from an end of term thriller.

The Crown Devizes 2, Bremhill View Social Club 1

WHEN The Crown Devizes went head to head with Bremhill View Social Club back in October, Martin Belcher's Bremhill side routed the Crown 8-1 and the return clash at Sands Lane Rowde was expected to have a similar outcome, with the hosts having only an outside chance of getting a result.

But it was the outsiders who came good as they avenged their earlier defeat by snatching a well deserved 2-1 victory.

Simon Drewitt, in only his second game of the season, scored the opener for the Crown which was cancelled out by Mark Smith, who netted for Bremhill that saw the sides go in at the break tied at 1-1.

Kevin Bush sealed the win for the hosts and back-to-back victories for the first time this season when he bagged his fourth goal of the season that means that any lingering doubts that the home team had about their survival in the division have now ended as they are now safe from the drop.

Corsham Park Rangers 1, AFC Bell 2

AFC BELL became the outright leaders of Division Three last night after they defeated basement side Corsham Park Rangers 2-1.

Craig Townsend's table-toppers were far from impressive as they almost blew a two goal lead against a Corsham Park side who were well below full strength and were left fuming at the final whistle as they believed they had a perfectly good goal ruled out right at the death that would have given them an unexpected draw.

Jonathan Couch gave Bell the lead in the 20th minute when he was left unmarked to slot home the opener. Bell doubled their lead on 59 minutes through Gary Campbell whose swift turn in the area saw him finish well to make it 2-0.

Corsham Park, who gained a creditable draw at the weekend when they drew 2-2 with Pheasant, never gave up and battled their way back into the contest and reduced the arrears in the 88th minute through Jake Marshall whose long range drive gave the hosts a glimmer of hope.

With the final kick of the match they thought they had equalised courtesy of Dan Purser, but after the referee had awarded the goal, he changed his mind and ruled the goal out, much to the delight of the Bell and dismay of Corsham Park, as he believed the ball had entered the back of the net through the side netting.

The result leaves Corsham Park at the foot of the table but if they can play as well as they have done in their last two matches against two of the top two sides then they have a chance of staying in the division with matches against Pack Horse Rangers and Westbury Rangers B still to play.

White Horse FC 1, Pheasant FC 4

CHIPPENHAM-based Pheasant got their push for an automatic promotion place back on track with a 4-1 victory at relegation threatened White Horse, whose defeat leaves them just one point clear of the drop zone where they will stay if Corsham Park Rangers fail to pick up a point from their final two games.

A point for Corsham Park would almost certainly send the White Horse down to Division Four along with Chippenham West End Club whose stay in the division came to an end last weekend.

Oli Selman's Pheasant side have lost their way over the past few weeks and knew that their hosts at the cement works, Westbury, needed a victory just as much as they needed one.

After dropping three points in their previous two games Pheasant saw their nerves settled in under a minute as Nat Auckland scored a quick fire opener to put the visitors ahead after just 58 seconds.

Lee Blackmore doubled Pheasant's lead after nine minutes and had it not been for their goalkeeper Tom Jones, who produced a number of fine saves, White Horse may well have reduced the gap earlier than they did in the 44th minute when Tom Shephard hit the target.

Pheasant regained their two goal cushion just before the hour mark thanks to a fiercely struck free kick from Joe Forester that the Horse goalkeeper spilled into the net.

With four minutes remaining left back Gary Lock completed the scoring with his 10th goal of the campaign.

The result might have slightly flattered the Pheasant but they would have taken a 1-0 victory just as long as it meant they got another two points on the board.