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

Gary Elliott

DEFENDING Premier Division champions Corsham Centre A are in action again tonight, just 48 hours after they defeated FC Colerne 7-0.

And if they can repeat that success against North Star A at Meriton Avenue then the Centre will close the gap on title favourites Biddestone Social to just one point.

The Centre are due to play their hosts again on Sunday so this match could be seen as the appetiser before the main course.

Both teams need the points, but for different reasons, as the Centre must win their remaining four games if they are to deny Biddestone Social the title and the Star need to get something from the game if they are to survive the drop back to Division One after just a season in the top flight.

The teams last met in the league way back in May 2005 and on that occasion things didn't go to plan for the Centre as they were looking for a victory to close out a perfect season of 24 victories but a Mark Sharratt double earned the Star a 2-2 draw. Liam Ralph and Ben Thomson, who is now at Team Bath, scored for the Centre.

The Star go into the game on the back of a fantastic 7-1 over Dog and Fox Ashley at the weekend, when Sharratt netted twice but he was out-scored by Pete Thornton, who bagged a hat-trick, and the visitors' manager Gary Elliott will be hoping that both players will still have a few goals in them and that once again they can upset the odds and take a point from their hosts.

The Centre will be odds-on favourites to take maximum points but should they underestimate their guests then they might just pay the price as they know what the Star are capable of doing when they are on form.

Miller Sports v Westbury Rangers A

WESTBURY Rangers A will be expecting to beat Miller Sports for a second time this season and, having beaten them 7-1 in mid October, they will be red-hot favourites to seal a league double and collect their eighth victory in nine matches.

The division's leading scorer Marc Lanfear top-scored for Rangers in their earlier victory, with three of the seven goals, Mark Young scored twice and Paul Beavers and Matty Smith added singles.

Although Rangers are predicted to win and keep their hopes of runners-up spot alive they will face a different Miller Sports side than the one they faced before.

Even though they have managed just one win from four games, Miller Sports should prove harder to beat than Rangers would have expected.

Miller Sports, who beat Winsley 5-2 on Sunday, had been terrible prior to that win, but before a dip in form they had suffered just one defeat from their opening eight games of 2008.

Tim Knight's Miller Sports side could cause an upset, especially now they have Nick Ridout back and along with Ashley Groves and Luke Smith he will prove a handful for Rangers, who will know what he is capable of as a number of them line up with Ridout for Westbury United in the Toolstation League.

The result will be a lot closer that the last one between the teams and if Rangers aren't fully focused they are likely to suffer a loss.

But with so much at stake they should take the points, by virtue of what should be comfortable win, by at least a two or three goal winning margin.

The Ship v Christian Malford

TROWBRIDGE-based The Ship will take a massive step to claiming the Division One title if they beat relegated Christian Malford at the Stallards this evening.

Christian Malford are likely to struggle for a side when they visit the Ship, and their season, which has already been a poor one, could end in a heavy defeat if the Ship can get back to winning ways which they should be able to do.

When the teams met at Upper Seagry in October the Ship won 6-3. Lee Hayward scored twice, with singles from Dave Percival, Tom Bonsor, Toby Dawson and Scott Cunningham making up the half dozen and the home team, who have collected just one point from a possible six, will have no problems in taking the two points from this game that will as good as see them crowned champions.

Malford go into the game having lost 17 matches in succession and if they were to come away from the Stallards with a win or even a draw, the result would be one of the biggest upsets in the history of the league.

There should be only one outcome from the match and that is a resounding win for the Ship who will be more than confident that First Division title will be heading to a Trowbridge side for first time since 2003 when Terry's FC beat West Lavington to the number one spot.

Crown Cosmos v Sutton Benger

CROWN Cosmos have their destiny in their own hands from now until the conclusion of the season.

If Will Kibby's side win all their remaining Division Two matches they will at least finish in an automatic promotion place and if they can score plenty of goals in the process they have a good chance of catching up with leaders Cooper-Avon, who at present have a better goal difference of plus 14 goals.

Crown Cosmos were due to play Chippenham Police last weekend but the boys in blue were unable to raise a side for a game that would have probably seen Cosmos bag a few goals.

Tonight they entertain Sutton Benger, who they defeated 4-2 back in October, and they are predicted to better that scoreline as Benger have conceded five goals in each of their previous two matches.

In their earlier 4-2 success goals from Dean Potter (2), Eliot Williams and David Lloyd took Crown Cosmos to victory. Chris Miles scored both goals for Benger.

Cosmos, who are based in Devizes, are aiming for a third successive promotion since they joined the league in 2005 and should coast to victory number 14 of the season.

Benger's only hope of upsetting the odds is to hope that the Cosmos have an off-day and that striker Matt White is on song and he can produce a gloss finish that would give his team what would be one of the upsets of the season.

Westbury Rangers B v Crown FC

DEVIZES-based Crown FC visit Meadow Lane tonight and will be hoping to finish their Third Division campaign with a victory over hosts Westbury Rangers B that would see them leapfrog AFC Melksham for fourth place.

But it might only be a temporary stay there as AFC Melksham could retake it before the campaign reaches its conclusion.

Dave Griffin's Rangers side will be going all out to gain revenge for their 3-2 loss from early March, when goals from Jack Fisher, Jason Lucas and Tom Slater earned Mark Adamson's side victory.

Sam Young scored both goals for Rangers back then and Griffin will be hoping that he will be able to produce the goods once more to end Rangers' barren run of no goals in their last two outings.

Both sides suffered defeats at the weekend, with Rangers losing 1-0 to second placed Biddestone White Horse and The Crown suffering a 3-2 loss against the leaders AFC Bell.

Both camps were without key players in those games.

Crown manager Mark Adamson will be hoping to have Dan Sloan, Ashley Bartells and Lucas available tonight and Rangers boss Griffin will hope that top scorer Dale Rowland will have shrugged off injury and that Kevin Balchin can give up his goalkeeper's role and get back on pitch where he has been missed.

Rangers might be a little short of firepower in front of goal and unless they can conjure up a striker from somewhere the Crown are tipped to complete a league double.

Riverside Renegades v North Star B

RIVERSIDE Renegades will overtake long time Division Four leaders Steeple Ashton Rangers tonight if they beat North Star B, which should be a formality.

A win no matter how small would see Riverside move level on points with Steeple Ashton at the summit but their greater goal difference would see them move into the number one spot.

Riverside entertain second from bottom North Star B at St Laurence School, Bradford, and they go into the contest on the back of an 11-1 demolition of Old Road Tavern. Against a struggling Star side, who have not won in five matches and are finding it hard to field 11 players, they could hit the goal trail for a second successive match.

North Star may have defeated their hosts 4-3 when the sides met in October, thanks to goals from Simon Clifford, Matt Tracey and Dan Allison (2) with Riverside's goals coming from Lee Ridout, Ashley Styles and Adam Hurd, but their chances of achieving a league double are zero.

North Star visit a Riverside outfit who have both manager Lance Davis and Joe Taylor on fire in front of goal.

Taylor tops the division's scoring chart with 34 goals and Davis is just five behind him on 29 and it would be a surprise if neither of them didn't find the net again to keep their good run going.

North Star know that they will have to raise their game if they are to have a realistic chance of beating Riverside for a second time, but even though they have a habit of turning on the style when it matters and they have a good record against sides in the top half of the table this could be one match that they don't come good in.

A comprehensive win is on the cards for the hosts who could hit double figures for a fourth time this term.

5:03am Thursday 1st May 2008

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