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

DIVISION TWO: Cooper-Avon have at last booked their place in Division One for next season, but they are going to have to wait until the final day of the season to see if they will be going up as champions or runners-up.

After their 5-0 win over The Crown Devizes, Gary Newman's side can now only be caught by Crown Cosmos who as The Southgate Inn last term beat them to the Division Three title by five points.

But this term's battle is going down to the wire and may yet be settled by goal difference.

Cooper-Avon were due to host Crown Devizes at the Conigre but they switched the match to Sands Lane, Rowde, home of the opponents and having already beaten them 4-2 there earlier in the season were looking to wrap up a league double.

With the hosts looking for a fourth straight win they were wary that the match could prove to be a potential banana skin, but they needn't have worried as they came away with another two points to keep their 19 match unbeaten run intact.

James Worsley, making his first appearance for over a month, gave Cooper-Avon the lead and James Ponsford scored from the penalty spot to give the tyremen a 2-0 half-time lead.

The Crown had no answer to Cooper-Avon in the second period and they should really have scored more than the three they did, as Worsley made it 3-0 with his second of the game. Simon Gillatt got his name of the score sheet before Worsley capped his comeback from injury with his hat-trick goal and Cooper's fifth.

White Hart Combe 5, Chippenham Police 1

WHITE Hart Combe are currently in second place, just one point clear of Crown Cosmos, who have played three fewer matches than Trevor Rawlings' side and for them to hold onto their automatic promotion berth they must hope that they win their remaining game and that Cosmos slip up in two of theirs, which is very unlikely.

Combe beat Chippenham Police 5-1 and that, coupled with other results that went against the boys in blue, leaves Chippenham Police just one point above the relegation zone.

Ben Smith opened his account for Combe when he curled home a stunning effort from 20 yards to put them in front. Shane Bell doubled the home team's lead before Lee Fernandez continued his purple patch in front of goal with their third of the game to give them a 3-0 lead at the break.

James Parfitt scored from the penalty spot to reduce the arrears for the Police but it proved to be only a consolation as Shane Bell scored his second of the game to restore Combe's three goal cushion. The match was to bed by Fernandez whose second of the game completed the 5-1 scoreline and took his tally for the season to 14.

Crown Cosmos might be in third spot now but it they win their three outstanding fixtures and Cooper-Avon win their last game the sides will be locked on 38 points, so the title will be decided on goal difference and the Devizes-based side might well be left very aggrieved if they lose out on goal difference as their title rivals battered a Horse and Groom side 17-1 a few weeks back due to the Horse playing the match with seven nine men.

Bremhill View Social Club 1, Crown Cosmos 4

CROWN Cosmos, who clawed back a few of those goals in midweek when they beat Sutton Benger 7-0, followed that success with a 4-1 win away at Bremhill View Social Club.

The home side threatened an upset when they took a 1-0 lead through Mark Smith, but Cosmos showed their experience as they hit back to take the spoils.

Crown Cosmos manager Will Kibby missed the game, much to the disappointment of his team-mates who were left questioning his commitment to the side as he was busy helping erect a shed, but Kibby must have felt that his team were good enough to win without him, which proved so despite the shaky start.

Nathan Sheridan cancelled out Smith's opener when he squared things up and Andy Coombes was on target to give Cosmos a 2-1 half-time lead.

Dean Potter netted the third and a second of the game for Sheridan wrapped up another win for Cosmos who will be in action on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday before they bring the curtain down on what has been another good season for them.

Horse and Groom 4, Sutton Benger 3

WESTBURY-based Horse and Groom should have been as home for their match with Sutton Benger, but with Leighton Sports Ground now being used for cricket they switched the match to Stanley Park, Chippenham.

And although they boosted their chances of avoiding relegation with a 4-3 win, they were left a little deflated when they returned to the changing rooms to discover a number of mobile phones and an amount of cash had been stolen during the match.

This is the second Sunday in a row that clubs have suffered at the hands of thieves at the sports complex.

On the pitch Sutton Benger took the lead through Matt White but they were pegged back by Alex Lutskes, whose 25 yard strike brought the sides level.

Sutton Benger regained the lead thanks to another good effort from Matt White before Richard Hunt, making a rare appearance for Horse and Groom, scored his first goal since October 2006 to hand the lead back to Tim Beecham's side.

Sutton Benger then helped in their own downfall as Ian Dawkins put through his own goal to gift the Horse and Groom a 3-2 lead.

Dawkins was in the wrong place at the wrong time again for the visitors' fourth as he helped deflect Dan Cox's shot into the net.

Sutton Benger rallied and reduced the gap to the odd goal when Matt White completed his hat-trick to take his tally for the season to 26, but they were unable to find the net again as the Horse and Groom held out for two important points that means if they can get a points from their final two games they will have a great chance of beating relegation with an escape act that Houdini would have been proud of.

11:12am Monday 5th May 2008

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