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

PREMIER DIVISION: Whoever wins this season's Premier Division title will have done it the hard way and whether it is defending champions Corsham Centre A or Biddestone Social who pick up the trophy, they will be deserving champions from what has been one of the closest title races for many seasons.

Biddestone Social welcomed Westbury Rangers A to Yatton Road and just like the previous match 11 days ago that saw Biddy win 2-1 the rematch was an exciting one as the teams fought out a 10 goal thriller that saw the hosts 3-1 down and on the ropes for a while before they fought back to land the knockout blow and claim a 6-4 victory to extend their winning run to 18 matches.

Biddestone Social went ahead through John O'Meara after eight minutes when he picked up a loose ball and calmly slotted home it home, but Westbury Rangers were back on level term within minutes thanks to top scorer Marc Lanfear who was set up by manager Shaun Gardiner who was forced into making a rare appearance after a few of his players failed to turn up.

Gardiner set up his team's second of the match which was again scored by Lanfear to give them a 2-1 lead after 16 minutes. Things got better for Westbury Rangers in the 22nd minute when Matty Smith fired home number three.

Biddestone Social then seemed to wake from their slumbers and reduced the arrears in the 40th minutes when Danny Jones volleyed home a Rob Pocock cross.

The hosts were on level terms before the interval as Pocock again turned provider for Jamie Lyons who just beat the Westbury goalkeeper to the ball to fire home the equaliser.

Westbury Rangers regained the lead after 51 minutes when Pete Ayton converted from the penalty spot.

Biddestone Social dug deep again and were level on 71 minutes when Jamie Lyons cut inside beat a defender and rifled home a stunner to make it 4-4.

Biddestone Social took the lead in the 79th minute when O'Meara pounced to turn home a Dan Lardner shot and the game was made safe five minutes from time when Rob Pocock and Gary Banks combined to set up Jamie Lyons who drove the ball home from eight yards to keep the Biddy boys in the race for the title.

North Star A 0, Corsham Centre A 5

THREE victories in six days have demonstrated that Corsham Centre A are going to fight Biddestone Social all the way to the very last whistle in their bid to claim a third consecutive top flight title.

The Centre, who defeated Colerne 7-0 on Tuesday night and North Star A 8-0 on Thursday night, picked up the points again when they met North Star for the second time on four days.

The Centre's 5-0 win condemned the Star to relegation back to Division One after just one season in the Premier Division.

The Centre took the game to North Star whose valiant defending was to be commended as was their goalkeeper , Mark Smollens, who had a fantastic game but couldn't prevent Simon Gray from giving the Centre a 1-0 half-time lead when he scored on 30 minutes.

The Star could have gone in level at the break had it not been for Centre goalkeeper Nick Gingell who had to be alert to save bravely at the feet of Mark Sharratt.

James Lye increased the score for the Centre after 50 minutes and a brilliant near post header from Simon Gray made it 3-0.

The Star were indebted to Smollens who somehow managed to keep the Centre at bay until the 80th minute when good interplay between Ben Moore, Simon Gray and James Lye saw the latter drill the ball home for 4-0.

With five minutes remaining James Lye's inch perfect cross picked out Nick Gingell who rose above the Star's defence to head home number five.

Maud Heath Sports 4, Miller Sports 1

A 4-1 home success over Miller Sports should be enough to secure Maud Heath Sports a place in the Premier Division next season.

Simon Hillier made a very rare appearance for Maud Heath this term and it was his goal that gave them a one-goal advantage at the interval.

The second period belonged to Maud Heath's Darren Holcombe whose goals have almost single handedly kept his team where they are for another season at least.

Holcombe bagged a treble to wrap up his team's most important win since they defeated Wingfield on the final day of the 2003/04 season to book their place in the top flight.

James Eatough scored for Miller Sports.

Maud Heath are still not mathematically safe, but for them to lose out they would have to lose to Box Rovers and Bradford News defeat Biddestone Social by nearly 20 goals.

Dog and Fox Ashley 4, Bradford News 2

BRADFORD News' 10-year stay in the Premier Division is almost certainly going to come to an end.

Mark Hurkett's side needed to beat fierce local rivals Dog and Fox Ashley to have any chance of beating the drop but it was the Dog and Fox won 4-2 to leave the newsmen rooted to the foot of the table.

The News went in front after 20 minutes when good work from Nathan Glass and Joe Chettleburgh set up Danny Hurkett who swept the ball home to give the move the finish it deserved.

Dog and Fox were level on the half hour mark when Steve Roddy beat the offside trap to square things up.

The Dog and Fox took the lead after 56 minutes through Steve Wickings who squeezed the ball home from the tightest of angles.

The newsmen equalised on 65 minutes when Tom Downing stabbed the home after Dog and Fox goalkeeper Craig Guthrie spilled the ball.

The Dog and Fox introduced the ageless Nick Gant who helped turned the game back in their favour as they regained the lead when Russell Whatley drove home a great strike from 18 yards for 3-2 and the match was won by Steve Roddy whose second of the game gave the Dog and Fox their 4-2 triumph and as good as condemned the derby rivals to relegation.

11:19am Monday 5th May 2008

Print   Email this