DIVISION ONE PREVIEW: Gloomy outlook for bottom sides who face top two (From Wiltshire Times)

Div One

DIVISION ONE PREVIEW: Gloomy outlook for bottom sides who face top two

11:14am Friday 22nd January 2010

FIRST Division leaders FC Bradford may have suffered a Knockout Cup exit at the hands of Premier Division Westbury Rangers A last weekend, but their manager Pete Collier has to be very proud of his side.

Their efforts almost saw them pull of a cup upset, but now they are out of the competition they can put all their resources into getting into the top flight.

Bradford welcome strugglers Atworth United to their Poulton ground this weekend and, if they approach the game with the same attitude as they did when they so nearly beat Westbury a week ago, then Atworth could suffer a heavy loss like they did earlier in the campaign when Bradford won 7-1. The leaders should have few problems in chalking up a league double over Atworth, but whether or not they do it with Jake and Sam Jordan remains to be seen.

Both players failed to turn up for their cup tie last weekend and manager Collier may choose to start the brothers on the bench, or leave them out of the side completely and stick with the players who were brilliant last time out.

Whatever the starting XI, they should take the points.

AFC Calne v Chippenham Sports & Social Club

AFC CALNE and Chippenham Sports & Social Club go into their match at Avebury Sports Ground locked on eight points apiece and in reasonably good shape.

A run of good results in the league have turned their seasons around and they have gone from relegation candidates to what should be a position of safety and that’s with half the season still to go.

Calne may have suffered a 7-4 defeat in the Knockout Cup last weekend, but they are unbeaten in their last four league matches after opening up the campaign with three defeats.

Chippenham Sports have recovered well after losing their first two games and three wins and two draws from eight games have seen them move up to seventh place.

Calne beat their guests 5-2 in the reverse fixture, but they will have to work extra hard if they are to claim a fifth straight victory to keep their revival going.

Chippenham Sports, who will be buoyed by their 4-1 victory over Atworth United last weekend, are certain to be a lot harder to beat than they were in the first meeting and have every chance of getting something from what should be a fascinating contest between two vastly improved sides.

Bremhill View Social Club v FC Colerne

AFTER taking three points from their previous two matches, FC Colerne will travel to Beaversbrook Sports Facility, Calne, bidding to stretch their unbeaten run to three games by getting at least a point from their meeting with Bremhill View Social Club, who they drew 4-4 with back in October.

Both sides are in the bottom half of the table, the visitors holding a slender one-point advantage over their hosts, who are having a very poor season compared to recent years.

If current form is a guide then Colerne will be favourites to claim the points.

But with Bremhill looking to have a better second half to the season they should be fired up for what is a winable game ahead of what will be a tough WG Parr Trophy clash with Third Division FC Jager.

If Martin Belcher can get the best out of his side the points are predicted to stay in Calne

Miller Sports v Pheasant FC

THE match at the Beeches, Shaw, between basement side Miller Sports and Pheasant FC, who are second in the table, has mis-match written all over it.

The game is your classic David versus Goliath battle, that will not produce the outcome that many people would like to see.

Pheasant have lost just one of their 10 games to date and, in the process, have scored 56 goals conceding just 17.

Miller have won one of their 12 games and have shipped 53 goals scoring just 16 times so a gambling man would be betting his house on Pheasant claiming a high scoring victory .

Having said that, Miller only lost 5-3 when they met earlier in the season and what manager Tim Knight would give for a repeat of that scoreline.

Whatever the result you can rest assured that the Miller boys will gracious in defeat as they keep picking up plaudits from their peers for their sporting approach to the game.

North Bradley v Bradford News

NORTH Bradley may have suffered two defeats at the hands of Bradford News last season, but when the sides meet at Bradley’s ground this Sunday the villagers, who have not played since the end of November, will have a realistic chance of avenging those defeats.

They go into the game having won five on the spin, making them one of division’s in-form sides before they had their lengthy lay-off.

Both Bradley and their opponents have 10 points but the Newsmen have played four more matches.

And although their last games, which was at the end of 2009, ended with them beating Pheasant FC to end a six-match winless run, they will find it hard to break down a Bradley side who are a good side on home soil.

There is certain to be some rivalry between the sides and, hopefully, both teams can let the football do the talking.