Biddestone Social bid for top spot

12:00pm Friday 10th October 2008

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Dog and Fox Ashley and Biddestone Social are neck and neck at the top of the table, but this Sunday could see the Dog fall off the number one spot for the first time this season.

Russell Whatley’s side might have home advantage over Potterne, who have played just two league games to date, but they will have to wary of the threat from the villagers who should give their hosts a very good game.

The Dog and Fox will want to bounce back after last Sunday's 2-0 defeat at Biddestone Social, while Potterne go into the game on the back of a cup defeat against Rowde as they missed out on a fixture last weekend.

The hosts will hope to have Steve Roddy available after injury while Potterne will hope that strikers Jamie Bayes and David Lloyd can at last form a partnership that will come up with the goals that are expected of them.

The result should be a close one and could even end in stalemate, but with home advantage the Dog and Fox are tipped to take the points with a narrow victory.

Semington Rovers v Biddestone Social

BIDDESTONE Social are being kept of the top spot by goal difference, but a trip to Steeple Ashton, where they will line-up against Semington Rovers, will give them the opportunity to score a few goals to narrow the gap between themselves and the Dog and Fox.

Semington Rovers will welcome Biddestone Social having suffered a surprise loss last weekend when they were beaten 5-2 by Maud Heath Sports and with Biddestone Social set to recall a few of the players who missed out last week, they will be hungry for more goals as they close in on the leaders.

When the teams met last term Biddestone Social claimed a convincing 5-1 home win but then scraped a 2-1 win on Semington’s home patch.

Biddestone Social should take the points for a third successive time, however should they arrive at Steeple Ashton thinking that the points are already won they are likely to leave with egg on their face as Semington are more than capable of ending the visitors 100 per cent start to the season.

But on this occasion a focused Biddestone side should prevail.

Corsham Centre A v Winsley

THREE times defending Premier Division champions Corsham Centre A host Paul Ranger’s Winsley side at Meriton Avenue, and the hosts, who missed out on a game last Sunday, welcome a Winsley side who crashed to a 13-3 defeat against Westbury Rangers A who themselves are without a game this weekend.

Over the years the Centre have always got the better of their hosts and the six meetings between the sides have seen four close finishes but the Centre have also beaten their guests 9-1 and 8-1 and this encounter is one of those that could see the Centre secure another high scoring win.

Winsley will have other ideas and will no doubt raise their game for the battle with their old adversaries, but unless they can get some help for Mike and Phil Little in front of goal and keep things tight at the back it is likely to raining goals at Meriton Avenue and for a seventh time the Centre should claim the spoils.

Holt v Maud Heath Sports

WITH five matches of the new season gone, many people might think that both Holt and Maud Heath Sports are punching above their weight as Stuart Faint’s Holt side occupy fourth spot, closely followed by Andy Townsend’s Maud Heath side who are in fifth place with only goal difference separating the teams.

The sides are scheduled to meet at the weekend and with everything to play for fans of both teams could be all set to watch a thriller in Holt.

The sides have faced each other four times before and the honours are shared, with two wins apiece for each side. Maud Heath won the last game 2-1, with the in-form Darren Holcombe scoring both goals and can also boast a 7-1 success while Holt have won 3-1 and 3-2.

This match will probably end all-square, but it could be a high scoring contest that’s if Holcombe and James Yates are firing on all cylinders for the visitors and the hosts can get the best out of Ollie Gee, Rob O’Harrow and Neil Grant, who has just returned to the Holt side.

Box Rovers v Miller Sports

MILLER Sports travel to the Recreation Ground in Box looking for their second win of the season, but they are unlikely to get much joy from their hosts Box Rovers who despite getting knocked out of the Wiltshire Sunday Cup last weekend should return to form in style with a high scoring win.

Stuart Beeho’s side have suffered just one loss from their three league games to date and should coast to a fourth successive victory to enable them to keep the pressure on the leading clubs.

Rovers have not conceded a goal against Miller Sports in their last three encounters and with a lack of firepower in front of goal Miller may find it hard to get on the score sheet this Sunday. Rovers have so many good players in their ranks and the likes of Adam Taylor, Tom Smith, Pete Tye and Jamie Bowler who is starting to sparkle after his summer move from Colerne will possibly do Miller a lot of damage if they can get of to a flyer and they might even better their 5-0 winning scoreline they achieved in the corresponding fixture last season.

FC Colerne v The Ship FC

FC COLERNE are the only side in the top flight who have still to register a victory this term, and their luck could be about to change when they host an out of sorts Ship, who have played just two league matches and one cup game to date. Lee Hayward’s side have managed to win one of those league fixture when they beat Winsley 5-1 and their last game saw them struggle to see off Third Division Steeple Ashton Rangers in the knockout cup, which was better than their hosts achieved as they were sent packing by Second Division Hullavington.

The Ship should start the game as favourites to take the points, but they are going to have to work for them as Colerne won’t surrender without a fight.

The hosts have not won in 11 games so they will be desperate to end their poor run of form that stretches back to March when they lost 5-4 against Box Rovers and since then they have slowly been heading in the wrong direction.

The result should go the way of the visitors but a lot will depend on what sort of side Colerne can put out and if they have their best 11 available they could claim a share of the spoils.