Larkhall concede four twice in a week
Larkhall Athletic suffered a losing start to the New Year as they conceded three goals in the final seven minutes to lose 4-0 at Bishops Cleeve.
After their New Year’s day derby with Frome Town was lost to the weather, the Larks were able to return to action on Saturday. Larkhall actually started the game well and had the ball in the net through Max Williams in the first half, but it was disallowed.
Bishops Cleeve finally took the lead just before the hour mark when the prolific Jay Malshanskyj found the net. Larkhall remained in the game until the 83rd minute when Toby Holland managed to despatch a penalty and make it 2-0. Ross Langworthy and Joshua Nelmes then added some gloss to the scoreline for the play-off chasing hosts, leaving Larkhall well beaten on the day in the end.
On Tuesday, Dawid Regula’s 88th minute strike proved scant consolation as Larkhall conceded four more at struggling Yate Town.
A sucker-punch right on halftime though Joseph Guest gave Yate the lead, before former Bath City player Nick Mccootie doubled their advantage nine minutes after the restart. James Taylor made it three just three minutes later, before the points were all but sealed by Jack Ball on 74 minutes.
Defeat leaves Larkhall ten points above the bottom two, and ten off the play-off places.
■ WESTERN LEAGUE
Keynsham Town’s first action of the New Year saw them produce a five-goal performance to beat Hallen 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Hallen took the lead twice in the first half, but were pegged back both times by Jemar Thomas to leave the sides level at the break. Joe Davis gave Keynsham the perfect start to the second half, scoring within a minute of the restart, before Brandon Oputeri was on hand to make it 4-2 on 57 minutes.
Theo Jeremy added Keynsham’s fifth in injury time to round off a great night for the Ks who move up to 19th.
Bitton and Bradford Town were both knocked out of the Les Phillips Cup on Tuesday. Ben Wickens had levelled things at 1-1 for Bradford Town in the second half, however they fell to a 4-1 defeat at home to Shirehampton. Bitton were beaten 2-0 by visiting Wells City.
■ HELLENIC LEAGUE
A first-half double from new signing Dean Griffiths ensured Corsham Town kept up the pace with Premier Division leaders Worcester City - remaining a point behind despite having played three games more.
Hosting Pershore Town, Corsham did most of the probing in the opening stages and got their just rewards after only nine minutes when a fast break saw Griffiths’ deflected shot reach the top corner.
Goalkeeper Sam Jepson was forced into a smart save as Pershore looked to respond, however Corsham made it 2-0 around 20 minutes after superb move was brilliantly flicked on by Kye Simpson for new number 11 Griffiths to emphatically finish once more.
Pershore were temporarily reduced to ten men with a sin-binning, but Corsham were unable to take advantage as Owen Humphries fired a free-kick narrowly over before then finding the side netting from James Rusby’s ball through. Just before half-time Pershore, back up to their full quota, had a shot deflected over, before Rusby’s pass found Simpson to run on to but he also could only find the side netting.
The visitors had the first chance of the second half, heading wide from a cross. They came even closer to reducing the deficit when a deflected effort wrong-footed Jepson, but it was hooked off the line. After Humphries suffered an injury to a bad challenge, the game became end to end with Simpson bursting clear, however his shot failed to trouble the goalkeeper.
Jepson did extremely well to tip a Pershore header from a free-kick over the bar, and more last-ditch defending from the corner saw Jepson make another great save before the ball was hacked clear. After weathering the storm against the visitors, Corsham found themselves with a man advantage again in the closing stages as the Pershore player sin-binned in the first half saw red in injury time.
After Daniel Price headed against the bar for Corsham, Pershore ended the game with nine-men when another player was sinbinned for dissent, allowing the Quarrymen to see the game out.
On Tuesday, Corsham cruised through in the MARSH Challenge Cup, thrashing Tytherington Rocks 5-1. Kye Simpson netted either side of Matt Jones’ goal to give Corsham a 3-0 lead after just 27 minutes.
Conner Mckay all but ended the contest ten minutes into the second half, with Daniel Price adding the fifth just after the hour mark. Tytherington did have the final say
with a consolation penalty, but it was a comfortable progression for the Quarrymen.
■ WILTSHIRE LEAGUE
Larkhall Athletic Development’s Premier Division title challenge hit a snag in their top of the table clash with Kintbury Rangers.
Having moved the game to the 3G at the Odd Down Sports Ground, Larkhall went 1-0 up from the penalty spot through Sam Whitson, but Kintbury got back on level terms on the half-hour mark via leading scorer George Armstrong with a well-taken effort.
That was not the end of the scoring in the first half as Kintbury were to go into the break with a slender advantage. However, that second goal came in bizarre circumstances when the Larkhall keeper completely misjudged a soft back pass and the ball ended up in the back of the net.
The second half saw Larkhall push for an equaliser, but it was not to be as Kintbury returned to Berkshire with all three points from a game between two evenly matched sides.
Odd Down Development enjoyed a good afternoon as they registered their first points of the season courtesy of a 4-2 win over fellow strugglers Salisbury Development. There were two goals for Ben Millett, who took his total for the season to five, plus further strikes from Tyrone Mulholland and Finn Forster.
■ SOMERSET LEAGUE
Timsbury Athletic made a flying start to 2024 with a 6-1 win at home to Nailsea United in the Premier Division, on a pitch that was in remarkably good condition after the wet start to the new year.
The game was closer than the scoreline suggests, but Timsbury were more clinical to punish the suspect defending of their visitors. Nathan Flynn had two early chances, shooting wide before forcing goalkeeper Rob Brown to save well. At the other end, Elliot Moore shot over the Timsbury bar.
Nailsea were then stunned by three goals in the space of five minutes. First, an excellent cross from Pele Sobers was headed home by Ellis Hancock, before he then met Flynn’s centre with a second successful header. Within two more minutes, Rico Sobers found himself in acres of space to fire past Brown and make it 3-0 after just 20 minutes.
The visitors briefly threatened, with Charlie Parsons firing just wide from distance and Moore’s free-kick being comfortably held by Jack Scrivens, however just before the interval Rhys Cook raced clear for Timsbury but shot wide. He made amends right on half-time with a similar opportunity to put Timsbury four to the good.
Any hopes of a Nailsea fight-back were extinguished five minutes after the restart when a fluent move involving Hancock, Cook and Sobers ended with the latter’s shot slipping through Brown’s hands to trickling over the line. Almost immediately, Cook set Hancock up to secure his hat-trick.
To their credit, Nailsea battled away and, after 69 minutes, pulled a goal back through substitute Nathan Shipway. Both Cook and Toby Neilson had late chances to add to Timsbury’s tally, but it remained 6-1.
ELSEWHERE, Fry Club began the New Year in the same way the ended the previous, with defeat. Hosting Stockwood Wanderers, the first half proved a tight affair despite some good football.
Stockwood managed to break the deadlock after the break, however Frys levelled through substitute Harry Hale within minutes of entering the fray. With the points looking like they were going to be shared, a mistake at the death allowed Stockwood to find a winner to leave Frys now a point off the top five.
Theo Avis and Scott Baker were both at the double for Peasedown Miners Welfare as they secured a 4-1 win over bottom side Castle Cary in Division One. They are now four points off the top three, with two games in hand, after Saltford suffered a 2-1 defeat at third-bottom Combe St Nicholas.
After having their first break foiled by the offside flag, Saltford took the lead in the ninth minute following a goalmouth scramble, however Combe levelled early in the second half after they had taken control of possession. Saltford looked to respond, but came up against a resolute back four and
actually fell 2-1 behind.
The visitors were given a great chance to level things when Combe’s goalkeeper was sent off for deliberate handball from a back-pass to deny a certain goal. The subsequent free-kick was caught by Combe’s striker who was now deputising in goal and Saltford failed to really test him in the remainder of the game as they failed to make the extra man count.
Peasedown Albion suffered a day to largely forget as they were beaten 5-1 at Division Three second-place Sporting Weston. Sam Hoddinott scored the Albion goal.
■ CHIP & BATH LEAGUE
Division One leaders Whiteway were offered a home walkover by The Green Dragon to move five points clear at the top.
At the other end of the table, Lansdown scored a goal in either half to secure their first win of the campaign over Old Road, who ended the match with ten men.
Griffin moved top of Division Two in some style, thrashing Marshfield 8-0 with four goals in either half. Matthew Pawley, David Walton and Max Wester were all at the double for Griffin, while Luke Bridges and Jonathan Halford also got themselves on the scoresheet.
They are now two points clear of Corsham Rovers following their narrow 2-1 defeat at Combe Down. After a goalless first half, Kean Hayward was amongst the goals for Combe, while Owen Thomson scored Corsham’s effort as Combe moved to within a point of their second-place rivals.
Three goals in the second half saw Manor to a 5-2 victory at AFC Ivy in Division Three. Tyreece Chevolleau claimed a hat-trick alongside a brace from Chris Spurrey as Manor surged to victor after the sides were locked together at 2-2 at half-time.
Bottom side Weston Village Team Nathan found themselves 3-0 down at the break at home to Lacock Athletic, before ultimately succumbing to a 6-1 defeat. Kevin Boadi scored the Weston Village consolation.
Jimmy Bradley was on the scoresheet for Team Nathan, however they lost 4-1 to visiting Trowbridge Athletic, having only been 1-0 down at half-time.
■ WOMEN’S COMPETITIONS
Bitton began the New Year with three points after a solid performance at SGS Olveston United in the Northern Division of the South West Regional League. Abbie Woodley-marshall, Freya Jones-griffiths and Anna Munday were all on the scoresheet as Bitton won 3-1 to move up to fifth.
Unbeaten Wiltshire League Premier Division leaders Corsham Town roared into the New Year with a 13-0 thrashing of Kingsdown. Talliah Keenan weighed in with four of the goals, alongside a hat-trick for substitute Shannon Redhouse and a brace for Chauntine Lyons.
Martha Atkinson, Chantelle Church, Jaiden Clarke Risbrook and fellow replacement Lucy-anne Skinner were also all on the scoresheet as Corsham moved nine points clear at the top - having now played two more games than Bemerton Heath Harlequins.