Premier Comb’n Teenager Liam bags both goals in impressive win for Hallen
TEENAGER Liam Nicholls was at the double as his Hallen Reserves fliers kept up their splendid Premier Division form with victory over Nicholas Wanderers.
The 16-year-old scored both goals in a 2-0 home win, marking a fifth straight success for a team in mean mood too with only two goals shipped in that spell and none conceded from their last three outings.
Hallen will need all that on Saturday, as table-topping Totterdown United are their Moorhouse Lane guests (2.30pm) looking to put daylight between them and secondplaced Cribbs Reserves, who parade the same 35 points as a Totterdown outfit who have shown no mercy since suffering their only defeat of the campaign, 4-2, at the hands of Olveston United on February 26.
Totterdown hit straight back with a 5-1 away romp at Chipping Sodbury Town Reserves before two Jack Moon strikes, one a screamer, and another by their leading marksman Chaz Hemmings, safely saw off Seymour United 3-0 at Norton Lane in their latest game.
There’s little stopping thirdplaced Olveston United at this time either, as they stretched their undefeated run to ten games with a routine 4-0 home victory over
Longwell Green Sports Reserves.
Driven on by man of the match James Thomas, the unrelenting O’s achieved their latest win with braces apiece for Phil Williams and Leo Glew.
Shaftesbury Crusade have been in urgent need of some relief stuck in the lower realms of the Premier Division ladder.
They got the respite they were looking for and more, as struggling hosts Chipping Sodbury Town Reserves, who have yet to win a game, were hit for seven without reply at the Ridings. Clinton Wilson led the spree with a hat-trick, and Cory Wilson, Dan Flay, Ibrahima Waly Ndiaye and Liam Antonio Samuda all pitched in with single efforts. Crusade co-boss David Chinnick said “It was a great win for the boys after recent disappointing league results.”
In Division One, Cribbs A were a relieved team after securing a first win in their last six attempts, courtesy of a 3-1 defeat of Hambrook visitors who had beaten them 2-0 in late January.
Liam Clayton struck twice and David Duru celebrated Cribbs’ other goal, to ensure they head into Saturday’s home encounter with Nicholas Wanderers Reserves (2.30pm) in a healthy fifth position in the table.
St Nicholas continue to hold firm to their lofty status at the summit amid a fierce title race unfolding involving a Bradley Stoke Town team still trailing by a solitary point.
Saints picked up three more prized points thanks to a 3-1 away victory over third-placed Greyfriars Athletic through Ben Reeves, Craig Doyle and Jason Bradford goals.
Greyfriars boss Benni McCarthy, who had watched on with hope as Jordan Cox scored for his team, said: “It was one for the neutral as both teams played great football; and the ref, Steve Moore, was very good. We made two mistakes, while their man Doyle scored a great goal after bringing the ball down 35 yards out and hitting it in on the volley.
“We missed gilt-edged chances which could have led to a different result on another day.
“Still, we’re in the mix but just need that little bit of luck to get us back to winning ways consistently.”
Bradley Stoke, meanwhile, who have played a game more than pacesetting St Nics, maintained their own championship assault in convincing fashion, as Sam Peplow and Callum Somerville doubles, along with a Craig Potter strike and own goal, despatched struggling Mendip Broadwalk Reserves 6-0
Life remains much rosier for early-season strugglers Wick Reserves, who overcame visiting Iron Acton 4-1 via Jordan Hickman’s brace and Jamie Hill and Josh Law strikes. Luke Haddow was Acton’s marksman.
De Veys clinched only a fourth win of the season.
They achieved it in style too, with a 3-0 away defeat of Nicholas Wanderers Reserves, thanks to Phil Burford’s hat-trick, raising hopes they can escape the clutches of the bottom two places with seven games left.
Shirehampton Reserves are clearly in the mood to finish their season with a flourish too, after taking their unbeaten run to five games with a 2-1 home defeat of DRG SV Frenchay, the last team to beat them - 1-0 - on January 29.
Joe Harvey opened the scoring for Shire by bending a shot into the top corner from 25 yards out.
In windy conditions, DRG managed to get on top to level up after the interval.
However, Shire retook the lead via Jayden Brown, who latched on to a through ball and rolled it past the goalkeeper to seal the win for his ecstatic team.