Bament and Ford fire Manor Farm to vital away win
BRISTOL continued their hunt for promotion from Division One South with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at Cinderford Town, writes Jack Davies.
Farm started brightly and had a couple of early chances. Mike Bryant glanced an early Jake Gosling corner wide before Gosling curled a shot wide.
Kye Simpson was next to try his luck. He sprung the offside trap but his own curling shot went just over.
Former Farm striker Lewis Bamford was Cinderford’s liveliest spark early on. He left no ball lost as he battled to win a few early free-kicks that Farm defended well.
Farm’s opener came just before the half-hour. Simpson challenged in the air and the ball dropped to Bryant, whose superb pass played Ben Bament through. The sharp forward showed poise to slide the ball past the onrushing Nick Jones to make it 1-0.
Cinderford had their first effort almost immediately after going behind. Marcel McCintosh freed himself down the ride and his excellent cross was met by the stretching Bamford, who headed just over.
Farm pressed for a second as the half wore on and a clever move almost doubled their lead. Simpson flicked Aron Robbins’ throw into Jayden Nielsen who in turn teed up Bryant, who fired straight at Jones.
Farm would go two ahead in the final minute of first half normal time. Gosling’s driven corner was met by an emphatic Josh Ford header.
Cinderford would have the final word of a pulsating half in injury time. Bamford had his claim for a penalty waved away, but the ball dropped to Rio Dyer, who hammered home to half the deficit.
Farm came out looking to finish the contest rather than preserve the narrow lead. A superb break saw Simpson release Gosling. The Gibraltan left his man for dead before his low shot was well saved by the legs of Jones.
Farm created but wasted a few more chances to pull clear. Ford’s raking 50 yard diagonal fed Neilsen, who fired wide, before Gosling collected neatly but fired tamely at Jones.
Cinderford caused a couple of nervy moments before the end. Bamford was denied by a superb Mason Winter block before Josh Ford hacked clear.
Victory leaves Manor Farm third in the table and looking good to seal a play-off place.
Paulton Rovers lost 1-0 at Melksham Town, who moved above them and into eighth place.
Kyle Tooze scored the goal on 50 minutes when he tapped in a cross from Sam Hendy.
Mangotsfield United continue to look nervously over their shoulders at bottom side Barnstaple Town following a 2-1 defeat at Winchester City.
A fine strike froom Isaac Flynn gave Mangotsfield a 14th-minute lead, but Oliver Bailey equalised a minute later. Bailey struck again on 78 minutes with a shot from just outside the penalty area.
Barnstaple’s win over Evesham moved them within two points of Mangotsfield, although the Cossham Street side hold two games in hand.
Weston-super-Mare moved into the Premier South play-off positions with a thumping 6-0 home
win against Hendon, as Dayle Grubb and Sonny Cox both hit hattricks.
A cracking strike from Grubb started the goal spree on 19 minutes, and a tap-in from Cox made it 2-0 on 39 minutes.
Cox struck again in the 49th minute, then Grubb added the two goals, after 63 and 77 minutes. Cox wrapped up the scoring with his hat-trick goal on 85 minutes.
In contrast, Yate Town’s play-off hopes suffered a big setback with a 3-0 home defeat to Swindon Supermarine.
Kieran Philips opened the scoring on 19 minutes, after Yate please for a foul in the build up went unsanswered, then Henry Spalding struck on the half-hour and in firsthalf stoppage-time to put the visitors three up at the break. Yate now stand seventh in the table.