Premier Comb’n Sports’ fightback thwarts Hallen
LONGWELL Green Sports Reserves produced a fighting second half performance to earn a share of the spoils from an enthralling encounter with Hallen Reserves.
Hallen took an early lead, only for Longwell to level up for a first time through Scott O’Brien. Hallen restored their advantage with a strike from outside the box, then went 3-1 up soon into the second period to seemingly take control of the contest.
Instead, Longwell Green pulled one back via a 25-yard Toby Clifton cracker, although he and his team did watch on in relief as their opponents missed a splendid opportunity to go 4-2 up as Cain Edwards leapt to their rescue by making an excellent penalty save.
That gave Mark Saunders’ men the lifeline they needed to go on and tie it up at 3-3 through O’Brien’s second of the game.
The outcome was a frustration for Hallen, who had a Harvey Pritchard double and Barney Ray goal to thank for their goals.
Dave Herbert proved more than instrumental, as Hallen’s next opponents at home this Saturday, Winterbourne United, followed up a 2-1 victory over Chipping Sodbury Town Reserves with a 3-0 defeat of Shaftesbury Crusade at Parkside Avenue HQ to find themselves fifth now in the table.
Bourne ran out worthy winners with a brilliant first-half strike from Herbert, who was involved again early in the second half when brought down for James Mainstone to score from the spot. Herbert sealed his busy afternoon as his cross forced a Shaftesbury own goal to wrap up the scoring.
A reduced Premier Division programme, in which none of the top three teams were involved, saw AEK-BOCO Reserves bounce back from 2-0 down to earn a late point from a 2-2 home draw with Nicholas Wanderers, Jay Rudge and Cory Langdon netting for BOCO and James Hubbard registering with those two earlier away efforts.
Bradley Stoke Town ensured they remained in the First Division title frame thanks to a 2-1 away victory over Wick Reserves, which temporarily lifted them into pole position. Callum Somerville opened the scoring early for the Hornets, only for Wick to equalise through Owen Bell before the break. A late winner by Josh Morris secured the win for a Stoke side heading into Saturday’s home fixture with Greyfriars Athletic on the back of four straight successes.
There was relief and delight for Iron Acton, as Chris Sweet’s team responded to back-to-back defeats by St Nicholas and Wick by overcoming Hambrook 2-1 on the road with goals by Mo Njie and Jordan Wood-Ayemou.
After a slow Hambrook start in which their opponents took a deserved lead, Jordan Lawrence netted their equaliser to bring it level at 1-1 at half-time.
Acton, they will fancy their chances again this Saturday too, as they visit a Nicholas Wanderers Reserves side thumped 8-0 at home by resurgent bottom-placed Mendip Broadwalk Reserves in their latest outing, triggered by a Fabrizio Castello hat-trick and single contributions by George Vile, Adam Chesters, Rhys Hickery, Jack Medjedoub and Dean Maggs.
All of which means Broadwalk, who go to Oldland Abbotonians Reserves on Saturday, are level now, albeit at the foot of the table still, with 18 points.
A clearly heartened Mendip tweeted: “Our win, and other results going our way, drags more teams into our relegation battle. The enjoyment and momentum is back and some great football played.
“The great escape is on!” Matt Troth hit a hat-trick, and
Connor Williams and Lyam O’Rourke weighed in with the rest, as Greyfriars Athletic saw off Shirehampton Reserves 5-3 at New Road and regained third spot in the act.
Manager Benni McCarthy purred: “We defended extremely well against their two big lads, who were very good. And Matty was just excellent and deserved his hattrick.
“It’s kept us in the mix for a top four finish which, after the last couple of years, would be amazing to achieve after the year we have had.
“Yet again I was delighted for the lads; and it was great to see my two favourite brothers, Connor and Lyam, scoring, as it meant for a quiet evening in the bar!”
Liam Claridge and Mark Johnson had both gone close for Shire before their team drew level at 1-1 through captain Claridge’s welldrilled strike.
Johnson later pulled two goals back from the penalty spot and with a fine lobbed finish respectively to reduce Shirehampton arrears to 4-3, only for poor defending to gift grateful Greyfriars a killer fifth.
There was better news for Shire on Tuesday night, as they beat Cribbs A 2-1 at home to leap above their beaten opposition into fifth position.
On Saturday, Cribbs had two goals from the experienced Andy Capon, and single strikes by James Capon and Andrew Forward, to thank for convincingly seeing off 4-0 an Oldland Abbotonians Reserves outfit who have emerged to become a truly competitive second tier side as the months have elapsed.
There was delight too for DRG SV Frenchay at the expense of relegation-threatened De Veys, as two Ollie Holden goals, and Dylan Quick, Ashley Van-Meir and Cole Pierre efforts, saw their team to a first win in five courtesy of a 5-2 away success.