Premier Comb’n Bradley Stoke seal Division One title with emphatic win
BRADLEY Stoke Town were crowned Bristol Premier Combination Division One champions after seeing it all safely through with flying colours on a final day of top-table drama.
Targeting a win at Mendip Broadwalk Reserves to finally shake off second-placed St Nicholas’ challenge and cement their seat at the summit, Bradley Stoke could not have begun better as Callum Somerville forced a breakthrough after only 23 seconds.
Further goals from Charlie Wills and Steve Johnston made it 3-0 by half-time, and the second half was still in its infancy when a header from Wills, and then a free-kick by Chris Hillyer, meant the title was emphatically secured by Jon Welsh’s jubilant team.
Club secretary Matt Burch said: “It’s been a tough season with some really good wins against some very strong teams. The first full season after Covid has been extremely successful for us.”
Bradley Stoke entered the Mendip meeting knowing that failure to win there, and victory for St Nicholas at Cribbs A, would hand Saints the title instead.
It wasn’t quite to be ultimately for James Mapstone’s battlers, who kept their part of the bargain with a 5-2 away defeat of Cribbs’ third string, courtesy of Craig Doyle’s double and James Appleyard, Ben Reeves and Ross Furnival efforts, to confirm themselves runners-up and potentially promoted to the Premier Division alongside a Bradley Stoke outfit that pipped them to the title by two points.
Iron Acton completed their campaign in style and in fourth place thanks to a 4-0 Sunnyside Fields success over Oldland Abbotonians Reserves’ secondbottom strugglers. A brace for Mo Njie, a wonder strike by skipper Charlie Lacey and an Ollie Clarke free-kick capped off a “very strong performance” by Chris Sweet’s men.
Wick Reserves played a full part in a “fantastic end-to-end game,” in the words of club stalwart Dave Beer, as Jordan Hickman, Paul Hardiman, Adam Perks and an own goal contributed to a point from a 4-4 Oldbury Lane draw with Nicholas Wanderers Reserves, who had Patrice Etienne’s brace, Troy Randall’s single and an own goal to thank for their response.
Ollie Holden (2) and Dylan Quick registered as DRG SV Frenchay wrapped up their season an impressive third in the standings with a 3-2 home victory over midtable Hambrook.
Totterdown United know precisely what they have to do if they’re to somehow wrest the Premier Division crown out of the hands of Cribbs Reserves heading into their final game of the season on Saturday. They kept up the pursuit of table-toppers Cribbs, whose own excellent 20-match campaign ended with last Wednesday’s 1-0 League Cup final victory over AEKBoco Reserves into the bargain, to three points by winning 2-0 at Nicholas Wanderers, courtesy of second-half Jack Moon and Chaz
Hemmings strikes. Totterdown wrap up at home against Longwell Green Sports Reserves (2.30pm) in the knowledge they must make up an eye-watering ten-goal difference if they’re to knock Cribbs off pole position.
Olveston United secured a commendable third position for the term in scintillating fashion with an 8-1 romp away against a Shaftesbury Crusade side – Calum Lovell notched with their consolation - who had surprisingly pipped them 1-0 earlier in the month.
This time the outcome was never in doubt as Olveston, who had hit something of a downturn in recent weeks, rediscovered their shooting boots as four goals from man of the match Phil Williams, a James Worley brace and Josh Allen and James Thomas efforts, catapulted their team to a convincing win.
It got even better on Tuesday evening for Russell Knight’s O’s as they beat AEK-Boco Reserves 3-1 at home upon their final appearance of a splendid season through Isaac Fleming, Worley and Williams strikes.
On Saturday, Boco stepped up their assault on a top-five finish at the Ridings. Harrison Kyte’s four goals, along with a Tom Norley effort, saw off Chipping Sodbury Town Reserves 5-2. Ben Rankin and Joe Farmer scored for a Sodbury side that ended their campaign without a point.
“After leading 3-0 at half-time, Sodbury pulled two back before we ran away with it over the last 20 minutes to cap a great performance,” said Boco boss Joe Reeves.