Barca edge out Lion to win Division One championship

BRISTOL Barcelona have been celebrating Bristol and District Division One title success this week after getting safely through a thrilling final day unscathed.

Aware Thornbury Town Reserves, in second place were eager to exploit any slips, Barca, who maintained their unbeaten record throughout 2021-22 in the act, held on to their slender summit advantage courtesy of Marcin Taras and Elliott Evans goals in a 2-1 Lockleaze Sports Centre HQ defeat of Lion.

It was just as well they did, as determined Thornbury Reserves kept overcame Olveston United Reserves 4-0 on their travels through Harrison Young’s double and Matt Constable and Jake Budd contributions to conclude their own 24-game mission an agonising point beneath Barca’s victorious team.

Delighted Bristol Barcelona tweeted: “2-1 win in the final game against Lion completes an unbeaten season and confirms us as Div 1 B&D champions. Congrats to Thornbury Town Reserves who really made us work for it; brilliant battle all the way to the final day.”

Thornbury, likely nonetheless to join Barcelona in Senior Division next season, responded by tweeting: “Our reserves won 4-0 against Olveston Reserves in the battle of the hill. But it wasn’t enough.

“Can’t knock an unbeaten (Barca) season. Will be good to lock horns again next campaign!”

Also in the second tier, Bradley Stoke Town Reserves wound up their programme fifth in the standings as Ashley RogersMilburn’s treble and Harry Hope’s double saw them past Brimsham Green 5-2 in Yate.

An exciting race for Senior Division runners-up spot finally ended in midweek as Stapleton seized the position for good, despite fellow challengers AFC Mangotsfield District and Bedminster Down both winning well at the weekend.

AEK-Boco A, long out of sight as 2021-22 champions, fell to only their second defeat of a superb season at the hands of fourth-placed Bedminster Down hosts prevailing impressively through Connor Bodnarazek’s brace and Harry Sutor’s strike in a 3-0 success.

AFC Mangotsfield District had Ben Ford’s hat-trick and Owen Ridler’s effort to thank for a 4-1 Blackhorse Fields victory over

Lawrence Rovers.

Stapleton, meanwhile, in their attempts to keep a grip on second spot, could only muster a point from a 2-2 home draw with Longwell Green Sports A via Ryan Ricketts and Ryan Bath goals.

They have, however, been confirmed as runners-up to Boco A with 53 points from a now-complete 26-match programme.

Another side who had been harbouring outside hopes of sneaking up into a second-placed finish, and without a fixture last Saturday, were fifth-placed Real Thornbury, who have been preparing for a final outing of their season away against Lawrence Rovers this Saturday.

Elsewhere in the top flight, Highridge United had goals from Jack Thompson (2) and Ferdinand Symons to thank as they completed their programme, in sixth spot for now, with a 3-3 home draw against ninth-placed Patchway Town Reserves finishing up their own season with a point.

Bitton Reserves put two straight defeats behind them by beating Hanham Athletic Vets, the team who’d overcome them 3-1 at Vicarage Road only two evenings prior, 5-1 in their penultimate appearance of the Division Four season, via Adam Butcher and Oshae Callaway pairs, plus Declan Harding’s single.

Bitton wrap up on Saturday with an intriguing home game against a Made For Ever outfit targeting a runners-up finish.

Made For Ever kept on course for that second spot thanks to Joe Gane’s goal in a 1-0 win at basement battlers Seymour United B.

Those three points saw the Evermen to within just a point of Bradley Stoke Town B, who had already finished their 26 fixtures, with two more big opportunities to prise runners-up spot away from second-placed Stoke, away against Hanham Athletic Vets today and at Bitton’s second string on Saturday.

Shaftesbury Crusade A, in sixth at the end of the contest, settled for a point from their last appearance of 2021-22, as Alex Pullen’s hat-trick earned them a 3-3 home draw with fourth-placed Roman Glass St George Reserves.

Redfield Rovers are celebrating Division Five title success. The three points happily pocketed from Saturday’s walkover victory over hosts Made For Ever Reserves proved sufficient to fend off secondplaced Real St George, who’d done their best to keep the pressure on the leaders with a 6-2 home romp over Shirehampton A.

Saints go to rock-bottom Stoneway Athletic on Saturday knowing they can only reduce arrears at the top to a point, although they are likely to be promoted as runners-up.

Ian Jay, Archie Davis and Mitch Norman scored as Nicholas Wanderers B beat Stoneway Athletic 3-0.