COBBLERS ARE FLEET OF FOOT

STREET moved up to second in the Division One South table with a 3-1 win over struggling

Slimbridge at the Tannery Ground.

Jamie Short, Ed Butcher and Steve Murray were all on the scoresheet for Richard Fey’s men as they secured a fourth win in their last five matches, taking advantage of Blackfield & Langley’s surprise defeat away to Bristol Manor Farm.

Slimbridge missed a penalty early in the first half and brought themselves back into the game on the hour mark, as Ewen Dunbar scored to make it 2-1.

However it was not enough for Lee DriverDickerson’s men to pick up a result, and the visitors will be left wondering what might have been after their error from the spot when the game was still goalless proved costly.

Elsewhere, Ben Whitehead scored a hattrick as Cirencester

Town avenged their recent FA Cup preliminary round defeat to Thatcham Town with a 6-2 thrashing.

Charlie Griffin’s men headed into the match at the Corinium Stadium determined to bounce back from their 4-0 defeat away to Bideford a fortnight ago, and it did not take long for them to find the opening goal as Henry Spalding finished off a wonderful team move.

George Jeacock equalised with a penalty on the half-hour for the visitors, but their parity was short-lived as Whitehead fired in his first goal of the afternoon to make it 2-1 at half-time.

The former Swindon Town striker then flicked in his second within two minutes of the restart, taking him past Larkhall Athletic’s Lewis Powell as the league’s top scorer, and with 25 minutes left he completed his hat-trick after more nice build-up play.

Spalding grabbed a second of his own to make it 5-1 less than a minute later, before Aiden Bennett added a sixth as a response to James Tennant’s consolation strike.

The win moved Cirencester up to seventh in the table and in doing so they leapfrogged

Cinderford Town, who were beaten 1-0 by in-form

Moneyfields thanks to Sam Pearce’s second-half header.

Dave Carter’s men arrived at this match having picked up ten points in their last four games, but they had a lucky escape midway through the first half when Cinderford striker James Harding pulled up with an injury just as he was preparing to shoot.

A lively first half ended goalless but within 12 minutes of the restart the home side had found the goal they needed, as Conor Bailey swung in a cross for Pearce to leap and head in.

Paul Michael’s side piled on the pressure as the clock ticked down, with Moneys keeper Steve Mowthorpe producing a string of key saves to keep them at bay, but they were unable to find an equaliser and dropped out of the play-off places as a result.

The day’s other game saw rock-bottom Barnstaple Town pick up just their second win of the season, as they beat Winchester City 3-2 at Mill Road.

Things began well for the away side as Oliver Bailey put them in front inside 12 minutes, converting from Ollie Griggs’ cross, but the first half quickly unravelled for them as Jack Langford and Harry Stevens made it 2-1 for Kevin Darch and Dave Griffiths’ men.

Langford then extended Barnstaple’s advantage midway through the second half and that was enough to put the game beyond doubt, with Tyrrell Mitford’s 90thminute effort arriving too late to influence proceedings.

The final game of the weekend takes place at the Jubilee Stadium this afternoon, where

Evesham United will be seeking a first win in five at home to Larkhall

Athletic, who are unbeaten away from home so far.

DIV ONE SOUTH ROUND-UP