Single goal sees Larks narrowly lose
Larkhall Athletic were unable to build on their third win of the season as they went down to a single goal at home to third-place Exmouth Town.
After a tight first half, Exmouth scored the crucial winner ten minutes into the second half through Ace High to secure the points. The narrow defeat for Larkhall came after they edged a five-goal thriller at home to Bishop’s Cleeve last Wednesday night.
Bradley Norris gave Larkhall the lead after 21 minutes before Harry Warwick made it 2-0 on the hour. Cleeve pulled a goal back two minutes later through George Box, but Larkhall had a glorious chance to regain their two-goal advantage when Jordan Williams struck the bar.
Box looked to rescue a point for Cleeve with six minutes left to play. However, Larkhall made sure of the win four minutes later as Norris gained his second and their third. It leaves Larkhall a point above the bottom two, having played more games than all but one of the three sides below them. But they’re also three points off Cinderford Town, who are three places above. Incredibly, 16 points currently separates second from bottom.
■ WESTERN LEAGUE
Premier Division bottom side Keynsham Town’s young side suffered a 6-0 thrashing against Shepton Mallet. Before getting their feet on the ground, Keynsham found themselves 4-0 down within 17 minutes. Goalkeeper Joel Manning was beaten at his near post from a free-kick for a opener before Keynsham conceded the second from a corner.
Manning had done well to save from Danny Constable, but the rebound was fired home for a 3-0, with a penalty all but putting the game out of sight before 20 minutes had been played. A fifth followed on 26 minutes before Keynsham’s only chance of the first half saw Henry Njonjo hit a free-kick just wide. Manning made another good save, with the goalkeeper also stopping a shot on the rebound after the crossbar had come to their rescue. Shepton’s sixth came midway through the second half, having eased off after the break. Keynsham had been unable to really trouble Shepton, with Kyle Anderson’s effort comfortably saved and a long-range shot from Sarh Nanoh going a couple of yards wide.
In Division One, a 95th minute goal from Jack Neil saw the ten men of Odd Down snatch the three points at Portishead Town. After Raf Waugh received his second yellow card with five minutes to go, it looked like Down would settle for a point, but Neil was on hand to win the game. Odd Down go above Portishead on goal difference in seventh, having played three more games than them.
■ HELLENIC LEAGUE
Corsham Town geared up for this weekend’s FA Vase tie with a 5-0 win over Westfields. The game was only two minutes old when Nathan Davies’ ball was spectacularly bicycle-kicked by Neikell Plummer to give Corsham the lead. The game became end to end and Samuel Jepson was called upon to save a good chance from Westfields.
Just as Westfields were starting to get into the game, Callum Demkiv made it 2-0 at the back post. A few heavy tackles started to creep in before Jepson was forced into a couple of comfortable saves before half-time. Plummer fired over during a frenetic start to the second period, but the game swung further in Corsham’s favour when Westfields were sent down to ten men following a last man foul on Demkiv.
Four minutes later, it was 3-0 as Plummer brought down a long throw and clinically finished into the bottom corner. Substitute Matt Groves added the fourth with his first touch with four minutes to go, before Groves claimed his second in injury time to wrap up a fantastic day.
Bradford Town announced the signing of Jamie Jordan the day after they were thrashed 8-0 at second place Malvern Town. Jordan has brought Chris Carr, Rob Simmonds and Nick Hoskins-jones to Trowbridge Road as a new era dawns on the Bobcats. On Saturday, it proved a difficult day as they fell 3-0 down at half-time before conceding five more in the second period – three in the final ten minutes.
■ WILTSHIRE LEAGUE
Larkhall Athletic Development’s unbeaten start came to an end in a five-goal thriller at new table-toppers Kingsdown Lions.
In an entertaining first half, Kingsdown had two or three chances to take the lead but found themselves one down when Finley Norris curled a free-kick from the edge of the box into the top corner.
Kingsdown got themselves back on level terms just after the halfhour mark, Josh Atwell firing in on the half-volley for his first goal in senior football. Five minutes before half-time, Kingsdown went in front, Tyler Wilkinson getting on the end of a Scott Stone corner to make it 2-1.
That was not the end of the first half goals, though, as Norris netted his second, smashing a shot into the top corner for his 11th of the campaign, giving him outright leadership of the Division One goalscorers’ chart. The second half didn’t quite match the entertainment of the first and became more of a physical battle, and the match was ultimately decided from the penalty spot – Josh Barnfield scoring the penalty for Kingsdown.
Larkhall threw everything at Kingsdown to try to maintain their unbeaten start, but some solid defending from the Lions ensured that it was Kingsdown who took the three points.
The two sides are set to meet again next week for a game that could go a long way to deciding the Division One title race. Larkhall dropped out of the top three due to results elsewhere, but they have a minimum of two games in hand over all of the three sides above them.
In the Fountain Trophies Cup, Odd Down Development were knocked out at the hands of Melksham Town Reserves. On target for Melksham were Jake Dodge, who bagged a brace, Owen Allison and Brandon Vincent in the 4-1 win – the Odd Down goal coming courtesy of an own goal.
Odd Down went into the game with manager Mark Brown in hospital with a serious injury following a car accident earlier this week. The thoughts of everyone are with Mark for a full and speedy recovery.
■ SOMERSET LEAGUE
A dramatic opening four minutes, where Chilcompton Sports scored twice, paved the way for their ultimately comfortable 4-0 win at Timsbury Athletic in the Premier & Division One Cup, with two late goals deciding the contest.
The Timsbury defence was all at sea as Chili stamped their authority on the match in a lightning start. Kyle Wych shot past Ashton Tucker inside two minutes, before Jacob Brooks-scully quickly added a second with a deflected effort.
This stunned Timsbury, who eventually settled with efforts from Sam Gregory and Ellis Hancock that were just too high, before Chili goalkeeper Frankie Phillips saved well from Rico Sobers.
At the other end, Chilcompton captain Ryan Gay also shot high, with Alfie Dix firing wide with a speculative effort. Chris Midgley created Timsbury’s best chance with a fine ball through to Rhys Cook, but he was denied by the advancing Phillips. Close to the interval, Gay shot wide and Wych narrowly floated past the post as he looked for his second.
Early in the second half, Ryan Allen twice came close for Chili – his first held by Tucker and the second just too high. A Jack Nix freekick created a chance at the other end, but Hancock’s header was deflected for a fruitless corner. Sobers created a clear opening for Gregory, but he lost his footing at the crucial moment and Chili survived.
The game was essentially put to bed with 20 minutes remaining when Louie Gurner showed good control before firing past Tucker to make it 3-0. Gurner almost added another soon after but he shot too high.
However, he was not to be denied – he hammered home the best goal of the game with five minutes remaining.
Chilcompton will face Stockwood Wanderers in the semi-final on March 18.
■ ELSEWHERE, there was a sixgoal thriller in the Premier Division derby. Hosts Fry Club had Henry Shortridge and Owen Windsor among their goals, with Keynsham Town Reserves’ Patrick Davidson, Sam Kipling and Samuel Simpson-jarman scoring in the draw.
Saltford suffered a 6-1 defeat at Castle Cary in Division One. Goals from Sam Cray, Bertie Haines and Jordan Townsley saw Peasedown Miners Welfare edge a five-goal thriller at home to Banwell in Division Two.
■ MID SOMERSET LEAGUE Peasedown Albion stormed through to the quarter-finals of the Paulton Hospital Cup with a 7-0 win over Cam Valley Reserves. Matthew Bryant and Daniel Hucker both bagged a brace, with Ben Brown, Sam Hoddinott and Thomas Woodland also on the scoresheet.
In the Tony Baxter Shield, Saltford Reserves offered Evercreech Rovers Reserves a home walkover to depart the competition at the quarter-final stage.
■ WOMEN’S FOOTBALL Keynsham Town have crashed out of the FA Cup after losing 6-0 at Cardiff City in the second round.
A hat-trick from Tamzin Dunne helped the Reserves progress in the Somerset Junior Cup. Charlotte Morrison also scored in the 4-1 win at home to Pen Mill.