Bitton move closer to Wembley final in the FA Vase after 2-1 win against Sutton Common Rovers
FA VASE & TOOLSTATION LEAGUE
BITTON’S Wembley dream is still alive after two goals from Josh Egan secured a 2-1 home victory against Sutton Common Rovers in the FA Vase fifth round.
No club from the greater Bristol area has reached the Wembley final of the Vase since Almondsbury Greenway lost to Billericay Town in the 1979 Vase final, but Bitton are now one quarter-final and a twolegged semi-final away from repeating the feat.
Egan gave Bitton a 26th-minute lead when he fired a 25-yard freekick into the top left corner of the net.
Bitton went two up midway through the second half when Joe McClennan won the ball in a tackle, squared it to Karim Rendall and he set up Egan to apply the finishing touch at the far post.
The Surrey visitors pulled a goal back late on when Joe Allen scored from the rebound after a penalty kick had struck the crossbar, but Bitton held on to reach the last eight for the first time in the club’s history.
Toolstation League title rivals Bradford Town and Plymouth Parkway had contrasting fortunes in their last-16 Vase ties.
Bradford Town went down 3-1 at home to Essex side Leighton Town, who went two up through Jordan Frederick and Tom Silford before Matt Morris reduced the arrears just before half-time. However,
Leighton soaked up Bradford pressure in the second half and killed the tie off with a late third goal from Archie McClelland.
Parkway advanced with a 2-1 win against County Durham visitors West Auckland Town, watched by a bumper crowd of 671. Amar Purewal gave Parkway a 32nd-minute lead, but Rob Farkins equalised before half-time and, after Adam Carter missed a penalty, Billy Palfrey scored the winner.
In the Toolstation Premier, Hallen moved up to third with an impressive 4-1 home success against fellow high-fliers Exmouth Town. All four Hallen goals came in the space of 13 second-half minutes, as Martin Stowell, Matt Davis, Kyle Thomas and Aron Robbins found the net.
Cribbs slumped to a seventh successive league defeat as Brislington won 2-0 at The Lawns, thanks to a 66th-minute header from George Box and a late second from Tristan Plummer.
Keynsham Town gained a 3-0 success at Cadbury Heath. Mike Grist’s penalty put Keynsham ahead at the break, and further strikes from Matt Brown and Grist completed the win.
Roman Glass St George twice took the lead at relegation battlers Bridport but had to settle for a point from a 2-2 draw.
Bottom side Odd Down remain winless since September but pushed Bridgwater Town all the way in a 3-2 home defeat. Jack Taylor (2) and Owen Irish scored for the visitors. Laurie Hayworth struck for Chipping Sodbury in a 4-1 defeat at Westbury United.
In the First Division, just two points seperates the top four teams - who have all played 24 games - as the promotion race hots up.
Calne remain top, despite a 2-0 defeat at sixth-placed Radstock, while Sherborne are in second after a 3-1 home success against Almondsbury. Third-placed Wells City had a first-half goal from Harry
Thomas and second-half strikes from Tom Hill, Ross McErlain and Charlie Crook in a 4-0 home win against Portishead Town.
Luke Bryan’s goal gave fourthplaced Longwell Green Sports a 1-0 home win against Welton Rovers. Ashton & Backwell, in fifth, went one down to Dan Wise’s penalty at home to Wincanton, but hit back to win 2-1 with two goals from James White, the second of which was direct from a free-kick.
Hengrove Athletic handed Bishop Sutton a sixth straight defeat with a 4-0 win at Lakeview. Jack Jones, Will Harvey, Shaun Trott and a late own goal secured the three points.
Oldland Abbotonians had goals from Tom Summerhill (2) and Cash Vinall in a 3-1 home triumph against Warminster Town, while Omar Campbell struck to give Lebeq United a 1-0 win against Bishops Lydeard at Oaklands Park.
Bristol Telephones lost 5-0 at Corsham Town.