District Barcelona looking like title challengers
BRISTOL Barcelona are racing up the ladder and showing ominous potential as far as their Division One prospects are concerned.
Their 3-0 away win over Bradley Stoke Town Reserves at Savages Wood, delivered by Elliott Evans, Matt Roberts and Oliver Lowe goals, was their fifth in succession, hoisting them to third in the standings.
Joshua Yates and Jonny Davies supplied the goals as sixth-placed Brimsham Green extended their winning streak to three games with a 2-1 win over visiting Olveston United Reserves, whose Sam Russell scored.
Harry Goss and Eric Davies were Hambrook Reserves’ marksmen as their fourth-placed side bounced back from a 9-1 mauling by Lawrence Weston with a 2-0 win over Hanham Athletic Reserves hosts still striving to peg a first point to the board.
For red-hot Lawrence Weston it was business as usual, as Josh Pearce registered four times, Treydon Merrett pitched in with a brace and Brad Pearce, Mike Thornhill and Finlay Gayner also notched in a 9-2 home defeat of Iron Acton Reserves, to make it a perfect five wins from five loitering with intent in second spot. Tom Savory and Hayden Watkins were the Acton marksmen.
Old Sodbury hold firm at the top, however; Luke Meacham’s double and Jordan Miller’s strike eased them to a 3-0 home victory over Tormarton.
Thornbury Town Reserves are showing strong signs they mean business in the second tier this term, although travelling Sea Mills Park made them toil hard for the 2-1 win via James Cooke and Matt Constable goals which stretched their victory sequence since the season’s start to four games.
In the other First Division fixture, Roman Glass St George Reserves and Lion fought out a 1-1 draw.
Patchway Town Reserves still can’t quite bank that first win of their Senior Division mission. Unbeaten Stapleton inflicted the wounds this time, emerging 2-1 victors after a tight Scott Park tussle through Jack Welling and Luke Clarke goals. Hassan Hussein’s effort kept the hosts’ hopes alive.
Highridge United Reserves remain top after seven games and only one defeat thanks to a lastminute Gary Amos effort in a 4-3 Lakemead Grove victory over Lawrence Rovers. A George Tilzey strike and two own goals helped see Highridge to a fourth victory so far in a typically tight contest between the teams.
Mike Barton and Steve Nash grabbed the goals as Real Thornbury kept up their unbeaten form by overcoming Greyfriars Athletic Reserves 2-0 at Severn Beach.
Second-placed AFC Mangotsfield District aren’t doing so badly either, their 4-1 home defeat of Henbury Reserves via Josh Hocking’s brace and Josh Grant and Matt Brown goals making it four wins from four for the Westerleigh Road fliers.
What a start DRG SV Frenchay Reserves have made to their Division Two assault. They took their winning run to four games and in formidable fashion too, as Simeon McCarthy’s four goals, Jardell Hartley-Keeling’s hat-trick and James Bourton (2), Josh Morgan-Williams and Jordan Munn efforts powered them to an 11-1 win over guests Westerleigh Sports.
Chris Cooke scored twice as Cribbs B lost 3-2 at home against a Shaftesbury Crusade Reserves side stretching their unbeaten start to the season to five games.
Dale Drew and Jake Hodgson celebrated goals too, but not the eventual outcome, as their spirited Greyfriars Athletic A team were denied an elusive maiden win of 2020-21 by a Mendip Broadwalk A outfit making it back-to-back wins courtesy of a 3-2 success.
Highridge United A hit back from two straight defeats to beat
3-0.