Leaders Highridge held by Henbury
SENIOR Division leaders Highridge United Reserves and Henbury Reserves fought out a lively Lakemead Grove stalemate – as unrelenting Division Two pacesetters Winterbourne United Reserves rampaged to victory once more.
While the Bristol and District League fixture programme has taken a big hit under the strain of the coronavirus crisis along with all other organised football activity across the region, it has at least thrown up a series of games on a reasonably regular basis until this week’s latest lockdown announcement brought the beautiful game to another standstill.
Nonetheless, high-riding Highridge approached their home meeting with mid-table Henbury at the weekend having already completed ten of their 26 fixtures while set on enhancing their position at the head of the top-flight table with a seventh win.
Dean Perry’s battlers have also been liable to drop points at times and so it turned out once more, as Jack Knight’s strike and an own goal were not enough to put away determined Henbury guests who responded with James Shaw and Oktawain Gala goals for a share of the spoils from a 2-2 draw.
It’s going to take one monumental effort from a rival, or a capitulation of immense magnitude, to dislodge Winterbourne’s sizzling second string from their perch at the top of Division Two.
Bourne entered their away date with bottom-placed Greyfriars Athletic A already looking set for another title and promotion success with ten wins from ten behind them. There was never doubting the outcome of this one either as Dan Edwards’ hat-trick, Paul May’s pair and Liam Williams, Josh Gregson, Liam Sheppard, Martin Bobok and an own goal all contributed to the 10-0 romp which increased United’s lead over second-placed Shaftesbury Crusade Reserves to 13 points.
The only other game played was in Division Four. Second-placed Made For Ever’s impressive form continued with a fifth straight victory, and the extension of their unbeaten run to eight games, courtesy of a 2-0 away defeat of St Nicholas Reserves at the Ridings, via goals from Dan Troake and Dan Maine, which put them within two points of leaders Hallen A.