Premier Comb’n Hanham see off Totterdown to make it six wins in a row
I’ve never known a season like it: that’s the sixth serious injury for us
HANHAM Athletic approach Saturday’s tasty home encounter with Olveston United (2pm) flying high still at the Premier Division summit and with a perfect winning record from six games to defend following another good afternoon’s work.
Last season’s runners-up Totterdown United were the latest to fall prey to Hanham’s firepower as they were beaten 3-0 on their Vicarage Road visit by seemingly unstoppable leaders hell-bent on a return to the Gloucestershire County League stage at the first time of asking.
Hanham were out of the blocks quickly with Karim Rendall opening the scoring from close range, before his rampant team doubled their lead when Paul Coles finished off a Joel Athey cross.
The unrelenting hosts carved a few more chances before the break but failed to make them count. They did, though, gain control of the second half and wrapped up three more deserved points with another Coles finish.
Totterdown chairman Steve Thomas conceded: “We just didn’t turn up and lost to the better side.”
Fifth-placed Olveston can head to Vicarage Road on Saturday knowing they’ll have their hands full but with confidence high on the strength of an unbeaten five-game run and 6-1 home defeat of Bradley Stoke Town in their latest outing.
With Thomas Penney in fine form as an attack-minded leftback, there were doubles each for Matt Knight and Leo Glew, while a Joe Loney strike and own goal finished the job for the happy hosts, whose manager Russell Knight said: “Everyone turned in solid performances.” Josh Slade notched with Bradley Stoke’s consolation goal
Longwell Green Sports Reserves are impressively going about their business second in the standings and also unbeaten. They made it five wins and a draw from a same six-game stretch so far thanks to Aidan Noble’s strike in a 1-0 away defeat of Winterbourne United, whose chairman Robyn Maggs admitted: “It was a bad day for us. We were well on top throughout but just couldn’t score.”
Sitting pretty in third spot are AEK Boco Reserves. Cory Langdon, Rufus Davies and Jaye Rudge celebrated the goals which saw them beat struggling Shaftesbury Crusade hosts 3-1. Shaftesbury are stuck to the Premier Division floor without a point to their name heading into a vital match at home against basement rivals Chipping Sodbury Reserves on Saturday week.
Chipping Sodbury Reserves’ continued, as their Ridings neighbours St Nicholas gave themselves welcome daylight between them and the basement with three precious points.
There was a thrilled Saints supremo on the scoresheet, too, in the shape of 42-year-old supersub James Mapstone, who watched on as Ben Reeves registered with his side’s other goal in a 2-0 success.
There was dismay, too, for St Nics, as manager Mapstone explained: “Sadly, we lost yet another player to injury.
“Thirty seconds into the game our striker Craig Doyle, on his first game back from injury, broke his foot in two places.
“I’ve never known a season like it: that’s the sixth serious injury for us.”
DRG SV Frenchay are looking good in mid-table. They celebrated a second straight win with a 3-2 Frenchay Park Road victory over Hallen Reserves through Jesse Hudson, Dylan Quick and Emiel Aiken efforts. Sid Bojang and Joe Davis responses for the visitors were not quite enough for a share of the spoils.
Relishing life in the second tier of the Combination competition right now are Stapleton, fresh still from their elevation from the Bristol and District League.
They top the table with five wins and a draw from seven games, after visiting Hambrook were felled 3-0 by Callum Baker’s double and Mustafaj Bekim’s single. It was the same scoreline inflicted on Hambrook by their opponents in successive outings following Stapleton’s 3-0 October 29 victory at Whiteshill Common when Jack Little hit a hat-trick.
Stapes chairman Rob Selman said: “It was quite an even game this time, but we were more clinical.”
Cribbs A, who had Ed Moody on target, were the latest unable to stop Iron Acton, who swept to a 4-1 Lawns win through two goals apiece from Mo Njie and Tyler Dacres.
Benni McCarthy’s Greyfriars Athletic overcame stubborn guests Wick Reserves 3-2 to move their unbeaten stretch to three games.
After a goalless first half, the second period produced a different game altogether, an end to end one in which Wick took the lead, only for Greyfriars to restore parity via Reece Evans’ penalty.
Dan Holbrook’s finish handed the hosts the lead, but Wick, whose goals came from Owen Lingard and Archie Williams, scored again eight minutes from time to tie it up at 2-2 before being denied a point five minutes into stoppage-time as Jamie Elliott calmly slotted home.
McCarthy said: “It’s always good to win exciting games, and it’s credit to the desire of our lads to keep pushing and getting results like these We keep progressing well.”