Premier Comb’n Bourne chief hails ‘outstanding’ display against Boco
CHAIRMAN Robyn Maggs hailed an “outstanding” performance as Winterbourne United leaped above their well-beaten opponents AEK Boco Reserves into fourth spot in the Premier Division table.
Stung by back-to-back league and county cup defeats at the hands of Longwell Green Sports Reserves and Stapleton heading into the contest, Bourne returned to something akin to their best and most potent selves.
Tristan Day’s double, and Ben Weaver, Nathan Brown and Dan Brown strikes, sealed a 5-0 Parkside Avenue romp at the expense of Boco visitors who’d come into the game with three straight victories to fuel confidence levels.
Winterbourne’s devoted chief Maggs said: “We were outstanding. It could easily have been double the score.”
Longwell Green’s slick second string, meanwhile, look as though they mean serious business this season. They became the first this term to topple a Hanham Athletic team who had won all six of their Prem games, until Billy Hensler’s sole goal felled them 1-0 at Vicarage Road to lift Longwell above their beaten but unbowed hosts and into pole position in the standings.
There was late agony for Nicholas Wanderers, who had been 2-0 up and seemingly on their way to victory against Hallen Reserves at Moorhouse Lane thanks to centrebacks Craig Baptist and Hayden Lee efforts, and two assists by Ross Beazer, only for the hosts, having been experiencing a tough time of it battling it out in the lower realms of the league standings, to grab a point from a 2-2 draw through Josh Morgan and Noah Blundell goals.
Totterdown United find themselves third on the Prem ladder after running out 2-0 away victors over Bradley Stoke Town via Jack Moon and James Overy efforts, racking up a seventh win from their last eight league and cup matches.
The crucial scrap at the foot of the table left both Shaftesbury Crusade and their visitors Chipping Sodbury Town Reserves still in search of their first wins of a torrid 2022-23 programme so far. Jordan Mignott’s goal at least earned Crusade a precious first point from a 1-1 draw. Justin Bishop scored for Sodbury.
The Division One programme contained only two games due largely to waterlogged pitches and cup ties taking priority.
There was no disguising the jubilation on faces of De Veys players and staff, as they secured only their second win since the opening day of their campaign by dramatically overcoming Cribbs A 4-3 on home Ironmould Lane territory through Ben Thatcher’s brace and Josh Quinn and Jack Marshall contributions.
It was tough to take for bottomplaced Cribbs who had led 3-2 with five minutes to go courtesy of Omar Rauf, Alex Craig and Fred Hopkins efforts, before seeing those precious first victory hopes of their own season evaporate at the death.
Fifth-placed Oldland Abbotonians Reserves, who had Isaac Guyatt twice on target, have yet to lose a game this term, although they were made to work hard for their point from a 2-2 away stalemate with second-bottom battlers Mendip Broadwalk Reserves, who had Henry May and Tyrone McNeely celebrating their goals.
In the GFA Junior Cup, there was disappointment for mid-table Combination First Division hopefuls Nicholas Wanderers Reserves, whose goals by Mark Davidson and Dan Cox, in a tight GFA Junior Cup third-round affair with Bristol and Suburban League Premier Division guests Rockleaze Rangers Reserves, still couldn’t prevent a 3-2 defeat.
It means Rockleaze take their place in the quarter-finals of the county competition on Saturday, January 21 at home against Suburban Division One leaders St Vallier.