Premier Comb’n Top two set for crunch clash in race for the title
HALLEN Reserves and Totterdown United are firmly back in business after recent stumbles, as the race to land the Premier Division title and promotion to the Gloucestershire County League intensified.
The two sides, who began the week neck and neck at the summit each parading 55 points, lock horns this Saturday at 2pm for a mouthwatering Moorhouse Lane collision which will have a major bearing on the championship outcome.
Totterdown enter the contest with their noses now in front at the head of the standings after Chaz Hemmings’ opener in Tuesday night’s away encounter with Winterbourne United earned them a point from a 1-1 draw, with the hosts restoring parity from the penalty spot in the second half.
How Hallen needed three points in their latest outing at the weekend after suffering the shock ignominy of a 5-1 mauling by AEK Boco Reserves previous time out for only a second defeat of an otherwise near-perfect campaign.
They didn’t let down, as goals from Scott Cousins, Will Bolshaw, Barney Ray and Matt Hoare delivered them a 4-0 win at home to basement battlers Longwell Green
Sports Reserves.
Meanwhile, Totterdown, then adrift of Hallen in second place due only to a lesser goal difference, kept their side of the bargain too after dropping crucial points of late, as another of the league’s strugglers, rock-bottom Henbury, were safely seen off 2-0 through George Saunders and Jack Millard strikes.
Third-placed Olveston United continue to find victories hard to attain, although they’re proving as hard as ever to overcome too as their 3-3 away stalemate with AEK Boco Reserves – Phil Williams hit a double and James Worley weighed in for the O’s – made for a third successive draw for Russell Knight’s team.
As Nicholas Wanderers were romping to a 4-0 win at Bradley Stoke Town for a second uplifting success in their last three games, fifth-spot Stapleton’s eye-catching
form continued with a 4-2 away defeat of St Nicholas, thanks to Callum Baker’s brace along with Jack Welling and Jack Little efforts.
While the result marked a seventh win from eight unbeaten outings for the victorious visitors, the outcome was a frustration for midtable Saints who had celebrated a splendid 3-2 win at high-flying DRG Frenchay in midweek but had only Craig Doyle’s penalty and Ollie Slade’s strike to show for their efforts at Ridings HQ against jubilant Stapes.
St Nic’s boss Tim Minihane reflected: “We saw two sides out there really going for it.
“We had lots of possession on an awful pitch, but it was poor defending and long throw-ins which killed us and ultimately proved the difference between the teams.”
The chase for Division One supremacy is hotting up too, with Shirehampton Reserves continuing to breathe heavily down the necks of a Shaftesbury Crusade outfit who had begun the week top of the table on goal difference knowing Shire, who they travel to play this Saturday at Penpole Lane for a crucial summit cruncher (2pm), were in action last night at
home against Cribbs A with top spot there for the taking.
Shirehampton were at their clinical best ahead of their important midweek appointment as they convincingly despatched of hosts Oldland Abbotonians Reserves, who have a mountain of fixtures still to play, 6-2 at Castle Road.
In a first half containing six goals, Saul Katz scored his first Shire goal in chesting home a Fin Smith corner after 16 minutes.
Shortly after it was 2-0, as pressure from Ciaran Greening forced an own goal following a long kick by away goalkeeper Eli Smith.
Curt Feller made it 3-0 within two minutes, racing on to Jordan Whittaker’s through ball to net with a left foot lob.
Two minutes of ensuing madness at the other end saw Oldland pull it back to 3-2 courtesy of an indirect free-kick and the capitalisation of a goalkeeping mistake.
However, Greening fed Whittaker to make it 4-2 before the break and restore some breathing space. Tom Green converted a header from Whittaker’s corner, and Smith made it 6-2 after 52 minutes to round off the goals.
Greyfriars Athletic are certainly enjoying a purple patch of their helter-skelter season as they rose to fourth in the second-tier standings. Chipping Sodbury Town Reserves were the latest to be put to the sword, as Benni McCarthy’s men celebrated a third straight win thanks to Matt Troth, Riley Morris, Will Dixon and Khoben Mowthorpe goals in a 4-0 New Road success.
McCarthy admitted: “We made a poor start. But once we scored we didn’t look back, and it was good to pick up a second straight clean sheet as well.”
Elsewhere in Division One, Thornbury Town Reserves swept to a third successive victory in beating Old Sodbury 5-2 on the road to complete the double over their opponents.
They bounced back from 2-0 down to eventually prevail through Harrison Young’s pair plus Asher Budd, Cam Smith and Ollie Chappell efforts.
Patchway Town Reserves’ difficulties, second from bottom of the pack, continued as mid-ranked Cribbs A swept to a third straight win of their own in clinching a 3-1 away success via Adam Mugondi’s double and Tobi Soyannwo’s strike.