16th February 2025 - Henbury & Rockleaze with vital win
Mark Simpson
Postponements due to the rain wiped out more than half of the League programme but, there was an important fixture played involving Gala Wilton and Henbury & Rockleaze down at the bottom. With Sharpness, Almondsbury and Wick not playing Frampton United took advantage to put pressure on at the top with an emphatic victory over Cheltenham Civil Service.
Gala Wilton took on Henbury & Rockleaze at Fairmile Gardens with both sides desperate for points. After a competitive first fifteen minutes Gala took the lead when Ryan Dobbins played a through ball for Rob Reid to latch onto, round Jordan Dunning and slot home. The remainder of the half was pretty even until just before the break when the game was turned on its head, unfortunately most of the turnaround was of Gala’s own making, firstly a mistake in defence gifted the ball to Drew Sawdon to equalise, then two minutes later an H&R corner came off the head of Harry O’Connor and into his own net. Gala came close to levelling things at the start of the second half, but Dobbins hit the crossbar. But, it was H&R who sealed the points with a late goal for Matt Harrison for a 3-1 win which gives them some breathing space at the bottom, and once again a Gala performance which wasn’t far off the mark, and making next weeks game against Quedgeley of huge importance.
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue) - Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Gala Wilton (Yellow/Black) v Henbury & Rockleaze (Blue), Images courtesy Peter Langley
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On a very wet day at the Bell Field the pitch held up well for Frampton United against Cheltenham Civil Service. The game was pretty even for the first 25 minutes with both sides creating a couple of half chances, then the game changed when Henry Driver-Dickerson was brought down in the box and scored the resulting penalty. Ten minutes later a Frampton free kick was sent deep into the box and Dom Brown helped the ball in for 2-0. On 40 minutes a good run down the wing was made by James Henderson who played a great ball in for Craig Mills to run onto, beat a defender and tap in the third. On the stroke of half time it was 4-0 when good play by Lewis Vye was finished with a great strike by Henry DD. Things weren’t helped for Service when they were reduced to ten and Jacob Geddes made it 5-0 heading in George DD’s cross. Tom Mangan got his first goal in the 62nd minute, Henry DD was denied by Service keeper Jon Dix but Mangan was on hand to slot in. He got his second from a long-range strike which rebounded off the bar and which Dix did his best to keep the ball out but luck wasn’t on his side. Frampton’s Fin Thomson was through but Dix pulled off a decent save to deny him and from another great save the ball fell to Mangan for his hat-trick and the game finished 8-0 to Frampton to put real pressure on the top two.
Totterdown United welcomed Hanham Athletic to the Bristol Barbarians RFC and started the better of the two sides with an early chance for George Saunders and put just wide. He then opened the scoring when Hanham keeper Ash Bryan dropped the ball under pressure from a cross and was there to calmly finish into an empty net. For the last 15 minutes of the half Hanham piled on the pressure but some good defending and some good saves by Ashley Martin kept them out. Hanham started the second half the better of the teams with Totterdown sitting deep and despite rattling the Totts bar they never made their pressure count. Totterdown grew into the half and scored three counter-attack goals, Chaz Hemmings, Ollie Lovell, and Jack Moon scoring with keeper Martin getting an assist. Hanham’s Jordan Rickman scored from the spot for a consolation and Totterdown with this 4-1 win move up to tenth and pretty well out of the relegation zone.
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