30th November 2025 - Sharpness stretch lead with win at Cleeve
Mark Simpson
Sharpness continue their fine form at the top but in the chasing pack Tewkesbury Town rather surprisingly walloped Quedgeley Wanderers 5-1, not so much the fact of the win but the margin. Hanham Athletic continue to struggle with a narrow home defeat and Totterdown’s misfortunes must be drawing concern. The last two Les James League Cup round two matches took place with wins for Tytherington Rocks and Frampton United (on penalties).
Sharpness maintained their form and left Bishops Cleeves Development’s Kayte Lane with three points in an entertaining game in which the scoreline perhaps didn’t reflect the balance of the game. The game started at a quick pace and Sharpness scored after six minutes with Alfie Jones scoring after a spill from keeper Sunter. It was however Cleeve in the ascendancy, carving open their opponents with New and Cuzner missing chances. The home side did get a reward for their play with Monty New scoring after a good sweeping move from keeper to forwards. With a flowing game and chances for both sides it was Sharpness who scored again following a free kick on the edge of the box. They added a third just before the break with Jones scoring after a turnover in possession. The second half was very similar to the first however it was Cleeve on top, Toby Moss was unfortunate when his shot seemingly went over the line only for him to be denied, but Sharpness countered and scored their fourth with Jones heading past Sunter. Despite the scoreline Cleeve continued to create chances with both Osinuga and Ellerton missing in front of goal. So, 4-1 it ended and Sharpness are certainly the ones to catch.
At Waterwells Quedgeley Wanderers faced their first defeat in November against a very good Tewkesbury Town side unbeaten in seven. It was the Quedgeley who were the much better side in the first ten minutes dominating the ball which paid off for them when Sebastian Keith smashed the ball home for a sixth minute lead. Tewkesbury clawed their way back into the game and we rewarded after 16 minutes for 1-1. Town went in front on 21 minutes. The game settled down with both teams having chances to score with a big one going to Town with a two on one which somehow came to nothing. Fin Jenner had a good chance for QW but Issac Parry made a big save for Town. The visitors stayed composed and Cam Anderson made it 3-1 right on half time. Quedgeley had it all to do in the second half and came out with intent, but it was Town who put the game to bed Scott Jordan scoring their fourth and when Jamie Goodwin scored the fifth it was well and truly out of QW’s reach. A 5-1 win for Tewkesbury and an impressive eight game unbeaten run.
At the Hallett Construction Pavilion Hanham Athletic were looking for a change in fortune up against Stoke Gifford SGS United
, and they had two good early chances with Mikey Golding shooting over when well placed, then Paul Coles had the ball in the net but was adjudged to have kicked the ball out of Jack Sheppard’s hands. Golding then should have really scored but somehow missed from ten yards with the goal at his mercy. Hanham had an even better chance on 47 minutes when they were awarded a penalty for which Louis Wyatt got sent off for bringing Coles down. Unfortunately, Coles put his shot wide of the post. Stoke Gifford made Hanham pay for their series of missed chances when minutes from time a ball over the top was taken on by Natalio Stella and he brilliantly finished past Taylor for a 1-0 Gifford win.
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red) - Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Bishops Cleeve Development (Green) v Sharpness (Red), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Click on Image for larger version
At The Hawthorns Broadwell Amateurs who have been quite inconsistent of late took on a Chalford side who have been showing good form. It was Chalford who made a strong start and but for some poor finishing should have been two up in the first ten, and against the run of play Billy Guest broke up play in the Chalford half and found Nathan Davies who played a reverse pass in behind for the well-timed run of Jamie Belfitt to finish low past Portlock for 1-0 to Broadwell. But chances still fell to Chalford and again they weren’t taken and Broadwell punished them with a second goal; Kian Skidmore’s low and hard free kick avoided everyone and fell to Guest at the far post. Broadwell used the two-goal cushion to move the ball well in the second half and it should have been 3-0 with Belfitt getting blocked out. However, the third soon came and this time a Jack Knight long throw avoided everyone and Belfitt used the bounce to turn his marker and finished under Portlock. Chalford still created chances and with a goal-line clearance and a couple of saves by Jack Watkins the score remained at 3-0. It perhaps should have been four, with Burnard, back after a long layoff, missing the goal from 18 yards with the keeper well out of position. So, the formbook rather turned on its head with a 3-0 Broadwell win.
The weather and pitch were great with very little wind and good conditions for a game of football at the Bristol Barbarians RFC for Totterdown United against Bromley Heath United. The match began rather cagily with both teams seeming to take a rather direct approach and Totterdown had the best chance of the first half when Charlie Ames headed wide of the post from a corner, and Toby Carter also had one chalked off for offside from a brilliant Ollie Lovell cross. The second half saw both teams taking a few more risks in their approach and a lot more football was being played. Around the hour mark Totts keeper Jamie Marr unfortunately pulled a quad and was replaced in goal by midfielder Jack Thorley. Around the 80th minute Bromley took the lead through Ollie Hanham who capitalised on to a through ball. Totterdown hit back instantly when a great through ball by Connor Flicker found Toby Carter who squared for Ollie Lovell to tap in for 1-1. Totterdown really went for it from here and missed two brilliant chances for the lead with the best being from Lovell, but the ball took an unfortunate bounce as he was setting himself up to finish. Totterdown were, once again, punished for not taking their chances with Jack Millward getting the winner when perhaps a natural goalkeeper may have dealt with things better. A good game, played in good spirit with the Referee letting the game flow and a 2-1 win for Bromley Heath.
At the Recreation Ground, Ruardean Hill Rangers took on Henbury & Rockleaze and early chances fell to Hill when Ollie Mason drove the ball across the face of the goal with nobody there to apply the finishing touch and on 17 minutes a carbon copy move saw Clark’s effort saved by Jordan Dunning before he hit the rebound wide. Both teams were battling hard and chances at a premium. On 39 minutes H&R created their first chance of the game when Danny Webb jinked and turned and fired a shot just wide of the far post. H&R took a 47th minute lead when Harvey Moran’s strike from outside the box deceived Underwood in the Hill goal. Both teams continued to push but again, but there were few clear chances until the 80th minute when H&R got their second, Hill failed to deal with a long ball and Moran got his second lobbing a stranded Underwood. H&R should have got a third five minutes from time after Tommy Collins took the ball around Underwood, but Sladen cleared off the line.
In the Les James League Cup, quarter-final action took place at the Hardwicke Playing Fields with Tytherington Rocks on the back of a poor run of form playing an in-form Filton Athletic. Tytherington started well and put pressure on Filton and in the thirteenth minute a perfectly placed Stuart Nelson free kick was met by the head of Connor Davey who powered it beyond the towering Thomas Bradley. Tytherington continued to build on their good start but couldn’t find a second goal. Debutant Rocks keeper Jordan Schofield made a brilliant save by tipping the ball over from an attempted lob, and then Filton had the ball off the post from a header. The second half continued in the same vein but no further goals came and it is Tytherington Rocks who progress to the semis 1-0.
A welcome break in the weather greeted Frampton United to the Nest to face Wick in what proved to be a competitive Les James League cup game. The opening exchanges saw both teams test each other as the game swung from end to end. However, neither keeper was called into action until the 20th minute when a goal bound shot from Wick’s Bayley Rudge was brilliantly saved by Tom Kaye diving high to his top left corner. The game continued with both teams committed to the challenge and each looking for the elusive opening. On 30 minutes a perfectly delivered Frampton free kick was met by a head which bounced off the Wick post and safely into the hands of Mason Hawkins. As the half came to an end Wick’s Cory Langdon had his break extended with a ten-minute sin bin. Wick saw the sin bin period out without incident and on 65 minutes great play from Wick put George Lloyd through on goal and with just Kaye to beat he was caught in two minds and fired tamely at him. Frampton enjoyed the majority of possession but failed to get past a dogged defence. As the game neared its end a great snap shot by Wick’s Tommy Lacy was again well saved by Kaye and goalless the game finished. And so, onto penalties which saw Frampton ease past Wick 4-3 as they look to retain possession of the Les James Cup.
More Here
