Match Reports
29th August 2009 - Kings Stanley hit Ellwood for six
Ellwood crash to a 6-0 defeat at the hands of last years runners-up Kings Stanley. The home side were trailing 3-0 at the break with goals from Ben Newman after 3 minutes a second from Jon Peacock on 35 minutes and Mike Beckingham just before the break. Stanley completely dominated the game throughout and added three more goals in the second half. Ben Newman netted a second on the hour mark and five minutes later Danny Chandler made it 5-0 with Eoin Szurjkowski netting the sixth in the 80th minute.
Leaders D.R.G. Stapleton were held to a goalless draw at home to Thornbury Town. With a strong breeze blowing straight down the pitch both teams found it difficult to keep the ball on the deck resulting in a lot of high balls being knocked forward aimlessly. Thornbury created the first chance after 10 minutes but keeper Neil Hansen dived well to save a well directed header. The home sides first chance fell to Aaron Tainton who turned on the edge of the box but hit his shot just wide. Town’s keeper Robert Malcolm pulled of a great save in the 33rd minute from Liam Powell after Ferguson had set the chance up. A mistake in the home defence almost cost them dearly as Andy Rice’s shot from just inside the box struck the upright with Hansen well beaten. A few minutes later Rice had a great chance to open the scoring but headed over Lippiatt’s free kick. In the 73rd minute Thornbury’s keeper Malcolm had to leave the field with a groin strain with Sam Lippiatt taking over the roll of goalkeeper. The home side failed to capitalise on the change and only managed one shot at target in the last 17 minutes.
Action from DRG Stapleton V Thornbury Town
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Henbury faced Kingswood for the very first time in a game they probably should have won. They created numerous chances early on but the Kingswood defence held firm until then 35th minute when Adam Rosser hit a brilliant goal from 35 yards. Henbury went 2-0 up in the 55th minute when Lee Barnes side footed home from close range. The visitors hit back in the 65th minute when Barry Dibden netted and Tom Higgins gave them a share of the point with an equaliser in the 82nd minute.
Berkeley Town moved of the bottom of the table with a 3-2 victory over Taverners. Taverners must be disappointed in this defeat as they were leading 2-0 after 55 minutes. Berkeley hit back in the 80th minute when Richard Langford netted from the penalty spot and six minutes later they were level as Pete Holder volleyed the ball home. The winner for Berkeley came 2 minutes from the end after Craig Roberts upended Langford in the box and he dragged himself up to net his second of the day from the spot.
Patchway Town have slipped to the bottom of the table after a 3-0 home defeat by Rockleaze Avonside. The home side have failed to score in all matches they have played so far this season, but not for the effort that has been put in Patchway are creating chances but are failing to make them count. Rockleaze opened the scoring when Troy Simpson set up Kye Simpson midway through the first half. Two minutes into the second half Kye Simpson netted his second and Phil McKenny rounded the scoring off in time added at the end of the game.
Action from DRG Stapleton V Thornbury Town
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Hanham Athletic recorded their first win with a slender 1-0 victory over Axa. the only goal of the game came in the 15th minute with a strike from Nathan Bryer. Axa found themselves with an uphill struggle when they went down to ten men after 25 minute.
Brimscombe & Trupp gave themselves a lift after their defeat in the cup in midweek with a 3-0 victory at home to Highridge United. Francis King opened the scoring in the 15th minute as he floated a free kick into the box and the visitor’s keeper completely misjudging the flight and the ball finished in the back of the net. A James Clark header gave them a 2-0 lead in the 75th minute and John Dalton made it 3-0 in the very last minute of the game.
Action from DRG Stapleton V Thornbury Town
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Tuffley Rovers first half display cost them dearly as they went down 1-0 at home to Yate Town Reserves. They failed to contain Yates’s on form striker Justin Cattle who gave the home defence a torrid time in the first 45 minutes creating chances for his team mates. It was Cattle who scored the winner after 11 minutes as he waltzed around the keeper to slot the ball home. Tuffley made changes at the break and their second half performance should have earned them at least a point from the game. Firstly Peter Thomas was denied what the Tuffley spokesman said was a blatant penalty for a push on Thomas himself as he broke into the box and then the same player was denied by a brilliant save by the visitor’s keeper.
Round-up of Les James League Cup Competition.
Preliminary Round - Tuesday 18th August 2009
Ellwood 0 – 0 Taverners (Taverners win 4-1 on penalties)
Over the 90 minutes there was little to choose between the teams with neither side looking as though they might score. There were several half chances from both sides but nothing to write home about. The game had been played in a competitive manner with players from both sides conducting themselves in a proper manor, that is until the 75th minute when an incident involving the Ellwood keeper and one of Taverners forwards in the back of the Ellwood net started a mass brawl that ended in the Ellwood keeper and two of Taverners players being dismissed. Up to that point there had been just two cautions but from then until the end of the game the player’s attitude gave the referee no option but to enter more names into his book. The game finished goalless after 90 minutes and in this competition there is no extra time, the game being decided on the taking of penalty kicks. Unfortunately for Ellwood their penalty takers were foiled by some good goalkeeping from the Taverners keeper which saw the visitors through to face Hanham Athletic in the first round, winning the penalty shootout 4-1.
Preliminary Round - Wednesday 19th August 2009
Tuffley Rovers 1 – 0 Rockleaze Avonside
Another close game as far as chances were concerned with a few half chances from both teams failing to finish up in the back of the net. Tuffley Rovers eased their way into the 1st round with a really well taken goal in the 70th minute a low drive from the edge of the box by Mark Wallington. From this point of the game Tuffley looked the much better team and their passing became more and more accurate keeping possession for long periods preventing Rockleaze from penetrating into the Tuffley half on rare occasions. Tuffleys win meant that Axa would be their opponents in the first round at home.
First Round – Tuesday 25th August 2009
Bishops Cleeve Reserves 3 – 0 Berkeley Town
Tuffley Rovers 2 – 1 Axa
Bishops Cleeve move into the Quarter-Finals with a comfortable 3-0 win over Berkeley Town. All three goals came in the first 45 minutes with Dan Gittings opening the scoring just 4 minutes into the game. James Pick-up made it 2-0 after 10 minutes and James Bailey wrapped up the scoring just a minute before half time.
In the other game played that night Tuffley Rovers progressed into the Quarter-Finals with a hard fought 2-1 victory over Axa. Tuffley striker Pete Thomas gave them the lead in the 41st minute with a powerful headed goal. The home side went 2-0 up in the 52nd minute when Pete Thomas netted his second. Axa hit back 10 minutes later when new signing from Hallen Tony Beecham netted his first goal for his new club. The visitors went looking for the equaliser but a resilient Tuffley defence held firm to secure their place in the next round.
First Round – Wednesday 26th August 2009
Chipping Sodbury 3 – 1 Brimscombe & Thrupp
D.R.G. Stapleton 2 – 1 Henbury
Hanham Athletic 0 – 1 Taverners
Highridge United 2 – 2 Kings Stanley (Kings Stanley win 8-7 on Penalties)
Kingswood 3 – 0 Patchway Town
Yate Town Reserves 5 – 1 Thornbury Town
Chipping Sodbury Town coated into the next round with a 3-1 victory over new team to the league Brimscombe & Thrupp. It was the visitors who opened the scoring after 9 minutes with a John Dalton strike, but the home side hit back through Lee Gardiner before the break. Two goals from Paul Harris and Danny Coombes in the 70th & 75th minute saw Town home and dry.
D.R.G. Stapleton’s new look squad this season continue with their good start with a 2-1 victory over last season’s finalists Henbury. Tom Lewis gave the home side the lead just 2 minutes before the break, but a second goal in the 47th minute from a Triston Ferguson strike put the home side in command. In the 77th minute Rob McArthur gave a way a penalty after flooring a Henbury forward in the box. The resulting spot kick was put away by Eddie Howells, making the last 13 minutes a bit edgy for the home side.
A 1-0 victory by Taverners was enough to see them into the next round at Hanham Athletic. The only goal of the game came in the 20th minute header from Mike Thornton after the home keeper had fumbled a free kick.
The game between Highridge United and Kings Stanley last years winners of the competition was turned on its head in the 85th minute when Stanley scored to pull the score back to 2-1. Highridge had been cruising comfortably with a 2-0 lead at that point with Nick Pratton giving them the lead on 31 minutes after Stanley’s keeper Dean failed to push a looping header over the bar and managed to scoop the ball into the roof of the net. A Mitchell Kavanagh strike in the 50th minute seemed to suggest that the holders were on the way out of the competition. Stanley were having a lot of possession but never looked as though they were going to break the home defence down, until, that is, Simon Harmers looping shot that bounced hard on the ground over the Highridge defence and dropped into the corner of the net. This certainly lifted Stanley and 3 minutes later they were level when Danny Chandler drove a left foot shot across the keeper into the Highridge net. The game finished level at the end of 90 minutes with a penalty shootout to decide who went through. After 6 penalties each the score was 6-6, then Stanley missed and Highridge followed. They each missed the next penalty and it was Stanley’s 9th penalty that flew past the Highridge keeper leaving the home side having to score to level and send it into a tenth penalty, but Dean guessed right and pulled of a superb diving save to send last year winners through. The home side were gutted and could not believe that they had thrown away that two goal advantage so late on to be knocked out of the competition.
Kingswood progress into the next round with a 3-0 win over Patchway Town. No goals in the first 45 minutes but a superb hat-trick by Ryan Mudd in the 61st, 73rd and 81st minute saw then safely home. Their first experience of victory in the County league all be it in the Les James Cup Competition.
Yate Town Reserves hammered five into the Thornbury Town net with only a single goal in reply to book there place in the next round. Yate went 4-0 up after 20 minutes with a double strike from Justin Cattle and Gary Simmons with Cattle completing his hat-trick before the break. Thornbury grabbed their consolation goal when Steve Alexander netted midway through the second half.
22nd August 2009 - Axa open account
After last weeks disappointment when there game was abandoned due to a serious injury, Axa gained their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over local rivals Patchway Town. Patchway were awarded a free kick in the 6th minute when Marlon Francis was brought down on the edge of the box by keeper Tom Sheppard. Francis took the kick but hit it straight at the wall and the ball was cleared. Axa had a corner cleared of the line by Town’s Ashley Brown and then at the other end Matt Shaughnessy blasted the ball over the bar from just inside the box. The home side were rather fortunate to take the lead in the 38th minute Steve Watts latching on to a mistake by Town keeper Martin Alford to slot the ball home from 6 yards. Patchway were unlucky with a header from a corner that struck a defender on the back of the head and was cleared.
Action from Axa V Patchway Town
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Axa should have increased their lead in the 49th minute as a mix-up in the Town’s defence allowed Steve Watts to sneak the ball past Alford but then pulled his shot wide of an empty net. Patchway should have equalised after 53 minutes after a good move found Marlon Francis just 8 yards from goal but the striker pulled his shot wide. A couple of minutes later Francis was set up by Bradley Harris but with a clear shot on goal saw Tom Sheppard the Axa keeper pull of an amazing save to deny the striker. A Shaughnessy free kick from 35 yards looked destined for the top corner of the net but a Town defender just got the slightest of touches to deflect the ball over the bar. Steve Watts should have wrapped the game up for Axa in the 88th minute but pulled his shot wide of the target from the edge of the box.
D.R.G Stapleton stay top of the table after a 2-0 victory at Taverners. Rob Treanor gave the visitors the lead in the 10th minute when he hammered the ball home at the far post after it had been headed across goal. Leon Cozens made it 2-0 in the 35th minute after a cross in from the left saw Couzens diving to head the ball home.
Action from Axa V Patchway Town
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Chipping Sodbury Town had the biggest win of the day with a 4-0 victory over Hanham Athletic. Lee Gardiner opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes with Danny Coombes heading a second just before the break. Lee Gardiner popped up with a second and Town’s third on the hour mark and Danny Coombes shot was deflected into the net by the visitor’s keeper in the 65th minute.
Highridge United looked as though they might grab a second successive win when Mickey Adams put them ahead in the 86th minute, but Thornbury had other ideas and levelled the score in the very last minute of the game through Steve Alexander, to grab a point. Earlier Mickey Adams had seen his shot on goal well saved by the Thornbury keeper and Town’s scorer Alexander shot wide of the target after finding himself clear on goal.
Bishops Cleeve Reserves made two wins out of two with a 4-2 victory over newcomers Kingswood. The visitors took a 2-0 lead in the 15th minute Barry Dibden opened the scoring and on 27 minutes Gavin Dibden netted a second. The home side hit back in the 40th minute through Dan Gittings and Ben McGuire levelled on 70 minutes. James Pickup them put the home side in front seven minutes later and substitute Elliot Kennedy grabbed number four with 2 minutes to go.
Brimscombe & Thrupp went down 2-1 at home to Tuffley Rovers with all the goals coming in the second half. Tuffley’s Peter Thomas opened the scoring from a Ben Wood cross on 50 minutes, with the home side levelling through James Dalton in the 65th minute. A poor defensive mistake allowed the visitor to take the three points when Peter Thomas netted his second in the 75th minute.
Ellwood bounced back after their heavy defeat last week with a 2-1 win at home to Berkeley Town. It was the visitors who opened the scoring when Richard Langford netted after 20 minutes. Ellwood had to bring on substitute Craig Hook and he levelled the score in the 35th minute. Gary Wildin scored a second in the 42nd minute to give the home side the lead. The game was very closely contested in the second half but there was no further score.
Action from Axa V Patchway Town
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Yate Town Reserves hit back to gain a point with a 2-2 draw after going two goals down at home to Henbury. Eddie Howells gave Henbury the lead on 35 minutes and it remained 1-0 until the 75th minute when Ross Johnson put the visitors two up. In the last ten minutes the home side hit back with a brace from Justin Cattle who’s first came on 79 minutes and the equaliser from the penalty spot two minutes from the end.
15th August 2009 - Brimscombe start with win
The new season got off to a bag of mixed fortunes with a win for newcomers Brimscombe & Thrupp and an abandoned match at Chipping Sodbury where James Snook of Axa was seriously injured.
Brimscombe & Thrupp got off to a fine start to the season with a 1-0 victory at Henbury, although the goal they scored in the 41st minute was against the run of play. The home side were the better side in the first 45 minutes and the first chance when begging when Eddie Howells fired over the bar after 6 minutes. Henbury had much more possession in the first 25 minutes but failed to break down the visitors defence with central defender Gary Probert in excellent form. Brimscombe first chance came in the 29th minute when Fran Kings free kick was headed just wide by Mark Harsant. Henbury’s Damien McManus fired over from 18 yards with a clear shot on goal. Brimscombe took the lead in the 41st minute from a corner on the right the ball hit close to the near post headed across goal and Gary Probert was there to head home from 6 yards. Henbury’s Aaron Rosser and Damien McManus both found the target with shots but they were not good enough to beat keeper Adam Thomas.
Action from Henbury V Brimscombe & Thrupp
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
The visitors looked the better side for the first 30 minutes of then second half with Jack Price with a shot and Mark Harsant with a header going close. Brimscombe were unlucky when Gary Proberts header was just wide of then target after Harsant had headed a free kick back across goal. The last 15 minutes saw the home side lift the tempo and firstly Ashley Lock should have scored. A few minutes later the same player had a clear header on goal but failed to hit the target with the keeper out of position. Henbury substitute Andrew Puchowski was just wide with a header and in the last minute keeper Adam Thomas brought of a brilliant save to deny the home side an equaliser.
The other newcomers to the Gloucestershire County League this season Kingswood opened their campaign with a goalless draw at Hanham Athletic. According to the Hanham spokesman there was very little to choose between the two teams and very few chances created throughout the 90 minutes.
After a continuous struggle throughout last season, D.R.G. Stapleton got off to a flyer this season with a 5-2 victory over Ellwood. It was 1-1 at the break with Tom Lewis giving the home side the lead after 20 minutes knocking the ball in from a corner. In the 31st minute Byron Ranford levelled the score when he headed home. The home side took the lead on 48 minutes with a low shot into the corner of the net by Leon Cozens. Within 2 minutes Ellwood were on level terms when Gary Wildin fired home. D.R.G. then took a 3-2 lead when Tristan Ferguson headed home the first of his two goals. Tom Lewis then notched his second in the 77th minute giving the home side a 4-2 lead and in the 90th minute Tristan Ferguson rounded the keeper to net number five.
Action from Henbury V Brimscombe & Thrupp
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
We had the same score-line at Berkeley Town where Rockleaze Avonsiide came away with a 5-2 victory. The visitors took a 2-0 half time lead with goals from Troy Simpson and Kristen Douglas, but four minutes into the second half Richard Langford’s header pulled the score back to 2-1. After that the visitors took a 5-1 lead with Mark Linton netting the third Kristen Douglas netting number four on the hour mark and a Matt Holland own goal on 73 minutes. Town snatched a late second right on 90 minutes through Gary Gayner.
Kings Stanley continued where they left off last season with a 1-0 victory at Patchway Town. The only goal came in the 27th minute when Martin McDermott headed home from a cross. Both sides had several chances in what was described as a very entertaining game.
Action from Henbury V Brimscombe & Thrupp
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Highridge United win 2-1 in a close battle with Yate Town Reserves who should have possible went away with a point. Mitch Kavanagh opened the scoring after 15 minutes for the home side volleying home a free kick from Peter Ball. New signing and last years leading goalscorer Shane Hobbs put the home side 2-0 up on the hour mark when he cut in from the left and slotted the past the keeper. Yate woke up and gave the home side a torrid time in the last 20 minutes but could only manage the one goal and that come on 75 minutes when striker Justin Cattle was brought down in the box and got up to slot the penalty home. They had further chances to level but could not find the back of the net again.
Tuffley Rovers started their season with a 2-0 victory at home to Thornbury Town. Victor Webb opened the scoring for the home side with a twenty yard drive on 12 minutes, but Thornbury should have levelled 3 minutes later when James Derosa headed over from close range. There was a hold up in the 23rd minute when the Referee collided with a player accidentally and his assistant had to take over for the remainder of the match. It took the home side until the 84th minute to seal the points when Richard James volleyed home a Chris Lee cross.
Action from Henbury V Brimscombe & Thrupp
Image courtesy Nigel Meaney
Chipping Sodbury Town and Axa had their game brought to a halt after 75 minutes when Axa player James Snook was seriously injured and the referee deciding that the long break that would possibly occur would not be in the interest of either team to continue. Axa were leading 1-0 at the time a goal scored by Steve Winter from the penalty spot one minute into the game.