Ron's Match Reports
26th January 2013 - Hanham and Academy draw a blank
The extreme weather conditions over the last few weeks has caused havoc with the fixtures but the rain that arrived last night washed most of the snow away allowing two out of the nine fixtures scheduled to go ahead.
Hanham Athletic entertained Bristol Academy in the South of the county whilst Frampton United hosted Kings Stanley in the North. All the other games were postponed due to heavy snow still on the pitch or water logging from the overnight rain.
Kings Stanley closed the gap at the top to just two points with a win at Frampton United and in the other game Hanham Athletic and Bristol Academy had to settle for a point each.
Hanham Athletic V Bristol Academy
The game at Vicarage Road failed to produce any goals but there were opportunities created on both sides. The Academy were guilty of missing the best chances whilst Hanham should also have finished better. The first effort from Hanham came after just forty seconds the Academy keeper Martin Horsell blocking James Shipman’s goal bound shot. Both teams forced early corners but nothing materialized. The home side won a throw level with the eighteen yard box on the right in the eighth minute and a long throw into the box found central defender Billy Fletcher whose fierce volley went just wide. The Academy were enjoying a lot of possession but it took them until the twenty sixth minute to create a real chance to score. Hanham defender Jack Baber lost possession five yards outside the box on the right to Mario Mateus who then drove into the box before dragging his shot wide of the far post. Thirty five minutes had elapsed before the Academy tested Hanham keeper Dan Fletcher with a cracking shot from Charlie Novoth
Hanham Athletic V Bristol Academy
The second period continued in the same vein with both defences snuffing out each others attacks. Then in the fifty ninth minute James Shipman found some space down the Academy right and sent over a great ball but the home side were unable to capitalize. The Academy should have opened the scoring in the sixty first minute after some great inter-change of passes set up Jake Jackson with a clear shot on goal but in his attempt to curl the ball in at the far corner it went just the wrong side of the post and out for a goal kick. Hanham brought on Adam Grinter to bolster the attack and he almost scored from Jack Baber’s free kick, heading just wide of the upright. The best chance for the home side came in the sixty ninth minute – Grinter put James Shipman in on goal with just the keeper to beat, but quick thinking by Horsell closing the angle down saw Shipman’s shot rebound away off the keeper and eventually to safety. Alex Ball could have won it for the Academy in time added at the end of the game but faced with a clear shot on goal from fourteen yards, he fired wide of the target.
Hanham Athletic V Bristol Academy
In the other game that went ahead Frampton United were defeated at home by local rivals Kings Stanley 2-0. It was a goalless first 45 minutes although the visitors were the better side for the first half hour and had two goal bound efforts headed of the line and another attempt struck the crossbar. The deadlock was broken in the sixty fifth minute by the visitors. Frampton failed to deal with a run by Nick Humphreys, who broke into their box before slipping the ball to Ryan Stevenson to fire the ball into the roof of the net. Steve Jackson had a good chance to level in the seventy third minute for the home side but pulled his shot wide of the target. In the seventy eighth minute a innocuous looking ball over the home defence found Nick Humphreys unmarked to run through and give Stanley a two goal cushion. Stanley almost made it three in the last minute of the game as Humphreys broke clear again but this time was thwarted by home keeper Graig Barnfield.
Hanham Athletic V Bristol Academy
12th January 2013 - Tuffley come back to win at Berkeley
Tuffley Rovers retain their five point lead at the top with a 3-1 win at Berkeley Town. Kings Stanley closed the gap to two points in midweek but then suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Patchway Town today. Ellwood’s defeat at Rockleaze Rangers drop them to fourth, whilst Southmead CS Athletic won 4-1 at home to Thornbury Town and move back into third place. Rockleaze Rangers are hovering in fifth place and have games in hand.
It was top versus bottom at Station Road Berkeley with the bottom Club hoping to bounce back from their heavy defeat at Ellwood and surprise the league leaders Tuffley Rovers. Town certainly were the much better side for the first twenty five minutes. Paul Brooks had Rovers keeper Chris Perks getting down to a low shot on target after just two minutes. Three minutes later Perks did really well to palm James Mackie’s fierce shot on target over the crossbar. Rovers should have scored in the ninth minute as a dreadful mistake in the home defence allowed the visitors to break down the right and send a low cross into the box where Courtney Hamilton was waiting to pounce, but with a clear shot on goal from around 10 yards he fired the ball straight into the arms of Lee Mason. At the other end the Rovers defence headed clear as Chris Andrews cross failed to find Sam Strickland. Rovers had a great chance to take the lead as Marcus Foxwell drove the ball into the box for Shane Bradley but the striker failed to reach the ball and it went straight through to Mason. Tuffley were attacking more frequently and the ball was cleared off the line by the Berkeley defence with Mason beaten. Although the visitors were seeing much more of the ball it was Berkeley who took the lead on thirty minutes with a superb goal. Chris Andrews sent over a corner from the left and Tom Palmer rose above the Rovers defence to power his header goalwards and it struck the underside of the bar on its way in. Rovers were pilling on the pressure and Mason did well to keep Warren Mann’s shot out. In the 37th minute Tuffley’s Richard James missed a glorious chance to level the score firing over from six yards. Then just before half time Shane Bradley had a clear header on goal but it went wide of the far post.
Berkeley Town V Tuffley Rovers
The second half was always going to be difficult for the home side with Rovers now firing on all cylinders and a corner from the left just two minutes in saw the home defence block the ball on the line from a Glen Gitting’s shot on goal. Mason brought off a good save to deny Shane Bradley heading the equaliser in the fifty seventh minute, but with the constant pressure a goal was almost certainly going to come. It came in the sixty first minute from leading goal-scorer Shane Bradley who fired home from twelve yards with the home defence missing. Tuffley took the lead in the sixty eighth minute from a superb cross into the box from Warren Mann that was headed home by Mark Ford. Bradley netted the third and his second with a superbly taken free kick from twenty five yards that flew low through the home defence and beat Mason at the far post. Berkeley did have a good chance to pull a goal back in the eighty sixth minute but Sam Strickland shot wide across goal with Perks well beaten
Kings Stanley lost ground after going down 1-0 at home to Patchway Town. Stanley had closed the gap on Tuffley in midweek with a 1-0 win at Bristol Academy, but this defeat was a set back. Stanley were unlucky in the fifteenth minute when Ryan Stevenson struck the crossbar with a header. Minutes later the Patchway keeper Martin Alford brought off a great save to deny Steve Robertson. Stanley also had several chances that were cleared off the line but it remained goalless at the break. Patchway looked a better side in the second half and stunned Stanley in the seventy fifth minute after gaining possession just inside the Stanley half they broke down the flank and a cross into the box was turned in by Matt Davies. The home side was unable to get back after this and lost out on the chance to keep the gap down to two points.
Southmead CS Athletic bounced back from their defeat at Sodbury last week to gain a 4-1 victory over Thornbury Town. Southmead were the better side in the first forty five minutes and went into the break with a 3-0 lead. They took the lead on sixteen minutes with a goal from new signing Luke Mills, Bobby Massey putting the striker clear to chip the ball over the keeper from the edge of the box. A forty yard pass out to the left by Luke Coghlan in the thirty first minute found full back Terry Caswell, who motored down the flank cut in and drove the ball past the visitors keeper from the edge of the box. Five minutes later Luke Mills sent Rob Sivers clear to draw the keeper before slotting the ball home. Thornbury were aggrieved when they thought they should have a penalty just before the break. Thornbury’s performance improved after the break and pulled a goal back in the seventieth minute from a long ball out of defence that found Mark Greenland on the left and his cross into the box was headed home by Steve Thompson. Southmead restored their three goal lead just four minutes later when Danny Glancy and Luke Mills interchange passes and then set up Rob Sivers to go clear to net his second of the afternoon.
Rockleaze Rangers are putting in a good challenge for the title and have games in hand over teams above them. Their 2-0 win over Ellwood who were brought down to earth after last weeks score-line against Berkeley Town was an excellent result. Calum Oakenfold had a good chance after fourteen minutes for the home side but was just wide. Then five minutes later Kye Simpson should have netted for Rangers. Ellwood’s Lee Scotford missed a great chance to put the visitors ahead after twenty two minutes firing over from eight yards. In the fifty first minute Valentin Pomfret cleared off the line from a Matt Addis shot that stuck in the mud. The opening goal came in the fifty eighth minute Ben Lear firing home after picking up a cross from Kye Simpson. A second goal four minutes later a superb effort from Savas Frangoullis who ran a full fifty yards before driving the ball home.
Berkeley Town V Tuffley Rovers
Taverners eased their relegation problems with a 2-0 win over Bishops Cleeve Reserves at Nailsworth. Josh Blunt headed home a Paul Jennings cross on fifteen minutes and they then secured the points on fifty five minutes when a Josh Jones’s corner was headed down by Luke Bedwell for Richard Kerry to drive home. This win moves them up the table a couple of places out of the bottom two.
Frampton United have to share a point apiece for the second week running after being held to a 1-1 draw by Kingswood. It was the visitors who took the lead on six minutes with a long ball over the Frampton defence that found Frank Hitchings to run clear and drive the ball home. A fantastic thirty yard free kick from Karl Palmer in the sixtieth minute got the home side on level terms and although the pressed the visitors defence they were unable to break through again.
Henbury took a thirtieth minute lead at home to Chipping Sodbury Town with a well worked move. A cross was hit into the box. it was then laid back to Jack Mills on the edge of the box and his sweet drive flew into the Sodbury net. Henbury were unlucky not to have increased their lead before the break with two great strikes from Eddie Howells that were brilliantly saved by the visitors keeper. Sogbury got back into the game in the seventieth minute with a long ball down the flank that found Craig Davidge to cut inside and drive the ball home.
There were two postponed matches: Bristol Academy v Longlevens & D.R.G. Frenchay v Yate Town Reserves.
Berkeley Town V Tuffley Rovers
5th January 2013 - Chipping Sodbury gain revenge over Southmead
Football at last – A full fixture list completed today after the last two Saturdays in December were blank.
Tuffley Rovers increase their lead to five points at the top of the table with a 2-0 victory over Henbury. Kings Stanley remain in second place but had no fixture today. Ellwood move into third after thumping bottom Club Berkeley Town 8-0 and Southmead CS Athletic drop to fourth after their 4-1 defeat at Chipping Sodbury Town.
Chipping Sodbury Town’s 4-1 victory over visitors Southmead CS Athletic was sweet revenge for the 4-0 defeat they suffered in the first meeting of the two clubs earlier in the season. At that point Sodbury were struggling but have since signed players who have transformed the team into a competitive outfit. Sodbury went ahead on nine minutes with a striker’s goal from Justin Cattle a lovely through ball from Craig Davidge allowed Cattle to get in behind the visitors defence and chip the ball over Sebastian Gribble. Both sides found it difficult to retain possession as they tried to build from the back only to lose the ball and have to start again. Only a remarkable save from home keeper George Hale prevented Southmead netting an equalizing goal as some how he managed to block Frank Stallards close range effort in the twentieth minute. Sodbury almost got a second in the 37th minute from a 35 yard drive by Mike England that was pushed around the post by Gribble.
Five minutes into the second half Danny Massey was on target for Southmead with a free kick but Hale got across to save. Sodbury got a break for their second goal on 57 minutes which was unusual to say the least. Visitors keeper Sebastian Gribble chase a ball to the edge of the box out on the right somehow lost possession to Craig Davidge who then passed the ball to Mark Totterdell who hit a long shot from a tight angle from a full 35 yards into the Southmead net. The visitors began to push forward and put the home defence under considerable pressure but they held firm but in the 70th minute Sub Dave Hewitt almost broke through but his effort was cleared with a last ditch tackle. Just two minutes later the visitors got on the score sheet and it was Dave Hewitt who sent the ball home after tuning on a cross from the left and driving a low shot past Hale. Within two minutes Sodbury restored their two goal lead. Paul Dempsey took a free kick from just inside his own half that caught the visitors napping and the long ball over the defence found Alex Fox unmarked to drive the ball past Gribble at the near post. Justin Cattle wrapped the points up for the home side in the 81st minute with a cracking left foot drive from the edge of the box.
Dismay for bottom Club Berkeley Town as they were annihilated in the Forest by Ellwood. The home Club netted eight without reply four of the goal coming from three of the Addis brothers. Matt Addis netting a double and brothers Jamie and Julian one apiece. Also on the score sheet for the Forest side were Jamie Powell, Gary Wildin, Lee Scotford and Ben Schiller.
Tuffley Rovers continue to lead the table with a 2-0 victory over Henbury. Shane Bradley who has been suffering from an injury for some time played through the pain barrier today and was rewarded when he opened the scoring for Rovers in then 39th minute from close range. It was Bradley involved again with the second goal setting up debutant Nathan King to net in the 61st minute.
Bristol Academy who have games in hand are gradually creeping up the table and are currently lying in sixth place. Their 2-1 victory at Kingswood today was hard fought and they grabbed the three points in the very last minute of the game. The Academy took the lead in the 36th minute from the penalty spot after an Ian Mills error in the box, Jake Jackson converting. But before half time Kingswood were on level terms once again the goal coming from the penalty spot put away by Simon Clarke. Stuart Rae cleared off the line for the home side in the 65th minute and a couple of minutes later Kingwoods’ Leonard Miller had his shot on target well saved by the visitor’s keeper. Kingswoods’ Jamie Baldwin might have done better when he fired his shot into the side netting in the 80th minute. The winning goal in the 89th minute was a superb effort from Ibrahima Diallo who beat two Kingswood defender before firing into the roof of the net.
Yate Town Reserves suffered another defeat this time at the hands of Rockleaze Rangers. Jack Rivers was put clear in the 20th minute to chip the ball over the Yate keeper to give Rangers the lead. It remained 1-0 until the 57th minute when a cross in from the right found Jack Parker to side foot home to level the score. Rockleaze regained the lead in the 85th minute with Sub Callum Oakenfold running clear to drive the ball home. Yate appealed for off-side but the goal stood.
Taverners hit back from a two goal deficit to salvage a point at Hanham Athletic. A good build up on 20 minutes by the home side and a superb pass from Craig Stone to Shaun Morris on the edge of the box saw the striker volley the home side in front. Taverner’s keeper fumbled the ball for the second Hanham goal Craig Stone making full use of the keepers mistake five minutes before the break. Two goals in five minutes late in the game gave Taverners a well deserved point. A rash tackle by Captain Kris Allen in the 75th minute gave Josh Jones the chance to net from the penalty spot to make it 2-1 and five minutes later Tom Hanley tapped home a low cross into the box, from the right.
The score finished all square between Thornbury Town and visitors Frampton United. 1-1 was the final score with both goals coming from the penalty spot in the first thirty minutes of the game. On a very heavy pitch it was not a very inspiring game and very few chances were created throughout the ninety minutes. Frazer Wilson gave the visitors the lead from the spot after a Town player was adjudged to have pulled a Frampton player back in the box. Ten minutes later another incident, this time a Frampton defender handling, giving town a chance to level. Brad Andrews was given the task from the spot and duly dispatched it past the Frampton keeper.
A very poor turn out to watch Bishops Cleeve Reserves take on D.R.G. Frenchay. Only 12 spectators bothered to attend. It remained goalless until the 60th minute when D.R.G’s Jerome Millard cut in from the wing and drove a hard low shot across the goal that struck the post on its way into the Cleeve net. Cleeve salvaged a point in the 85th minute from across come shot from Declan Chick that surprised the visitor’s keeper as he palmed the ball into his own net.
Les James Cup Round 2 - Sponsored by Braley Business Systems
Last seasons finalists Longlevens are out of the cup after being defeated 2-1 at Patchway Town. Patchway got off to a flying start taking the lead after just 20 seconds Brandon Benjamin being put in the clear to drive the ball home. Longlevens drew level before the break with a well taken goal from Lee Blackmore his shot from the edge of the box giving the Patchway keeper no chance. Ashley Lloyd netted the winner for Town in the second half to put them into the Semi-final.