Ron's Match Reports
25th February - Cribbs close in at the top
The chase for the title is wide open again as both Tuffley Rovers and Henbury lose while Cribbs Friends Life and Ellwood win.
The game of the day between local rivals Cribbs Friends Life and Henbury who are situated just a mile apart on the map looked to be a good prospect on paper. With Henbury lying in second place 6 points ahead of third place Cribbs Friends Life the home side needed to win to close the gap. The game started at a very high pace and it was the visitors who took the initiative in the first 10 minutes and had their first shot on target after 4 minutes and a few minutes later a long ball up field by Henbury keeper O’Connell bounced over several home defenders before eventually being hooked over the bar for a corner as Henbury forward Harry Bartlett closed in In the home sides first attack on the visitor’s goal after 12 minutes, a maize run down the left by Jack Kinnerly who weaved his way past several Henbury defenders before being pulled down in the box by Gary Clarks clumsy tackle giving away a penalty. Simon Bone slotted the ball home from the spot, to net the first of his four goals of the afternoon. Cribbs Nick Lloyd then saw his effort on goal go sailing over the bar before the visitors upped the tempo and forced several corners in a row. Both corners looked dangerous as they arrived into the six yard area but home keeper Matt Turner dealt with the situation very well. Henbury continued to press and again forced four corners in a row but the home defence weathered the storm. Turner almost gave away a goal as he failed to collect Ben Sandle’s shot but a defender saved the day and a few minutes later it was Sandle again on target with Turner spilling the second shot but it was scrambled away.
Action from Cribbs Friends Life V Henbury
The second half started a lot better for the home side and a mistake by a Henbury defender allowed Nick Lloyd a free run on goal but he sent his shot wide of the target. In the 56th minute Aaron Anglin should have leveled the score when he broke through the home defence and then pulled his shot over the bar. Henbury must be ruing that missed chance as 2 minutes later they were 2-0 down when Simon Bone got free of Henbury defence to drive the ball across goal and although O’Connell got his hands to the shot he could not prevent it going in. Anglin had another great chance to pull a goal back for the visitors in the 63rd minute but although clear on goal he was quickly closed down by Turner who smothered the shot. In the 70th minute Nick Lloyd put Simon Bone clear to fire home number three and complete his hat-trick. Then in the 81st minute Kinnerley sprung into life again as he yet again out paced the home defense down the left and squared the ball back for Bone to head home his fourth of the game.
Fourth place Ellwood hit back from a goal down at home to leaders Tuffley Rovers. The game was held up for a while as Tufleys Stuart Griffiths was carried off with a serious injury. Warren Mann had given Tuffley the lead on 30 minutes and they held on to that lead until then 50th minute when Jamie Addis leveled for the home side. Ellwood snatched all three points in the 85th minutes when brother Matt Addis netted the winner.
Chipping Sodbury Town gained their first win for quite a considerable time with a 2-0 win at home to Bishops Cleeve Reserves. Neither team was able to find the net in the first 45 minutes but Mark Totterdell changed that in the 65th minute when he scored for Sodbury from a free kick. Sam Cooper made the game safe five minutes from the end when he netted a second for the home side.
Action from Cribbs Friends Life V Henbury
Yate Town Reserves are still bottom after losing at home to Hanham Athletic 3-2. Yate had taken the lead in the 25th minute as Ibrahima Sarr netted from the penalty spot after Jack Parker had been brought down in the box. Hanham leveled on 40 minute from a corner that the home side failed to clear and Callum Gardiner knocked the ball in from close range. James Shipman gave Hanham the lead on 75 minutes but Yate hit back three minutes later when the visitors keeper was unable to prevent Ibrahima Sarr's fierce shot trickle over the line. Two minute later the visitors grabbed the lead with a cross into the box that found James Pocock completely unmarked to drive the ball home.
Kings Stanley gained their first three points at home for some considerable time with a 2-1 win over Kingswood. The visitors cleared of the line after 10 minutes, but constant pressure by the home side eventually brought the opening goal. It came from a corner that was headed goal-wards by Sam Prior and although keeper Chris Fox got his hand to it it crept in. Nick Humphreys struck the cross bar just before the break for Stanley but it remained 1-0 after 45 minutes. Stanley scored a second goal on 75 minutes when Ben Newman sent over a long cross to the far post and Andy Maryon was there to knock the ball home. A looping shot from Kingswood that struck the crossbar in the 85th minute fell nicely for Ryan Mudd to reduce the arrears and then for the last five minutes the home side held on to take the points.
Thornbury Town came up against a very determined D.R.G. Stapleton who bounced back from their heavy defeat last Saturday to win 2-1. It was a frantic game with the visitors playing very direct football and not allowing Thornbury to settle into their passing game that they like to play. The visitor’s striker Ben Burrell was a threat all afternoon and he almost scored after 8 minutes but stabbed the ball just wide of the upright. Five minutes later he made up for that miss when he was put clear on goal to put the visitors one up. Steve Thompson who was called upon to play in goal for Town brought off a brilliant save from his own player Scott Reeves that would have given the visitors a 2-0 lead. Thornbury did pull the score level after 50 minutes when the D.R.G. defence got into an awful mess and Danny Thompson picked up the loose ball to drive the ball past the keeper. D.R.G. found themselves back in front on the 55th minute as a long cross into the box was volleyed home by Fabian McCarthy at the far post. In the 75th minute Dean Morgan saw his effort on goal cleared of the line but the home side could not find their usual rhythm at all today. Continued
Action from Cribbs Friends Life V Henbury
Taverners almost snatched a win over Bristol Academy but a 30 yard unstoppable shot from Ben White in the 85th minute meant they had to settle for a 1-1 draw. The game came to life after the break when Freddie Latchford finished of a Craig Hughes and Josh Blunt move that saw the strike chip the ball over the visitor’s keeper just 2 minutes into the second half. Mike Thornton had two efforts an goal blocked by the Academy keeper following a corner and Tom Burridge’s flick on to Dan Robinson was well saved by the visitor’s keeper.
Berkeley Town gain 3 valuable points to ease there problems near the bottom of the table. Paul Brooks gave them the lead after 15 minutes and with just 5 minutes to go James Mackie netted a second.
Patchway Town and Longlevens played out a goalless draw at Scott Park. These two teams scored 10 goals between them last Saturday but it seems that they left their shooting boots at home this week.
Action from Cribbs Friends Life V Henbury
18th February - Patchway Town hold off Ellwood
Shock of the day was the 4-3 defeat at Tuffley Rovers by visitors Berkeley Town. Henbury go top after a 3-1 victory over Kings Stanley, whilst Cribbs Friends Life lose ground after being held to a 1-1 draw at Bishops Cleeve Reserves. Ellwood also lose ground at Patchway Town.
Patchway Town who were currently lying in fifth place in the table at the start of their home game against fourth place Ellwood - won this game 4-2 with Matt Davies netting all four goals for the home side.
Patchway were far the better side in the first 45 minutes and gave the Ellwood defense a torrid time. Matt Davies saw his header brilliantly saved by Tim Yemm just 2 minutes in to the game. Patchway went ahead in the 5th minute when Jordan Yeo broke down the right sent in an inch perfect cross behind the visitors defense and Matt Davies was there to fire the ball past Yemm. Ellwood’s first real attack a couple of minutes later almost brought a goal as Mike Nelson broke into the box but he sent his chipped effort just wide of the far post. A Luke Garbacz shot was cleared off the line by an Ellwood defender in the 10th minute. The home side were on top and a second goal looked as though it might come and it did in the 31st minute again a break down the right this time by full-back Clarke Taylor and his low cross into the box was met by Davies to fire home his second of the afternoon. Ellwood’s keeper Tim Yemm was definitely the busier of the two keepers as he was called upon to make several more good saves to keep the score-line down to 2-0. Just before the break the visitors had their first real chance to score as Rick Andersons low shot was on target but keeper Martin Alford got right behind it to save well.
Action from Patchway Town V Ellwood
Whatever was said in the visitor’s dressing room at half time had the desired affect as Ellwood pushed the home side very hard for the first 20 minutes of the second half. Mike Nelson should have pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 51st minute but with a clear shot on goal he skied the ball over the bar. Matt Addis then pulled his shot wide of the target and Nelson wasted a very good chance pulling his shot wide of the far post. With all the pressure that they applied the visitors did get the ball in the net to make it 2-1 in the 73rd minute Matt Addis scrambling the ball home after an initial save from home keeper Martin Alford. A couple of minutes later Ellwood missed the chance to equalizer after a low cross was missed by three lunging players and it went out for a goal kick. The home side steadied the ship and in the 78th minute Yemm saved well from Mark Palmer and a minute later Garbacz hit the cross bar Patchway made it 3-1 on 81 minutes as Davies charged the ball down from an Ellwood attempted clearance and then picked up the loose ball to drive past the keeper. In the 87th minute Davies netted his fourth of the afternoon as he was put clear on goal he was impeded by the keeper but the ball ended up in the back of the net to make it 4-1. Two minutes into time added Ellwood’s Mike Nelson netted a second for Ellwood but missed chances cost them dearly.
Shock of the day was the 4-3 home defeat of Tuffley Rovers by Berkeley Town who played the entire second half with 10 men. It was Berkeley who took the lead on 10 minutes Tom Patterson netting from a free kick A Shane Bradley diving header at the far post leveled the score in the 27th minute and the home side went ahead in the 32nd minute when center-back Richard James who had come up for a corner found the back of the net. Just before the break Berkeley were down to 10 men. Shane Bradley netted his second to put Rovers 3-1 up in the 59th minute but Berkeley hit back in the 79th minute to make it 3-2 when Mike Reece score a super goal from a free kick just out side the box. Rovers gifted the equalizing goal to Berkeley when Tom Patterson latched on to a bad back pass and fired the ball home from the edge of the box. The visitors grabbed the 3 points in time added when Rovers lost possession and Berkeley’s Sam Strickland raced clear to score and secured the points.
A hat-trick from Eddie Howell lifts Henbury back to the top of the table. He opened his account after 15 minutes after the visitors failed to clear their lines and he volleyed the ball home from 15 yards. Howell second goal came in the 35th minute when he headed home an Aaron Anglin cross into the box. A minute into the second half Henbury went 3-0 up as Howells completed his hat-trick when he headed home an Adam Rosser free kick. Stanley struggled throughout the game but were rewarded for the efforts in the 75th minute when Nick Humphreys headed home.
Action from Patchway Town V Ellwood
Bishops Cleeve Reserves almost pulled off a shock win over Cribbs Friends Life but had to settle for a 1-1 score-line in the end. The home side went ahead in the 20th minute from a combined effort between Nick Shorey and Stuart Midwinter with Midwinter getting the final touch. Cribbs hit back 10 minutes later with a superb shot from Tony Beecham his 25 yard effort screaming past Dan Greenhouse in the home goal. Cleeve thought they had won the game in the 75th minute as Midwinter’s shot looked to have crossed the line but the referee waved play on.
Rockleaze Rangers took the lead against Bristol Academy, but failed to hold on eventually going down 2-1. There were no goals in the first half but the Academy missed a really good chance to take the lead. Academy keeper Hyslop brought of a good save early on from Shane Budding, but then Josh Cann missed an 8 yard sitter on 25 minutes for the Academy. The home side took the lead on 49 minutes as a Ben Lear shot cannoned of the upright and struck Dan Dyke before ending up in the back of the Academy net. Lear was unlucky in the 65th minute as his shot again hit the upright but this time went out for a goal kick. Jemal-Akeem Williams leveled for the visitors and Jake Jackson netted the winner on 80 minutes in a goalmouth scramble.
Longlevens first visit to D.R.G. Stapleton resulted in a very fruitful afternoon as they came away with a resounding 6-2 win. Man of the match was undoubtedly Andy Trout who netted four of his teams six goals. He got his first after 15 minutes and then followed up with a second on 36 minutes He completes his hat-trick in the 46th minute before the home side reduced the arrears from a 35 yard Luke Hall-Cousins free kick. A couple of minutes later Ryan Dunn netted a fourth for Longlevens and then Dave Merrick made it 5-1. Andy Trout scored again to make it 6-1 with his fourth of the afternoon before Joe Galsworthy netted a second for the home side in the 89th minute. Probably a day home side will want to forget.
Action from Patchway Town V Ellwood
Kingswood gained three valuable points with a 4-2 win at home to Yate Town Reserves. It was the visitors who scored first - Mike Tucker giving them the lead on 30 minutes. The home side leveled in the 39th minute from a Tom Higgins header, but just before the break Mike Tuckers in-swinging corner went straight in. Ryan Mudd pulled it all square after Dibden had headed on Bleaken’s cross. Two goals in the space of three minutes gave the home side the upper hand as Simon Clark’s corner went straight in on the 80th minute and three minutes later Adam Harber netted from the spot after Ryan Mudd had been felled in the box. Kingswood could have made the score line even greater but for two glaring misses from Len Miller.
A close score line at Taverners with the home side running out 3-2 winners over Chipping Sodbury Town. Jimmy Potts had given the visitors the lead on 25 minutes against the run of play and although the home side was seeing plenty of the ball it took until the 62nd minute to level, Josh Blunt doing the honors. Within a minute Sodbury were ahead again this time Dan Bendall getting on the score sheet. It took two goals from substitute Tom Burridge to give Taverners the lead the first coming in the 70th minute and the winner ten minutes later.
Hanham Athletic ran out 2-1 winners over Thornbury Town at Vicarage Road in what turned out to be a scrappy game. Hanham took a two goal lead in the first half the first coming after 15 minutes as Callum Gardiner headed home a cross from Mark Pocock at the far post. The second fifteen minutes later came from a scramble in the box from a corner with centre back Jack Tottle hammering the ball home on the turn. Thornbury hit back in the 48th minute as Steve Alexander set up Dean Morgan to maneuver some space before driving the ball home.
Action from Patchway Town V Ellwood