We are now six weeks into the 2005-06 Uxella League campaign and we have an unusually close race at the top of the First Division with a number of teams jockeying for position. Normally by this point in previous seasons the mighty Tiger Old Boys would have already pulled comfortably away from the chasing pack but that is not the case this time around. While the Tigers are of course up there in the mix, currently lying in second place on 13 points, they sit behind an impressive Clearwater outfit who hold top position on goal difference. It doesn't end there though as both Railway Club and the surprise package, Flag Old Boys, also share the top spot with a "baker's dozen" points haul. And as if to underline the current equality of the four leading sides they all contrived to score five goals during their respective victories this weekend.
Leaders Clearwater won 5-0 at home to Blake Old Boys to maintain their excellent start to the campaign while second-placed Tigers also bagged five as they ran out home victors in a 5-2 result over bottom-of-the-table Bunch of Grapes. Against the odds, Bunch gave the Tigers a good run-out with their hard-working approach and were duly rewarded with a couple of consolation goals including one from their keeper which started off as a long clearance but which ended up in the back of the net at the other end of the pitch after a freakish high bounce on the hard pitch deceived Tiger's stand-in goalie Chris Clark. However, Bunch's valiant efforts were ultimately in vain as Richard Onslow, James Hamilton, Lee Huntly, Steve Woods and Paul Hooper, with a beauty from 25-yards, sealed another three points for the champions.
Third-placed Railway Club also fired a five-goal salvo, eventually winning 5-3 away to Red Tile. Bob Abrams(2), Carl Tucker(2) and former Leicester City player Lee Hemsley secured the victory for the away side while Tile responded with a brace from Simon Bone and one from Adam Evans.
Flag Old Boys, currently fourth, also scored five as they maintained their excellent start to the campaign, winning 5-2 away to Ashcott. Lee Turner opened the scoring on twenty minutes with a left-footed drive into the bottom corner. Then Lee White struck to make it 2-0 at the interval. However, Ashcott scored straight after the break through Dean Perry to get themselves back in the game but when they went chasing an equaliser they were caught on the break on three separate occasions as Flag pulled clear through Kevin Wheddon, Jamie Stewart and Mike Taylor. Darren Willis then hit back with a second consolation effort for Ashcott, his first ever goal at this level.
Tucked behind the leading pack are a resurgent Woolavington side who are currently in fifth place but on this showing look set to catch the leading pack very soon. They bucked the five goal trend and proceeded to put no less than a dozen goals past North Petherton in a comprehensive 12-0 home victory. Matt Blackmore led the way with four goals and was followed onto the scoresheet by Fuzzy Fursland(3), Marcus Butler(3), John Wall and James Prowse.
Meanwhile, Squib Madrid were quite happy to jump on the five-goal bandwagon as they won 5-0 away to Huntspill Crowns thanks to two goals a piece from Dave Baker and Lee Mitchell and one from Vince Kennedy. The result leaves them tucked in sixth place, just three points off the leaders.
Two fine efforts from Paul Irvine and one from Jamie Chillingworth eventually saw Tiger Reserves register a narrow 3-2 away win over a ten-man Cross Rifles side. The consistently prolific Lee Stentaford bagged both Rifles goals by way of response.
In the Second Division Maltshovel Sports continue to set the agenda as they ran out 6-1 away winners at Bridgwater Wanderers. Andrew Barnett and Dean Organ gave them a 2-0 half-time lead and they then found another gear in the second half as they completely dominated possession and struck further goals through Steve Davis and Paul "Hairband" Organ before Dean Organ struck two more to complete his hat-trick and seal another victory, pushing Maltshovel four points clear at the top of the table. Jamie Evans bagged Wanderers' consolation goal late in the game.
Second-placed Glastonbury Town came unstuck at Chedzoy Lane as they went down 6-4 to the experienced Grasshoppers '05 side who have now registered three successive victories and which sees them climb to fourth in the table. A Les Hobbs hat-trick for the Hoppers and further goals from veteran Scotsman Bob Kippen, youngster Matt Kinsey and a solo effort from Turkish striker Erkan sealed the win for the home side while George Sellick(2), Joynul Ali and Adam King all got on the scoresheet for Glastonbury.
Meanwhile the younger Grasshoppers '04 side have yet to secure a positive result on the pitch as they narrowly lost again, this time 2-1 away to Tor Sports despite enjoying the lion's share of possession. A couple of goalkeeping errors saw Damien Postma and Paul Pentney claim all three points for Tor but the scoreline could well have been very different had the young Hoppers been able to convert more of the numerous chances they created during the game and in the end they had to settle for a lone consolation effort from Jimmer Nichols, who slotted home from a tight angle with ten minutes remaining.
Third-placed Puriton United surprisingly lost again, this time to Admirals Landing in a ten-goal thriller. Stuart Croker(2), Kevin Andrews(2), Richard Smith and Andrew Cheese were the men who scored the Admirals goals to give them a well-earned 6-4 victory.
Countryman drop to seventh in the table after losing 2-0 away to Nether Stowey for whom Dan Spencer and Gary Stockham scored the decisive efforts.
Quantock Pride continue to climb the table and are now sitting nicely in fifth place with a game in hand after winning 4-2 at home to Commercial. A James Bawden hat-trick and one from Lee Goss gave them the three points while Darren Cooper and Robert Price responded for the away side.
There was drama at bottom side Cannington, during their home game against Woolavington Reserves, when player-manager Ben Dyer was hospitalised with a suspected broken ankle resulting from a heavy tackle that split his shin-pad in two. Following an extended delay the game was brought to an early end after seventy four minutes with the score at 3-1 to Woolavington following goals from Mark Pope, Sam Weston and Tom Presley. The result will stand as more than seventy minutes had been played. Cannington will hope for better luck next weekend and will certainly need some kind of good fortune when they face the mighty Tiger Old Boys in the Dave Hobbs Cup.
(Story First Published: 12.10.05) |
