The top two came head-to-head this weekend in the Uxella League as second-placed Pawlett United entertained league leaders Woolavington and it was Woolavington who emerged triumphant in comprehensive fashion after a highly convincing 4-0 away win thanks to two goals from Matt Blackmore and one each from Tim Netto and Marcus Butler.
The result means that Railway Club were able to leapfrog Pawlett into second place after their own comfortable 5-1 away victory at Ashcott. A four-goal salvo from 45-year-old veteran Nigel Gillard and a further strike from Carwyn Jenkins sealed the points. Callum Butler responded for Ashcott.
Tiger Old Boys also leapfrog Pawlett, moving up into third place on the back of their 5-2 home win over Grasshoppers '04. While the game was a reasonably even contest in terms of possession the difference between the two sides lay in their respective finishing with the Tigers making the better of their opportunities. With the home side leading 3-0 soon after the interval, the young Hoppers side briefly rallied, pegging the score back to 3-2 after goals from 16-year-old Jack Taylor and 18-year-old Tom Seal but the Tigers came roaring back in the final quarter and killed the game off with some clinical finishing. Max Cushing (2), Pete Hobbs, Paul Meare and a stunning volley from Aaron Whaites gave the Tigers the points.
It wasn't just the top sides making a noise as the bottom two at the start of the day, Bunch of Grapes and Maxwells 37 Club, both registered their first league victories of the campaign.
Bunch finally secured a priceless three-point haul after a battling 3-1 home win over Cross Rifles thanks to two strikes from Lee Fury and one from Rob Griffiths plus an inspirational midfield display from Andrew Riley. Carl Jones bagged the Rifles' consolation effort.
Meanwhile Maxwells came from 2-0 down to win 5-2 at Maltshovel after a hat-trick from Steve Spencer and further goals from Sam Mullins and from "super-sub" Danny Palfrey. Jordan Meaker and S. Smith replied for the home side.
In the remaining game in the top flight two late goals secured all three points for Flag Old Boys when a draw had looked the likely outcome of their away game at Red Tile. There was nothing between the two sides in the first half and the score was evenly poised at 1-1 at the break after James Hamilton had scored for Tile and Danny Crossley had responded for Flag. That was how it remained until the dying minutes of the game when Crossley first set up team mate Mike Taylor to make it 2-1 before adding a second of his own to seal a 3-1 away win.
In a strange quirk the top two sides also met in Division Two and, in something of a surprise result, Commercial took over at the top of the table after beating start-of-day leaders Huntspill Crowns 4-0 away after strikes from Darren Hewett, Darren Cooper, Gordy Addicott and Scott Hawkins.
Meanwhile it was raining goals elsewhere in the Second Division with two sides in particular racking up a divine nine.
Quantock Pride were in lethal goalscoring form as demonstrated by their 9-2 trouncing of Bridgwater Wanderers. Not surprisingly last season's Uxella League top scorer James Bawden was in on the act as he bagged four of the goals and Lee Goss, with a hat-trick, and Nathan Barnard plus an own goal completed the rout. 16-year-old Shane Thompson, fresh out of youth football, scored both of the Wanderers consolation efforts.
Wookey Sports appear to be improving at a rate of knots and if they continue to improve at the same rate they will surely be one of the top sides in Europe by Easter! Only a few weeks ago they were rock bottom of the league having lost their first six games of the season but ever since their shock Dave Hobbs Cup win at the beginning of October they have gone from strength to strength and the culmination of this process was this weekend's 9-0 hammering of Pawlett Reserves after four goals from Craig Rothwell, two each from Phil Johnson and John Osman and one from Joynul Ali.
Cannington underlined their own rapid improvement during the current campaign as they made it seven games undefeated with an emphatic 6-0 away win at Grasshoppers '05. 43-year-old Darryl Taylor rolled back the years with an outstanding display of marksmanship as he bagged five goals to take his season's tally to sixteen. Josh Turner scored the other.
In the remaining game in the Second Division Admirals sealed another three points to keep them in touch with the leading pack after a 3-1 home win over Bower United. Two goals from Kev Andrews and one from John Doyle secured the victory while Steve Hall was again on the scoresheet for Bower by way of reply.
(Story First Published: 12.11.06) |
