Woolavington clinched the Uxella League title for the third successive season with a 4-0 home win over Quantock Pride last weekend. A double from Marcus Butler and further goals from Adam Kinsey and Simon Caddy secured the three points. A few days later the champions concluded their campaign with a further victory, this time by a 5-0 margin away to Cross Rifles. Marcus Butler again hit two. The two victories meant that Woolavington won the title by six clear points from their nearest rivals, Tiger Old Boys.
The Tigers kept up a dogged chase right until the end with back to back wins of their own, both coming over Flag Old Boys. In the first encounter both sides put out depleted sides which led to Alan "Mickey Quinn" Lott featuring among the Tigers goalscorers as they won 5-2. Yet another successfully converted Martyn Allen penalty and a Fred Hemmings strike was the Flag reply. The second encounter between the two sides on the following Wednesday evening was a much tighter affair with a 35-yard strike from Tigers skipper Nick Keirle being the difference.
The Second Division title was also eventually secured by the longstanding favourites, Bower United, but not before they exhibited something of a wobble in their final catch-up fixtures. They followed up their shock defeat at the hands of bottom side Grasshoppers '05 with a further loss, 2-3 at home to Admirals. Luke Manley and Jon Harriott were their goalscorers on that occasion. However, they then climbed into top spot by a single goal difference in their penultimate game away to Abbey Moor where they romped to a "Puddy-Powered" 6-0 victory after two-goals-apiece from Jarrid McKay and Sam Puddy and further goals from Darryl Puddy and Ben Puddy. However, they then suffered their third defeat in four in their final match of the campaign as, with only nine men, they battled valiantly before going down 1-0 to Woolavington Reserves. This could have effectively ruined their title bid as it meant that they finished the season level on both points and goal difference with Bridgwater Wanderers but with the Wanderers having scored more goals. Bower's silverware saviours came in the unlikely form of Grasshoppers '05 who were deemed to have played an ineligible player in their recent victory over Bower. The subsequent league ruling for this misdemeanour saw the Hoppers Reserves deducted three points and Bower awarded three, thereby clinching them the Division Two title by a three point margin.
(Story First Published: 12.05.08) |
