Goals galore in matches which survive weather (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Goals galore in matches which survive weather

4:35pm Thursday 22nd December 2005 in Football

WITH a two-week break for the festive season looming, the Chippenham Sunday League suffered it's own nightmare before Christmas as overnight frost led to the postponement of all but nine of Sunday's 28 fixtures.

The two games that went ahead in round two of the Westernsport Trophies sponsored WG Parr Trophy produced a total of 22 goals.

Third Division Wheatsheaf claimed the scalp of Potterne, who play two divisions higher, after a gripping 6-5 win.

North Bradley lost out to fellow Division One side North Star A in another 11-goal encounter.

Star, who have reached the semi final stage for the last two seasons, built up a 4-0 lead thanks to a goal apiece from Stuart Riley and Nick Fielding plus a double from Dale Smith .

Bradley got their act together and a brace from Paul Riley bought them back into the contest at half time.

But North Star ended any hopes of an incredible fight back as goals from Pete Thornton, Mark Sharrett and Darren Legg saw them move into a commanding 7-2 lead.

Bradley never gave up and the Star were guilty of taking things easy as Jack Heard helped himself to two late goals to bring a bit of respectability to the scoreline.

REFEREE Adie Hunt received special praise from both Box Rovers and Corsham Centre for the way he handled their game in such tricky conditions on a frozen but defrosting pitch at the Rec in Box.

Corsham Centre, playing their first league game since the end of October, gave a clinical display in finishing as their deadly marksmen hit Rovers for nine to ensure they remain undefeated for the whole of 2005 an unbeaten run of 79 games.

Rovers started well and even had a Tim Jefferies goal ruled out before the floodgates opened. Simon Gray scored two to take his tally to 22, Scott Lye and James Lye both hit doubles, while Ben Moore, Russell Gibbings and Craig Gingell notched the others to take Centre past the half century mark in just eight games.

Trowbridge Harriers and Biddestone Social delayed their kick off for 30 minutes, a decision which proved profitable for Biddestone who went on to claim a 7-2 success to move up to joint second place with Westbury Rangers A.

Biddestone took 21 minutes to break down Harriers' stubborn defence but once Rob Pocock tapped them ahead the goals started to flow.

Gary Banks then made it 3-0 by the 34th minute with a quick-fire double.

John Baker pulled a goal back for Harriers before the half time break but seven minutes after the restart Dan Lardner had restored Biddestone's three-goal advantage.

Mike Few headed home a Pocock corner in the 69th minute to make it 5-1 and Pocock claimed his second four minutes later with a cool finish from ten yards.

Steve Healy's second assist of the game led to Lardner netting Biddestone's seventh on 85 minutes but their was still time for Harriers to hit another consolation through the in-form Baker.

THE prolific Scott Evans notched two as Christian Malford pulled away at the top of the division after a 3-0 win over Chippenham Police.

With it being the only game in Division One, Malford open up a three point lead ahead of Spencer Sports and a four point gap from Semington Rovers, who occupy third place.

But with both having games in hand on the leaders it should only be a matter of time before the current pacesetters are reeled in.

Malford were made to work hard at home on a difficult pitch by a much-improved Chippenham Police side.

Both teams found controlling the ball difficult on the hard pitch and this led to several defensive slips by each team.

Malford began to get to grips with the conditions and after 20 minutes Chris Pitman latched on to a Evans header to volley Malford into the lead. After 35 minutes Pitman returned the favour when his well directed cross was headed home by Evans.

At the beginning of the second half Police came back into the game, winning several corners and causing some panic in the Malford defence.

Malford, however, held out and eased further ahead when Police failed to clear successive corners and Evans pounced to guide home his second and Malford's third after 59 minutes. Richard Bruce had been causing the Police defence trouble all match with his mazy runs, and in the 71st minute, after going past three players, was up-ended in the area.

He took the resulting penalty himself only to see Police keeper Martin Notman make a fine save to his left.

ROWDE Dynamos missed out on the chance to go top after they fell to a 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Sir Audley's Arms.

Arms recorded a sixth win on the spin to move up into second behind the inactive leaders AFC Calne whose game with local rivals North Star B was a casualty of the weather.

For Sir Audley, it was sweet revenge as Rowde had beaten them 6-1 on the opening day of the season.

Jamie Collier put Sir Audley ahead before a brace from Nathan Emm saw Rowde take a 2-1 lead. Craig Manley restored parity for Sir Audley and Luke Gullick made the points and the win safe with his ninth goal of the season.

Referee Julian Sattin thought carefully before allowing Blue Circle to host Bar OC on a slowly defrosting pitch at the cement works.

Initially, it looked a questionable decision as both sides slipped and skidded around on the hard surface, but in the end the verdict was correct with Bar more than happy as they strolled to a 7-1 victory.

Devizes Town striker Danny Powell netted a nine-minute hat-trick to put Bar OC in charge, with Tom Evans and Mark Hulland claiming the assists, and John Stockman's 35-yard pass released Evans to make it 4-0.

Gary King became Cricle's third goalkeeper of the morning after another reshuffle, and he did well to restrict Bar until Stockman netted number five.

Blue circle responded positively in the second half and only good work from Mark Stonestreet and Danny Rawlings kept them out.

But it was Bar who scored next, with Luke Enderby heading in Powell's centre in off the bar. Circle's consolation was poked in by Scott Woolford before Paget drilled home number seven.

Trowbridge Town Supporters Club and Westbury Rangers B battled out a 1-1 draw as Charlie Rawlings' first goal for Town was cancelled out by Neil Gordon's equaliser.

THE only match to beat the frost was at Kington Langley where Chippenham West End Club played hosts to Wanderers in what was their 14th game of the campaign.

It looked as if the West End Club would continue their good run of form when they took a 1-0 lead through Scott Nash, but Wanderers stormed back with four second half goals to defeat the hosts 4-1.

Damian Shepherd, Craig Harman, Stuart Farr and Oli Turner netted for the Trowbridge-based side.

Devizes-based newcomers the Southgate Inn top the table ahead of the break.

DOG and Fox Ashley's game with Greyhound at St Laurence School, Bradford was postponed for a third successive week.

The eventual winners of the game will host Wroughton WMC in the quarter finals.

Corsham Centre's reward for defeating CJ Electrical earlier in the month is a home encounter with Swindon League side AFC Kemdent on January 8.