CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION ONE: Jordan draws a blank in Renegades win (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION ONE: Jordan draws a blank in Renegades win

1:30pm Monday 4th February 2013 in News

IN WHAT was being billed as a David versus Goliath battle at Poulton between Division One leaders Bradford Renegades and bottom of the table North Star A, the hosts picked up maximum points to extend their winning run to nine matches.

But Lance Davis side didn’t have everything their own way as North Star gave a great account of themselves before suffering a 4-2 loss.

Renegades top scorer Sam Jordan finally proved he is human as he failed to score for the first time this season.

But it was his strike partner Mark Robinson who stole the show as he scored all four in Renegades latest success.

Renegades took an early lead when Lee Ridout’s inch perfect pass for put away by Robinson for his first.

Jordan set Robinson away for his second with a well-taken strike.

Complacency then took over as North Star got back on level terms, Paul Green reducing the arrears from a well-worked set piece and another set piece led to Green scoring his second of the morning to make it 2-2.

North Star could have taken the lead late on in the first half but Renegades keeper Darren Phoenix was alert with a smart one-handed stop to deny Green a hat-trick.

With their tails up North Star took the game to Renegades at the start of the second half and only a timely challenge from Keiren Powell save Renegades from conceding a third.

Bradford finally managed to wrestle the initiative back from their guests and they regained the lead thanks to Robinson’s third of the morning that saw him power a header into the roof of the net for 3-2.

Josh Maguire twice hit the bar for Renegades before Robinson completed the scoring with by far the best of the game, his stunning 30 yard screamer rocketing into the top corner to make the final score 4-2 and wrap up another win for Renegades

Biddestone White Horse 3 Castle FC 5

BIDDESTONE White Horse welcomed familiar rivals The Castle FC to their home for the first meeting between the two sides this season.

The sides were in sixth and seventh place respectively in the league so a close game was expected.

The last two results provided a 1-0 victory to Biddestone and a rare Sunday 0-0 draw so a low scoring contest was also expected however the outcome was an eight-goal thriller that Castle won 5-3.

The game started fairly evenly and neither side created much in the way of chances, however it was the Castle who produced the better football as they dominated possession and their hosts struggled to get a foot on the ball.

The deadlock was broken when new recruit Jack Hopper opened the scoring with a 25-yard strike that snuck into the bottom corner to give Castle a 1-0 lead. 

Biddestone hit back from a corner when after a great delivery Ed Jones headed home at the back post to draw his side level.

With virtually the last kick of half Connor McCarron latched on to a ball over the top that evaded Castle’s defence and one-on-one with the keeper produced a wall taken finish to give Biddestone a surprising 2-1 lead.

Castle knew they had to start well but within five minutes of the restart Leigh Rogers followed up a deflection onto the post and slotted in an empty net to make it 3-1 to Biddestone.

Castle didn't let their heads drop and within two minutes Marcus Wallen produced a great finish to lob the keeper in the area after the ball was bobbling around to make it 3-2.

Castle continued to search for the equaliser and it came from a set piece, when after a great delivery from Doug Dickson, Gary Campbell scored a superb header to get his side on level terms.

Castle continued to push and they hit Biddestone on the counter attack and Doug Dickson found himself one-on-one and he scored with a great deft chip over the keeper from 20 yards to complete a stunning 15 minute turn around.

Biddestone had a good chunk of the game to try and find an equaliser however they rarely tested Castle’s keeper and it was Castle who rounded things off with Jack Hopper grabbing his second of the game after good work down the wing he eluded several players to slot in at the near post from close range and kill the game with five minutes to go.

FC Boroughs 5 Prestige Bodyworks 2

FC BOROUGHS kept alive their hopes of finishing in the top two thanks to a fifth straight win.

Their 5-2 win over Prestige Bodyworks saw them complete a double over their opponents who they had beaten 6-2 earlier in the season.

The win moves them to within three points of second placed Corsham United and with three games in hand on their rivals they have a good chance of overhauling them before the season reaches it’s climax.

Boroughs took the lead in bizarre fashion. After period of ping pong in the Prestige box, the ball was headed on by Mark Lane but his effort appeared to cannon off Alex Pring and into the net, both claiming the goal.

There was no doubt about Boroughs second which was scored by George Blackah and Anthony Brown added number three before half time.

After the break Prestige got their response of to the perfect start with Martin Riddle heading home to reduce the arrears.

Any hopes of a comeback were short lived as Brown added his second of the morning to restore Boroughs three-goal cushion and Brown made it 5-1 when he scored from the spot complete his hat-trick.

Prestige had the final say when Sam Pring round the keeper and kept his cool to bag his teams second of the match which proved just to be a consolation.     

Steeple Ashton Rangers 8 Bromham (Sunday) 2

STEEPLE Ashton Rangers hosted Bromham (Sunday) at St Mary's in a re-arranged match, which had been postponed from the week before and it was Ashton who came out on top with a commanding 8-2 triumph.

It was Ashton that took an early lead, Phil Lewis finding space in the box and his low drive trickled into the net.

After such a good opening 10 minutes to the game, Ashton lost their way a little and had it not been for stand-in Keeper Matt Grist, Ashton could have fallen behind, on two occasions he stopped Bromham from point blank range.

Ashton doubled their lead after the half hour mark when Mike Ritson was bought down on the edge of the box, Marc Sheppard stepping up to convert the resulting free-kick from 20 yards.

Two minutes later Lewis added Ashton's third. He drove from midfield beating several players in the process but as he was about to shoot on goal he was brought down in the box, he stepped up to convert the spot kick.

Players encroaching in the box meant it had to be retaken, but Lewis kept his composure to convert once again.

Just before half time Ashton scored their fourth a ball over the top found Louis Stillman, who outmuscled his marker and fired his strike into the top corner to give the hosts their 4-0 half time lead.

The second half was an end to end encounter, with the Ashton just outscoring the visitors.

Ashton's fifth was from striker Sheppard, he raced on to a long ball forward and he placed the ball past the keeper and into the net.

The sixth came just before the hour mark, excellent work down the left by Jamie Jordan was finished off well by centre back Steve Morris who drove the ball into the top corner from six yards.

Marc Sheppard turned provider for Ashton's seventh, he raced through down the inside left and he unselfishly squared the ball across to Loui Stillman to score his second of the match.

On 70 minutes Bromham grabbed their first of the match, Dean Rudman evading several weak challenges on the edge of the area before keeping his composure and rolling the ball past Grist.

Ashton completed their scoring for the game and it was Sheppard that completed his hat-trick, once again he was released on the inside left and he poked the ball past the keeper.

Bromham scored their second and the and the game’s tenth in the 90th minute, slack defending from Mike Ritson was capitalised on and a deep cross to the back post found Danny Powell and his header wrong footed Grist.

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