CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION TWO: Kings Arms beaten in 11-goal thriller (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

CHIPPENHAM SUNDAY LEAGUE DIVISION TWO: Kings Arms beaten in 11-goal thriller

3:30pm Monday 22nd October 2012 in News

BOTH Kings Arms and White Horse went into their second division clash game at All Cannings keen to make amends for disappointing cup defeats the week before.

Although the result went the way the league table suggested it would, the visitors were taken the distance and beyond before claiming the points in a pulsating encounter.

The villagers put up a spirited display, that defied their league position, only to be denied a much-needed point in the 92nd minute, as White Horse made it four league wins on the bounce with a 6-5 win - their first ever victory at what had previously been a bogey ground for them.

It looked like normal service was set to resume for the Westbury side when Dave Appleyard hit the crossbar in the second minute, but the script was ripped up two minutes later when Rob Randall was picked out on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a shot with the outside of his right boot that nestled in the top corner.

The goal provided the home side with the belief they needed, while it knocked the stuffing out of the Horse and, having been denied minutes earlier by an instinctive one handed save from Rich Hunt, Cannings front man Jacob Rogers saw his cross turned into his own net by Horse centre back Danny Clarkson in the 17th minute to make it 2-0.

The one thing White Horse haven’t struggled to do this year is score goals and within two minutes of going 2-0 down they found themselves right back in the game as Jordan Gullis scored from close range after Pete Ayton’s header from an Appleyard corner came back off the bar.

With their tails up they were very nearly on level terms moments later when a sweet passing move ripped the home defence apart, only for the normally reliable Chris Stiles to find the side-netting.

Despite the tide appearing to have turned it was Kings Arms that re-established a two goal cushion at the midway point in the half.

Clever link-up play between the ever-dangerous Simon Drewitt and Rogers saw the latter shake off his marker before planting his shot low into Hunt’s bottom corner.

Appleyard continued to pose the away side’s biggest threat in the first half and, having seen a cross hit the crossbar a minute earlier, put his next one on a plate for Gullis who headed home to make it 3-2 and set up the second half perfectly.

White Horse appeared to have settled the ship at half time and came out firing on all cylinders, turning the game on it’s head in the first 14 minutes by scoring three unanswered goals.

Just four minutes into the second period they found themselves back on level terms when Stiles’ scuffed effort from long range trickled through the Kings Arms defensive line and Dale Rowland was the quickest to react before finishing neatly past Paul Clarke.

The visitors found themselves ahead for the first time in the 51st minute when Appleyard’s freekick was hung up to the back post and Stiles sent a bullet header back past a helpless Clarke.

Their lead was stretched in the 59th minute as Gullis completed his first competitive hat-trick when he managed to squeeze an effort from the edge of the box into the back of the net.

The village side refused to lie down however and Luke Chant set up a dramatic last 10 minutes by netting twice in five minutes – the first from a narrow angle and the second a deft lob from the edge of the penalty area.

With the game now at 5-5, both sides knew that the next goal was likely to be decisive and both were to have their chances.

Horse’s huge penalty appeals for handball on the line fell on deaf ears and with it they wondered if their All Cannings hoodoo was about to strike again.

The hosts last chance fell to Rogers who, having been found by a brilliant raking ball from Drewitt, rounded Hunt only to be denied by a covering block from Danny Clarkson.

With the 90 minutes up, Kings Arms were dealt the cruellest of blows when Rowland’s corner was flicked on at the near post by Rob Hart and Stiles netted his second of the game to clinch a 6-5 win for the visitors, their second such scoreline of the season.

Goatacre CC FC 1 Sutton Benger 1

GOATACRE CC may have dropped their first points of the season, but their 1-1 draw with Sutton Benger sees them maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

Two very evenly-matched teams cancelled each other out for most of the game.

Benger were solid at the back without creating too much going forward and Goatacre had spells of possession but couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Benger defence which meant the teams went in at the break locked in stalemate.

The second half saw a bit more goalmouth action. Goatacre won a penalty after a challenge by Benger defender Tom Bond although he appeared to get a toe on the ball, however couldn’t make the chance count and spot kick was drilled wide of the goal by Darren Holcombe.

After a tactical substitution, Benger seemed to offer a little more going forward and a neat move in the middle saw Matt White finish off the move to put them one up.

Benger tried to kill the game off as White broke clear and slotted under the keeper only to see the ball cleared off the line with his protests that the ball was clearly over the line being waved away.

With only a few minutes remaining Benger looked to have the game won but a long throw into the box saw Benger keeper Luke Todd misjudge things and the ball was headed in to the open goal by Sam Lawro to make it 1-1.

Neither side could get a winner and the game ended in a draw which was probably a fair result.

Somerford FC 6 Southwick Wanderers 0

HAVING got their promotion challenge back on track with a victory over Wren FC last weekend, Spike Chandler’s Somerford side picked up another two points courtesy of a 6-0 triumph over a struggling Southwick Wanderers whose latest defeat was their fifth on the trot. 

Chris Yeo was the tormentor in chief after opening the scoring for Somerford he went on to score a four-timer.

Will Stone and Ashley Monaghan added the others that gave the home team their convincing 6-0 win with all the goals coming in the first half.   

Staverton FC 8 Miller Sports 0

A DEPLETED Miller Sports side made the short trip to Atworth for their meeting with league leaders Staverton missing their first-choice goalkeeper and the hosts were in no mood to show any pity on their guests as they coasted to an 8-0 win, with Jason Povey once again proving to be the star of the show with a four-timer that took his tally to 12 in six games.

Povey started the ball rolling and he added a second before Cameron Henley got in on the act with a brace to make it 4-0.  Zack Manna’s single took it to 5-0 before the break.

After the break the expected onslaught didn’t materialize and although Povey added two more to take his tally for the game to four and Staverton’s to seven the only other goal came from Levi Wood.

Wren FC 0 GRFC 9

CARL Murray’s Wren FC remain stuck firmly to the foot of the table, their latest defeat a 9-0 loss at home to GRFC being their sixth on the bounce.

Wren held out for 15 minutes but once Robbie Burton volleyed GRFC in front the floodgates opened.

Hayden Sheffield put through his own net to double GRFC’s lead.

Harry Myles won and then picked himself up to convert from the penalty spot to make it 3-0 before Steve Roberts scored a second own goal of the morning with a brilliant header which took it to 4-0 at half time.

Burton added goals five and six to complete his hat-trick.

Jordan Tarrent bagged goals seven and eight his second seeing him on all fours to head the ball in after Wren failed to clear their lines.

Burton, who started the scoring, had the final say when he was picked out by a killer pass from Sam Tinson leaving Burton with the simplest of finishes to claim his fourth of a productive morning for the striker.

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