NBFL-News10

North Berks Football League Roundup

31^st October 2009

(Phil Annets)

In Division One Saxton Rovers claimed their fifth straight victory defeating Drayton 2-0 and leapfrogging Faringdon Town at the top of the table. Paul Churchouse and Adam Greenaway scored the goals. In the only other Division One match Wootton and Dry Sandford and Crowmarsh Gifford shared the points in a thrilling 4-4 draw. Tom Srawley with two, Josh Nichols and Rich Chilvers all scored for Wootton whilst Phil Hedges with two, Ben Willis and Paul Hannigan netted for the visitors.

The top of the table clash between Harwell International and Long Wittenham Athletic in Division Two turned out to be a bad-tempered affair where Harwell’s 3-2 victory was overshadowed by three players seeing red. Mike Yardley twice and Jamie Clarke scored for the hosts, whilst Tim Barton and Steve Molloy netted for Wittenham, who had Mark Ingram sent off for dissent before Barton himself was sent off for altercations with Harwell’s Tom Ingram who was also dismissed. Elsewhere in the division Childrey United ran out 4-1 winners at Marcham with two goals from James Williams and one each from Tom Weeks and Dan Hogan. Stuart Armstrong scored for Marcham. Steventon climb to fourth following a 7-0 thrashing of lowly Coleshill United. Nathan Brown with two, Alan Donnelly, Dan McArdle and Darren Pettifer were on the scoresheet for Steventon. Andy Bulloch hit a hat-trick for Lambourn Sports Reserves as they recorded their third successive win this time 4-3 at home to Grove Rangers. Terry Wood also scored for the hosts whilst Alex Lynch and a Ben Eltham double registered for Grove.

Top of Division Three side Kintbury Rangers Reserves were held to a 0-0 draw at Drayton Reserves whilst Hanney United continued their perfect start with a 3-0 victory at Shrivenham ‘A’, thanks to a James Rose double and a Craig Payne strike. Bampton Town won 4-1 at Faringdon Town Reserves and climb above them into 3^rd place. Steve Pugh scored for Faringdon. A Pete Ashman hat-trick sealed victory for Benson AFC Reserves beating Wootton and Dry Sandford Reserves 3-2. Chris Shahab and Ehab Shahab both scored for the visitors.

Coleshill United Reserves missed the opportunity to go top of Division Four as they were held to a remarkable 5-5 draw by Didcot Casuals Reserves. James Glock scored a hat-trick for the hosts along with goals from Martin Chivers and Ryan Hibbard, whilst Luke Hammond and Jake Chaffey scored two apiece for Didcot along with one from Darren Fuller. Challow United also missed the chance to head the table as they went down 2-1 at home to Faringdon Town ‘A’. Andy Caven’s penalty was surpassed by goals from Ben Henly and Christian Ayres for Faringdon. A Jamie O’Sullivan brace and a Paul Broadis strike gave Grove Rangers Reserves a 3-2 win at Uffington United for whom Nick Frost and Joe Courtney scored. Hagbourne United won 5-2 at home to Marcham Reserves with two goals from Luke Ambler, one a penalty, and one each from Brodie Edmunds, Luke Chambers and Rich Hathaway. Joffy Cummings and Luke Comley replied for Marcham.

In Division Five, Didcot Casuals ‘A’ move to the top of the table following a 4-1 home victory over Warborough and Shillingford Reserves. Dan Lawton grabbed two goals along with one each for Ben Chaffey and Mark Ray. Bampton Town Reserves climb to second with a 2-0 victory over Sutton Courtenay Reserves thanks to an Aiden Necchi-Ghiri double. Hanney United Reserves and Uffington United Reserves played out a tight 2-2 draw with John Monnery grabbing two goals for the hosts and Kevin Edwards netting twice for the visitors.

There was an upset in the 1^st round of the North Berks Cup as bottom of Division Two East Hendred won 3-0 at bottom of Division One Warborough and Shillingford thanks to two goals from Lee Hedges and one from Michael Farrelly. Elsewhere there were straightforward wins for a trio of higher league teams. Division One AFC Wallingford trounced fourth division leaders Stanford-in-the-Vale 11-2 with both Ben Chadbone and Tom Collins netting hat-tricks. Also on the scoresheet were Tarome Hemmings with two, Courtney Amos, Tristan Lewis and Bradley Grant. Steve Holder and Russ MacDonald got the consolation goals for Stanford. Faringdon Town kept their 100% record in all competitions defeating third division Sutton Courtenay 3-0 with goals from Dan Courtney, Derren Harrington and Centenary Cup final hero Peter Soane. Third Division Benson Lions won a one-sided affair against bottom of the fourth division Appleton Stars 14-0. Alex Smallshaw smashed in six goals along with a Steve Burns hat-trick, a Pete Smiley double, a Scott Hopkins brace and a strike from Will Wardell. Appleton will hope that the horror that has been October ends for them on Hallowe’en.

Both the remaining 1^st round matches in the AG Kingham Cup resulted in upsets as two Division Five sides progressed at the expense of higher league opposition. Long Wittenham Athletic Reserves defeated division two side Saxton Rovers Reserves 3-2 thanks to a Paul Kelloway double and a goal from Dave Jones. Rich Eltham scored twice as Stanford-in-the-Vale Reserves beat Division Three side Harwell Village Reserves 2-1 after extra time. Liam Jones had scored for Harwell in normal time.

Three red cards and constant abuse of match officials by both sides overshadowed the football in this top of table Division Two clash between Harwell International and Long Wittenham Athletic.

The match started off brightly enough with both sides keen to be top of the division by close of play. Harwell were on top in the early stages going close to scoring twice before breaking the deadlock in the 19^th minute. Tom Davies hit a long free kick into the box that was controlled at the second attempt by Jamie Clarke who laid the ball to Mike Yardley to score from close range.

Two minutes later Craig Griffiths in the Harwell goal made an excellent one handed save from a low hard shot by Long Wittenham’s Luke Saunders. The away side pressed for the equaliser but were undone by a breakaway goal for Harwell in the 28^th minute as Mike Yardley latched onto a defence splitting pass by his captain Tom Baptie to fire the ball past Simon Key in the Wittenham goal. This goal triggered the start of the abuse of match officials which unfortunately was not nipped in the bud through the use of any cards by the referee.

Long Wittenham pulled a goal back in the 43^rd minute as Andy Cooper played a ball to Joe Harvey who had returned from what appeared to be an offside position. Harvey laid the ball onto his captain Tim Barton who struck it well past the Harwell keeper, much to the consternation of the home side. In first half injury time Harwell made it 3-1 when Jamie Clarke slotted home a rebound from a save that had prevented Yardley’s hat-trick.

Both teams griped about the officials throughout half time and this translated to rash tackling early in the second half. Just after he’d been spoken to by the referee for a similar challenge, Long Wittenham’s Harvey clattered Harwell’s Dave Bartlett who reacted angrily to the challenge. The referee booked both players, but Wittenham’s Mark Ingram showed dissent to the referee not once, but twice, to first see yellow and then see red.

Things seemed to calm down after this sending off and Harwell began to create more chances with the extra man. However, Wittenham’s Barton reacted badly to a tackle on the 67^th minute and Harwell’s Tom Ingram took exception to this reaction. Both players raised hands to each other and both were summarily dismissed.

Long Wittenham surprisingly now began to play with more purpose and with 15 minutes to go were awarded a penalty for what seemed like an innocuous challenge, again causing dissent amongst the home team. Substitute Steve Molloy dispatched the spot kick with aplomb sending the Harwell keeper the wrong way to make it 3-2.

Twice in the last 10 minutes Harwell made goal-line clearances and had to endure a succession of Wittenham half chances, but in the end held on to win and go four points clear at the top of the table.