PREMIER DIVISON: Potterne are the new leaders of the Robson Taylor, Chippenham League, Premier Division after their 8-2 victory over FC Colerne took them to the summit, Potterne’s win was coupled with the inactivity of former leaders Biddestone Social who for a second successive week missed out on a fixture.

Unlike the previous Sunday when Biddestone were unable to raise a team, their opponents Box Rovers were in the same position this week.

Rovers who have 30 players signed on were hit by injuries and with a number of players away with Corsham Town, manager Stuart Beeho was left with no other option than to cancel against their fierce rivals.

Potterne duly made the most of Biddestone’s inactivity.

With Potterne missing a few of there regulars they knew they had to dig deep to beat a struggling Colerne side who they had yet to meet this season, with Adam Heath showing great commitment travelling back from Barnstaple with Mel Gingell to make the game but unfortunately he didn’t make for kick off so he had to sit on the bench for the first but Potterne did welcome back Myles Hickton from injury and both played a part in Potterne’s win.

Colerne started the game the brighter of the two teams hassling Potterne into mistakes all over the pitch, Not surprisingly Colerne almost drew first blood, but keeper Mark Stonestreet was alert to turn a header onto the bar.

It took the hosts 25 minutes before they started to show that they could be table toppers come the final whistle.

A corner from Myles Hickton bounced around the box until it fell to Matt Hale who smashed home from four yards for the first of the game.

Potterne kept the pressure on forcing the Colerne keeper into some good saves and on 43 minutes Colerne stunned their hosts as they got back on level terms, Colerne won a free kick on the edge of the area and Charlie Spirrell added the finishing touch with a smart free kick that made it 1-1.

Potterne came out for the second half with the bit between there teeth and they started the second half quickly, five minutes in Myles Hickton ran on to a long ball over the top and showed his desire to get on the score sheet by beating the keeper to the ball heading it past him to regain the lead.

On 58 Potterne made it 3-1 after a quick counter attack Jamie Bayes went to put a cross in from the right hand side, over hit his effort but much to his delight it sailed into the top corner with the keeper stranded.

Potterne opened up a three-goal lead in the 65th minute when Bayes scored from the penalty spot following a foul on James Campbell.

Myles Hickton scored an outrageous over head kick from 12 yards out for number five.

With Adam Heath coming on he found himself amongst the goals when he out paced the Colerne defence to smash past the keeper from 10 yards on 75mins.

Potterne’s seventh came soon after when Heath found Hickton in the box and he finished well to complete his hat trick.

Heath finished the scoring off for Potterne on 85 when Hickton returned the favour, after beating 2 men Hickton looked up and saw Heath unmarked at the back post and he tapped home.

Bradley Bennett was Colerne’s other scorer with a good strike but like Spirrell’s first half effort it was just another consolation on a day that saw Potterne top of the premiership for the first time in there history.

Holt 2, Westbury Rangers A 4

Westbury Rangers A bounced back from their Thursday night draw with The Ship with a 4-2 win away at Holt.

Sam Gooding set Rangers on their way and Marc Lanfear made it 2-0 before he netted his 14 goal of the season to give Shaun Gardiner’s side a commanding three goal advantage.

Holt battled back bravely and reduced the gap before the break via a John O’Harrow effort.

The second half saw Holt reduce the deficit to the odd goal thanks to Ollie Gee’s strike.

Marc Lanfear had the chance to complete his hat trick, but he missed from the penalty spot before he actually turned the ball home to seal Rangers win with his 15th goal of the season that keeps him on course to becoming Ranger’s top scorer for a 10th successive season.

Maud Heath Sports 2, The Ship FC 3

Lee Hayward’s Ship FC side proved that their 2-2 midweek draw away at Westbury Rangers A was no fluke as they travelled to Maud Heath Sports and returned to Trowbridge with maximum points after defeating their hosts 3-2 and had it not be for some glaring misses from Hayward, Tom Bonsor and Bradley King-Taylor the winning margin would have been a lot greater.

Maud Heath struck first through Graham Dean but they were unable to hold onto their lead as King-Taylor bagged the visitors equaliser but this was after he had missed an easier chance earlier in the game.

The second half started in the same vain as the first half had done with Maud Heath scoring as a Simon Vowden header saw the home team regain the lead.

And like the first half the Ship hit back to square things up, a good cross from Danny Amerouso was met by King-Taylor whose great finish made it two apiece.

With both teams looking for a winner the Ship pounced and went route one, a long clearance from keeper Glen Murley was flicked on by Hayward to Martin Johnson who in turn found King-Taylor who beat two defenders and calmly slotted home what proved to be the winning goal to seal another fine win for the Ship who youngsters now look as if they are starting to turn the corner.

Semington Rovers 2, Dog & Fox Ashley 3

Semington Rovers suffered only their second defeat in 10 matches after they were beaten 3-2 at home by Dog & Fox Ashley whose win leaves them locked as joint leaders with Potterne but in second spot by virtue of an inferior goal difference.

Dog & Fox made the perfect start and threatened to run away with the game after scoring two goals in the first eight minutes but that was all they had to show for their first half performance.

Steve Roddy scored on two minutes and the Dog’s leading scorer made it 2-0 six minutes later as the prolific Roddy took his tally for the season to 20.

Semington had chances of their own in the first half the most noticeable falling to Stuart Barber and Kelvin Lockwood who failed to hit the target, but Barber made no mistake on 60 minutes when he converted from the penalty spot after Ricky Trott was adjudged to have handled the ball.

Within a minute of the restart the Dog had regained their two goal advantage with Tom Rooney scoring his first of the season when he side footed home a screamer from 20 yard out.

Semington never gave up and pulled a goal back in the 85th minutes when Lockwood scored after good work from Barber but on this occasion it was a case of too little, too late for the hosts as the Dog hung on for two very important points.

Winsley 0, Corsham Centre A 3

Winsley went into their match against old adversaries Corsham Centre A at Brown’s Park, Freshford as the side to beat and for like all the previous encounters between the sides the Centre emerged triumphant thanks to a 3-0 victory that keeps alive their hopes of become top flight champions for a fourth successive season as their hosts were seen as a potential banana skin to their title hopes.

Craig Gingell was the Centre’s man of the moment as the midfielder who had decided to give up Sunday football hit a stunning volley to give the Centre a first half lead and his fine header from a delightful corner in the second half gave his team a 2-0 lead before substitute Stuart Tutty made the game safe with another neat finish that saw the victors move up to fourth spot.

Westbury Rangers A 2, The Ship FC 2 (Midweek Result)

Westbury Rangers A were in action on Thursday night as they played only their 10th game of the season and their match against Trowbridge based Ship FC which was expected to end in a victory for a Westbury side didn’t produce the predicted result as Lee Hayward’s visitors to Meadow Lane were denied a victory with almost the last kick of the game as the hosts hit back to claim a 2-2 draw.

After a period of early pressure from the Ship, Westbury took the lead on 10 minutes, the home team had been defending a corner before a rapid breakaway from their own half saw Mark Young net for the opener.

The rest of the first half saw chances go begging for both teams.

The same could be said for the 25 minutes of the second period but on 70 minutes the Ship got back on level terms through Jake Hiscocks who drilled home a 25 yard screamer to make it one apiece.

The Ship took the lead on 75 minutes, having latched onto a brilliant through ball Paul Gittins followed up to fire home after the Westbury keeper spilled his initial shot.

Bradley King-Taylor almost scored a third for the Ship that would have put them out of sight but his miss come back to haunt him seconds from time as Paul Beavers hit his first goal of the season for Westbury to earn them a share of the spoils from an entertaining 2-2 draw.