PREMIER DIVISON: Biddestone Social who have been struggling of late hit the right notes against old adversaries Westbury Rangers A as they produced one of their performances of the season to claim a 1-0 victory over their opponents that saw them maintain their two point lead at the top of the table.

Biddestone should have been at least two goals up at half time, but both Jamie Lyons and Gary Banks missed great chances.

To give them the lead. In 47th minute game changed when Biddestone’s James Tindle was unexpectedly sent off, Tindle and a Westbury player chased a long ball and as they ran side by side the referee blew up and awarded a free kick to Westbury and to everyone’s (including the opposition) surprise sent Tindle off.

Biddestone then defended brilliantly and kept hitting Westbury on the break.

Goalkeeper Steve Hale and defenders Ed Drury and Rob Smith were outstanding.

The all important goal came in the 77th minute when Danny Baker played a great ball between two defenders for Jamie Lyons to run on to and take around the keeper and put into empty net to give Biddestone win number 15 of the season that keeps them still very much in the hunt for the title.

Maud Heath Sports 2, Winsley 1

Darren Holcombe was again the hero for Maud Heath Sports as his two-goal blast sunk Winsley as it did when the sides met back in September.

Holcombe who had been expected to miss the remainder of the season with a toe injury patched himself up and came to his sides rescue against a Winsley side who were down to the bare bones and had to use regular keeper Chris Birleson outfield. Mike Little scored for Winsley but his effort couldn’t prevent them from losing for the first time in five game as a brace from Holcombe gave Maud Heath both points.

Miller Sports 2, Semington Rovers 0

Miller Sports and Semington Rovers got together at the Beeches, Shaw for what could be the last time in a very long time as Miller will be playing first division football next season.

Semington claimed a 2-0 victory which they will be more than happy win as it denied their fierce rivals bragging rights over them. Matt Russell scored Semington’s first on 20 minutes and Kelvin Lockwood’s penalty on the half hour mark sealed the win.

Potterne FC 6, Box Rovers 0

Potterne welcomed Box Rovers to their Northbrook home looking to push on to claim third place in the top flight and to avenge their 5-2 drubbing from earlier in the season.

Box started the brighter of the two teams but failed to really test Stonestreet in Potterne’s goal, with 10 minutes gone Potterne finally started to get a foothold in the game and started to create chances at regular intervals with poor finishing and great goalkeeping from Luke McFarlane they were unable to make a breakthrough until the 20th minute when after good work down the right by Myles Hickton he slid the ball across goal for Adam Heath to tap home the opener.

For the rest of the half it was the same story for what it has been for the last few weeks for Potterne as they peppered Rovers goal only to be denied by an in form keeper.

The second half started much like the first with Rovers playing some good football but failing to test Stonestreet, after 65 minutes, Potterne finally got the second and it has to be the goal of the game after his overhead kick in mid-week Hickton tried to better it, Lee Sanders fed the ball into his feet he flicked it up with his right foot and scissor kicked it into the far corner leaving the keeper McFarlane with no chance, number three didn’t followed soon after.

More good work by Hickton saw him set up Heath for another tap in. Substitute Julian Alexander came on and was lively for the first couple of minutes and it was his through ball that Hickton hit first time across the keeper for goal number four.

Hickton completed his hat trick in the 78th minute when he fired low in to the bottom corner.

The rout was completed in the 86th minute when after a quick throw by Eliot Williams, Alexander out paced the Box defence to fire home off both posts from a tight angle.

Midweek Round-Up

Tuesday night saw Corsham Centre A claim a share of the Premier division top with Biddestone Social after their 4-0 win over Semington Rovers took them to the summit for the first time this season. Corsham Centre A took the field at Meriton Avenue for the third time in six days and after victories over Dog & Fox Ashley and Westbury Rangers A the Centre had the perfect build up to this Sunday’s Knockout Cup final against Pheasant as they overcame a potential banana skin to their hopes of claiming a fourth top flight title on the trot with a fine win.

Andy Harrison headed past his own keeper Tom Wysocki to give Centre the lead and Simon Gray benefited from an error in the Semington defence to make it 2-0.

Gray’s second of the match gave the Centre a 3-0 lead and Shane Godsell finally put the game to bed as he fired home number four, but had it not been for keeper Wysocki who may have been to blame for the home sides opening two goals, the result may have looked more convincing as he produce a number of fine stops to help keep the score down.

Corsham Centre’s stay at the summit was short lived as Biddestone Social regained pole position of the top flight on Thursday night after they defeated basement side Miller Sports 5-0 at the Beeches last night.

Biddestone who were forced into playing veteran Graham Learmouth for the whole 90 minutes must have been shocked by their opponents who held them to a goalless first 45 minutes before the visitors came to life in the second period.

Miller who had to borrow a kit from fellow Melksham side Pig & Whistle United for the game must have though that it might have been a lucky one but they dreams of claiming something from the game were ended on 53 minutes when Dan Lardner produced a piece of individual magic to put Biddestone ahead, Lardner skipped past four players before planting an 18 yarder into the net.

Danny Baker scored Biddestone’s second on 70 minutes when his shot went in off the post.

Four minutes later Jamie Lyon was played in by Shahram Hemarti and netted from eight yards. Gary Banks made it 4-0 when he scored from 10 yards out in the 82nd minute and when Hemarti got on the end of a Lardner cross three minutes from time victory number 14 of the season was confirmed.

Westbury Rangers A 3, Box Rovers 0 (Midweek Result)

Westbury Rangers A kept alive their hopes of finishing in the top two with a 3-0 home win over a very depleted Box Rovers that saw them complete a league double over their old adversaries who they beat 3-2 in October.

Rovers who travelled to Meadow Lane with 12 players of which four of those were injured and shouldn’t have really been playing finished the game with 10 men.

Jamie Harrison played really well for Rovers and ran himself into the ground and was always trying to lift his struggling team mates. Rangers won thanks to a Nick Mead double and a single from Marc Lanfear that took his tally for the season to 23 with Rangers third of the night.

Maud Heath Sports 2, Potterne FC 2 (Midweek Result)

Potterne’s 2-2 draw away at Maud Heath Sports was good enough to take them into second spot, but a very late equaliser denied them both points from a game that they looked all set to win.

Clive Slade who was on target for the second time in as many games having broke his duck for the club at the weekend cancelled out Julian Alexander’s opener for Maud Heath.

A sublime strike from Myles Hickton saw Potterne reclaim the lead and with just second remaining it looked as if it would be the winner but up popped Chris Eades to head home a late, late equaliser for the home team.