AFTER pulling in a crowd of more than 100 when they clashed in early September, fierce rivals North Bradley and Boomsbury went head to head in front of another bumper audience at the Southwick Road Ground which both sides share.
The season may be just seven weeks old but after claiming a point each from their earlier encounter, the teams locked horns again in a fixture that many people believe has arrived too early in the league programme.
After their early-season stalemate this match was already being billed as the title decider and if that should prove to be the case then it is Ben Howe’s Boomsbury who will be crowned champions as they defeated Bradley 5-1.
Chris Carr’s side were found wanting in all departments as they were outplayed by Howe’s side who were up for the game and deservedly took the spoils.
A truly mesmeric first half saw goals from Booker Woodford and Scott Askew put Boomsbury two up.
Dan Dominy added a third early in the second half as Boomsbury threatened to run riot, but they were pegged back with Dean Murden scoring for Bradley.
With Bradley thinking they were back in the game they started throwing players forward as they chased more goals, but they were caught at the back as they were unable to defend a rampant Boomsbury side who finally sealed their win thanks to goals from John Baker and Neil Hannaford.
On this showing Boomsbury were back at their clinical best and it will take something special to beat them or an implosion on their own behalf to deny them back-to-back titles.
FC Northbridge 4 Holt 4
WITH FC Northbridge and Holt FC struggling in the bottom half of the table and the former languishing at the foot of the table, it was important that Matt Bonfield’s hosts got something from their clash at Whaddon Lane, Hilperton. At half time Holt would have thought that, after taking a 4-1 lead, the points were in the bag.
But they never bargained on a fantastic fight back from their hosts who rallied to claim a point from a thrilling 4-4 draw.
Holt opened the scoring courtesy of Lance Davis who after being tripped in the area picked himself up to score the resulting penalty.
Holt weren’t ahead for long as almost immediately an error from Holt keeper Lloyd Kettlety gifted Northbridge an equaliser scored by Joe Gooding who was quickest to respond after Kettlety spilled Joe Walker’s 25 yard shot.
Holt regained the lead via the ever-youthful Stuart Faint and a second goal from Lance Davis gave the villagers a 3-1 half-time lead.
Midway through the second half Northbridge had the chance to reduce the arrears but, after winning a penalty, Tom A’Court missed from the spot.
And to add to the hosts woes Holt went on up the other end and took a 4-1 lead thanks to a third from Davis who has been on fire since joining at the start of the season.
A’Court atoned for his penalty miss when he latched onto a Joe Walker cross to get Northbridge back into the game.
The gap was narrowed even further when a massive put upfield from keeper Mark Binns found A’Court who finished well for his second of the game.
With four minutes remaining, Northbridge completed their unlikely comeback to snatch a point from a game they looked to have lost when Gooding capped a fine debut by prodding the ball to claim his second of an amazing game.
Heytesbury 2 Worton & Cheverell 5
HEYTESBURY and Worton & Cheverell went into their match at the Park Street Ground in fifth and fourth places in the standings respectively and it was Paul Spearing’s Worton side who took the honours winning 5-2.
Maximum points saw them leap frog an inactive Warminster Town Reserves side and claim third spot.
Worton got off to a blistering start and deservedly took the lead on seven minutes through top scorer Myles Hickton.
Hickton made it 2-0 when he struck again on 20 minutes.
Worton then switched off for 15 minutes and allowed Heytesbury back into tfhe game and goals from James Reeves and Leigh Kennedy got the home team back on level terms.
The visitors woke from their slumber and retook the lead on the stroke of half time with Oliver Hickton opening his account for the season.
The second half saw Worton up their game, but it took them a while to find the all-important fourth goal that finally arrived on 75 minutes when Jamie Sandy made it 4-2.
A minute later the points were wrapped up with Myles Hickton scoring number five which saw him complete his second three timer in as many games.
Trowbridge Wanderers Reserves 2 Calne Eagles 2
SOME inspired goalkeeping from Liam Newble and two deflected goals secured Trowbridge Wanderers Reserves a point from a 2-2 home draw with Calne Eagles. Calne looked the sharper side during the first half and always looked capable of creating chances.
Their livewire striker Karl Sharratt was proving to be constant menace to the Wanderers defence and he might have opened the scoring early on when he went through on goal but saw his shot well-saved by Liam Newble.
Shortly after Calne’s Adam Bewley was also denied by Newble after a superb cross from Sam Rogers left the striker unmarked at the back post.
After 20 minutes, Calne’s play was rewarded when the Wanderers’ defence tried to play offside against Adam Bewley, but while they stood appealing, Stuart Windsor ran from deep to go clean through on goal and score for the third consecutive game.
However, Wanderers were soon back in the game when a Gavin Francis free-kick from 20 yards out took a wicked deflection off Stu Windsor, sending the ball into the opposite side of the goal and leaving his brother and goalkeeper Andy Windsor totally stranded.
At the start of the second half, both teams cancelled each other out, but Calne were prevented from going into lead after 65 minutes when Newble pulled off another outstanding save to deny Matt Fleming.
On great form throughout the game, Fleming thought he had scored with a superb volley from 30 yards out, but Newble somehow managed to tip the ball onto the bar.
With 20 minutes left, Calne brought on substitute Brett Cullen and his impact was immediate, putting his side into the lead within two minutes.
Sam Rogers crossed the ball into the box and as Cullen challenged Liam Newble at the back post, the ball ricocheted off the big striker into the empty net.
Cullen continued to impress and probably should have scored again when he headed Karl Sharratt’s cross against the crossbar.
Later Cullen’s flicked header sent Sharratt clean through on goal, but his lobbed effort fell just wide of the post.
There was also time for Newble to pull off another save from a Brett Cullen snap-shot. In the last five minutes, Calne opened themselves up to pressure, and with 60 seconds left on the clock, they conceded an incredibly soft free-kick just outside their own box.
From the resulting kick, Calne’s player manager Roy Wenham inadvertently directed Chris Penelhum’s strike past stranded keeper Andy Windsor who, apart from the two deflected goals, had had barely a shot to save all game.
TROWBRIDGE & DISTRICT LEAGUE ROUNDUP, STATS AND PICTURES IN THURSDAY'S GAZETTE & HERALD AND FRIDAY'S WILTSHIRE TIMES AND FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @gazsport and @WTSport
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