Page 24 - Cribbs FC v Bristol Manor Farm 010524

League Review

The final weekend of the Pitching In Southern League Division One South season
brought plenty of drama.
There was the small matter of the title still to be decided as Wimborne Town and
Frome Town battled it out. Wimborne fell behind early on in their game at
Melksham Town as Ben Brooks scored, but they recovered to win 3-1 as second
half strikes from Sam Roberts and Harry Morgan secured top spot.
Over Frome Town, they went ahead early on against play-off chasing, at Bristol
Manor Farm, through George Rigg but that was cancelled out through Daniel
Dodimead on the quarter-hour mark. Owen Brain then put the visitors ahead with
an intelligent goal early in the second period. Jayden Nielsen then increased the
visitors’ lead but late goals from James Ollis and Reece Rusher meant that it
finished 3-3.
That result was enough for Bristol Manor Farm to secure their play-off place and
so too did Mousehole as they played out a crazy game against Bishop’s Cleeve,
which ended 7-3. Hayden Turner set the Cornish club on their way and then Mark
Goldsworthy doubled the lead right on half-time but Jay Malshanskyj pulled one
back at the start of an entertaining second period.
Turner hit his second just before the hour-mark only for Malshanskyj to respond
straight away and then Ethan Dunbar level the scores. That sprung the home side
back to life as Tim Nixon and Turner, for his hat-trick, scored in quick succession.
Turner then added his fourth a couple of minutes later before Nixon rounded things
off to put Mousehole into seventh heaven at the death.
It means that goal difference saw Larkhall Athletic agonisingly miss out as they
shared the spoils at third-place Cribbs. Eben Mortimer-Taylor put the visitors
ahead on 15 minutes before Sonny Harnett-Balkwill equalised as half-time
approached and that’s how it stayed.
There were a few more 1-1 draws. Bideford and Bemerton Heath Harlequins
played out that scoreline as Stu Bowker put the hosts ahead in the opening period
and then Daniel Young restored parity after the break.
Honours were also even at relegated Paulton Rovers as Levi Steele gave visitors
Evesham United a first half lead before Ed Butcher carved out an equaliser
midway through the second half.
It was the same at Tavistock where Liam Prynn scored early on in the second
period only for James Taylor to level for Yate Town with time running out. The
fifth 1-1 draw of the afternoon in this division saw Jack Watts put Malvern Town
ahead at Willand Rovers on the stroke of half-time but in a game of two halves,
Josh Searle hit a leveller for the hosts, who were the better side after the break.
The day’s other game saw Westbury United beat Bashley 2-0 as Bevan Cross
and Jasper Jones scored a goal in each half.