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League Review

Cheltenham Civil Service and Wick ensure
County League places

Mark Simpson

Another busy afternoon, Cheltenham Civil Service avoid the drop and Hardwicke
winning Almondsbury and Gala Wilton picking up useful points in their bids to stay
up. In midweek Hanham Athletic won at Hardwicke 5-1, Stoke Gifford United won
at Quedgeley Wanderers 3-0, Gala Wilton, Broadwell Amateurs and Bromley Heath
United had 2-1 home victories over Sharpness, Ruardean Hill Rangers and
Avonmouth respectively, Hanham Athletic beat Rockleaze Rangers 3-2 at home and
Bromley Heath United drew 3-3 at home to Wick. Little Stoke v Almondsbury was
postponed.

At Tewkesbury Road Cheltenham Civil Service needing to get the points in their
final game of the season, in their bid to stay up, against a Hanham Athletic side
who have played a fair amount of football recently. Both teams made a bright start
and Sam Brown was in action fairly early on when he clawed out an attempted back
header. And it was Service who took the lead when Ollie Wilkes wicked corner was
met by Charlie Swift and into the net. Hanham started to control things with
Brandon Barnes and Jamal Simms causing problems and they equalised when a ball
in from Jacob Saunders wasn’t dealt with and Paul Coles stabbed the ball home.
Barnes was linking well with Karim Rendall and almost beat Harvey Need with a
long-range effort. It was Barnes who gave Hanham the lead when his 25-yard free
kick found the top corner. Just before the break Service levelled matters when
Lewis Driscoll beat two players, cut inside and beat Brown at his near post. From
the restart Barnes attempted to beat Need straight from the kick off but the keeper
back-pedalled and tipped over. Service started the second period well with Hanham
starting to understandably look a bit weary. Efforts from Wilkes, Driscoll, and Dec
Chick failed to trouble Brown but Swift saw his shot from the edge superbly saved.
Then came more Driscoll magic, being played in down the right he delivered a
wicked shot across goal which was deflected past Brown. Hanham went in search
of another equaliser but Pete Guite and Mike Oliver needed to win a lot of aerial
challenges, and Rendall’s thunderous strike was well saved by Need and then he
found space on the edge but his attempted lob only found the arms of the keeper.
In the final few minutes Service put the game to bed Joe Finch winning the ball
played Driscoll in, at first Brown stopped his momentum, but after composing
himself drilled the ball into the net for 4-2 win which keeps Service in the County
League for next season.