Page 21 - Patchway Town FC v Cheltenham Civl Service 040223

League Review

Nearly a full fixture list (County Cup still rumbling on) and Cribbs Reserves are the new
leaders. Patchway Town move out of the bottom two. Hardwicke are dumped out of the
County Cup.
We start at Tewkesbury Road in Cheltenham where Cribbs Reserves were the eventual
visitors to Cheltenham Civil Service (County Cup again). The hosts could have taken the
lead just three minutes in, solid build up from Jamie Lewis found Chisom Obi down the left
who fired a low cross and Lewis Driscoll’s point - blank shot was somehow turned over by
Harry Bridgeman. Cribbs responded with a tenth minute lead, a near post corner found Andy
Forward’s head for 1-0. Six minutes later it was two, Service failed to deal with a ball into
the box and Liam Clayton blasted in from close range. Cribbs had the ball in the net again
after 26 minutes but was ruled out for offside. It was nearly three before the break after Dan
Burgan found himself behind the defence, but his powerful shot was stopped by Brad
Pittaway to keep the hosts in with a chance. Into the second half and Teejay Hosking’s
second yellow threatened to change the games complexion but Service galvanised and
minutes later Obi used his pace to get across Dan Monk in the box for a penalty from which
Bridgeman made a great save. The game settled somewhat with chances few and far
between. Cribbs grabbed their third 15 minutes from the end when Monk’s cross from just
inside the Service half found Tom Headford whose looping header sailed over Pittaway.
Overall Cribbs did enough to overcome Service whose positive second half was encouraging
enough to hopefully turn their season around.
Next to the Bell Field where it certainly was the proverbial game of two halves between
mid-table Frampton United and leaders Gala Wilton. It was Gala who dominated the first
period and after twenty minutes thought they had the lead when Elliot Martin’s free kick
came off the bar and Dan McNally’s follow up was disallowed for an infringement. The
visitors did take the lead on 25 when Martin Smith cut inside from the right and curled in to
the top corner. Kyle Gibbs added the second with an unstoppable long ranger. Frampton
came out for the second half with more conviction and a good chance for Craig Mills was just
over and from a corner Steve Jackson’s header was just wide. United pulled one back after
Stuart Maule was brought down in the box and Manolo Espada dispatched the resulting
penalty. Ten minutes from time it was level, Jackson neatly turned a couple of defenders and
put Freddie Porter through to pass the ball into the net. Billy Curtis then tried his luck from
distance and was well saved by Todd Holder. Gala’s Martin Smith had a good chance on
receiving a great long ball but blasted over. In the last minute Maule went on a run and got
brought down earning Marcus Foxwell a red and from the resultant free kick Holder tipped
Espada’s effort on to the post. Sounds quite breath-taking and 2-2 the result.
Into the Forest where Ruardean Hill Rangers and Wick fought out a 1-1 draw. Both
teams played some nice stuff for the first fifteen. On seventeen Hills Ollie Mason headed
against the post but was adjudged offside anyway. Ten minutes on Charley Taylor’s deep
cross was headed wide by Alex Stephens. Joe Beardswell’s effort for Wick was dealt with by
Aaron Underwood, and five minutes before the break a 25-yard free kick was brilliantly saved
by Wick’s Ashton Trott tipping the ball over. The resulting corner was headed over by Fin
Jones. Into the second, and on 55 Great defence by Hill cleared the ball off the line. On the
hour the visitors took the lead after hesitancy in the defence allowed Beardswell to expertly
finish. A few minutes later Wick’s James Fox was dismissed. On 68 minutes Langdon headed
over Mason’s deep cross for Ruardean but on seventy minutes Hill earned a penalty for
handball, Trott made an excellent save from Mason, then saved the rebound shot but
Stephens planted it in for 1-1. Underwood made a great save on seventy-eight minutes from
Beardswell after being put through and right at the death Fin Jones looped a volley onto the
top of the net. A good sounding game and all square.
At Stoke Gifford United, Rockleaze Rangers were looking to get their challenge back
on line but had to, in the end, settle for a point. The visitors began on the front foot their
diamond formation causing their hosts problems. Within 15 minutes however Gifford had
worked things out and started to trouble the Rockleaze back line and earned the lead after
21 minutes when Devanti McInerney broke away and fired home from the edge of the box.
The remainder of the half generally saw Gifford on top but Rockleaze always threatened