Page 16 - Avonmouth FC v Stoke Gifford 230324

Avonmouth march on

Mark Simpson
Avonmouth continue their relentless pursuit of the title, Hanham Athletic manage to play a
home game, Gala Wilton were battered at Rockleaze Rangers and will have to somehow turn
it around for their league cup semi final next week if they are to have any hope of meeting
Stoke Gifford United in the final.
Starting at Avonmouth who took on struggling Cheltenham Civil Service at KGV. A good
crowd of 85 were delighted that the game was on after recent heavy rain which made the
surface slippery but totally playable. It was Service who had the better of the opening fifteen
minutes with Declan Chick firing over on 7 minutes after good work by Ollie Wilkes. It wasn’t
until nearly the 20 minute that Avonmouth threatened with a great move down the left and
th
a deflected shot forcing Harvey Need into a good save. Just a minute later a corner by Matty
Groves found Charlie Aldom at the back post and his header sneaked under a defender’s legs
for 1-0. Unfortunately, Aldom was soon injured and replaced. Service had a good chance on
38 when a corner bounced around the box but was cleared. With a minute of the half
remaining Kyle O’Donovan doubled the score with a well-placed shot from the edge of the
box. Service started the second half on top and Brett Blake scored a minute in to reduce the
arrears and nearly equalised a minute later with Lewis O’Driscoll’s shot forcing Tom Bradley
to tip over. However, on the hour a pass over the defence by Avonmouth’s George Brown
found Josh Pearce who calmly slotted home to restore a two-goal lead. It was then Groves
turn to find Pearce to fire past Need for 4-1. The home side now in control, Mark Williams
striding forward and firing just over, but Service kept at it and Bradley was busy confidently
plucking several crosses out of the air. In the final minutes arguably the best goal of the
game was from Service’s Blake who fired an unstoppable shot into the top corner but 4-2 to
Avonmouth it was.
Ruardean Hill Rangers met Little Stoke in the Forest with Hill in good form. Hill looked
for an early goal but a third minute header from Tom Landon crashed off the bar. A few
minutes later a Hill free kick in their own half found Max Telling who flicked a header towards
goal but Little Stoke cleared off the line. On 22 minutes Hill opened the scoring, Kane Fellows
slamming the ball home from 20 yards. Little Stoke finished the half with a series of corners
with one resulting in Lewis Hughes heading wide from six yards. On the hour with Stoke still
pressing they almost created an equaliser, but superb defending kept them at bay. With 70
minutes gone and both teams searching for a goal it was Hill who increased their lead, when
a flick on from Kane Sansom found Ollie Mason running through who cooly slots past Phillips
in the Stoke goal. Five minutes on it arguably should have been three for Hill as a superb
ball out wide by Telling found Fellows arriving at the back post and heading against the bar.
On 82 Little Stoke got a lifeline when Tommy Coleman fouled, and Jack Watts scored the
resulting penalty. Little Stoke had plenty of time for an equaliser, but Hill sat out the 10
minutes of added time for a 2-1 win.
To Hillside Gardens where Rockleaze Rangers put on a fantastic display of finishing
against a shell- shocked Gala Wilton. On just two minutes George James found the ball at
his feet on the edge of the box and calmly stroked the ball past the advancing Oscar Bignell,
and the dream start got even better with two more goals before seven minutes was up,
firstly Ben Adam played the ball over the top to Dan Webb who got to the byline before
pulling back for Drew Sawdon to slide the ball home from six yards, then two minutes later