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Report
week ending Sunday 27 Feb 2005
GARNER
GOAL LIFTS HANDSWORTH WMC OFF THE BOTTOM
All but one of the fixtures was wiped out by pitches left waterlogged by the snowfalls, but that one survivor provided Handsworth WMC with a real chance to get out of the CBC Premier's bottom three and left Moorview Ranges rock-bottom.
Handsworth manager Adam Johnson knew this was a must win game for his side, but he had to shuffle his pack even before the game started, with striker George Barnes filling in at centre back, although Johnson needn't have worried as Barnes produced a very assured performance in his new role.
Johnson's main regret about the decision will have come when several early chances went begging, with Eddie Thomas and Dean Brown being the main culprits and William Hedges in the Ranges goal also more than playing his part in keeping the home side at bay.
It wasn't all Handsworth though and Tom Bryan in their goal was also called upon to make a good few saves as both sides went for the three points that could go a long way towards possible survival.
Handsworth's battling performance eventually produced a winner five minutes into the second half, when Nick Garner scored his first goal for the club. After that both sides went close, with Dean Brown almost extending Handsworth's lead with a good effort near the end, but that one goal proved enough.
Handsworth looked dead and buried a few weeks ago, but after winning three of their last four, they have given themselves a real fighting chance of avoiding the drop, but fit's not impossible for Ranges to avoid the drop.
Rnages get a chance to haul themselves off the foot of the table and even out of the bottom three tomorrow at Warminster Road, when they entertain a Dronfield Talbot side just one point and one place above them.
Both sides have played better of late than their results suggest and both will see this as a game they must win and, depending on results
eleswhere, any winner of the game could make a rapid rise up the table.
Ranges pulled off a comfortable 4-1 victory when the teams met at Dronfield earlier in the season, but Ranges home form has been appalling, gaining just four points from a possible twenty four.
Talbot's form on their travels doesn't exactly give them an edge though, as they have taken just six points from twenty four. One thing is certain, neither side will want to share the points, so you can expect both to go flat out for all three.
If either of them win, one of the sides they could climb over is SCS Park and they have a very demanding game at their Niagara home against a Stocksbridge Park Steels 'A' in a good run of form of late.
Stocksbridge took all three points when they met earlier in the season and they have only ever lost once to Park, but the hosts are showing signs of better form themselves and this is a game that could go either way
Handsworth WMC's new found form will get a more severe test when they entertain a Hemsworth Villa that could go top if they win and leaders Woodhouse George slip up at Dronfield Town.
Having won all their last twelve games, Villa are currently the form team in the division, but they know that they must continue that run to stand any chance of snatching the title from under the noses of their main rivals.
Villa comfortably won when the two sides met early in the season, bu while they have only ever tasted defeat by Handsaworth once in the previous nine league games, they have only ever won once at Handsworth before.
CBC Premier leaders Woodhouse George are just two points clear of Villa so they will be aware that defeat at Dronfield Town could see them knocked off the top for the first time for a long time.
This is the first of a demanding run-in for George, but they have had the better of the results between the two sides. Town normally give them a very good game and have beaten them in the past though, and If strikers Adam Fordham and Nick Horsefield can be given the service, they could be a real handful for the leaders.
Stannington Village are also coming up fast on the rails, but they also have a tough game against the only side to have beaten them so far this season, Freedom House.
That was revenge for Freedom's defeat in last season's Dairy Farmer's of Britain Milk Cup Final so they might not have the same desire in this one, but Freedom have shown signs that their poorest run of the season could be over and Stannington, who might have one eye on the following weekend's Milk Cup semi final, should take nothing for granted.
Division One leaders Woodhouse West End travel to Royal Oak Pitsmoor hoping to extend their all-win record to twenty two. Oak have got a half decent record at their Woodburn Road home, but they will have to be at their very best if they want to stop their visitors inflicting a third home defeat of the season on them.
The two clubs that are favourites to go up with West End are Redmires and Noah's Ark and both have home games that should bring them maximum points.
At Prince of Wales Road, Ark entertain a Niagara side that is stuck next to bottom, but it might not be quite as easy as it looks as Niagara almost ended West End's record last time out.
At the Phoenix Sports Ground, Redmires will also start strong favourites to collect three points at home to an Oxspring United that is sliding rapidly down the table. Redmires will have to be on their guard though as over the years, Oxspring have a half decent record against them, although Redmires did hit eight past them in the corresponding fixture last season.
Bottom club Civil Service's chances of climbing out of the bottom three look pretty slim, but if they are to stand a chance, they must win at Outibridge Village. Village is probably the only club outside the bottom three that the Servicemen can have any realistic chance of catching and defeat will leave the Servants staring the drop in the face.
There are two big games in Division Two that will leave both the title and promotion race a bit clearer, but both look hard to predict.
Leaders New Inn Norton beat their hosts Pen Nook 3-0 just a few weeks ago, but all the goals came late in the game and Nook will know that they if they can reverse that result they could pip Inn to the title if they then go on to win their games in hand.
Nook have only lost once at home this season, but Inn have been almost unstoppable of late and will know that three points from this one will be a massive step towards the title. The earlier game between the two sides was a no quarter given affair and both sides will need to maintain their discipline with the eyes of the league watching closely.
If New Inn slip up, another side with a good chance of pipping them to the title looks to be Burgoyne Arms, but they have a very tough assignment when they travel to a Jordanthorpe Hotel that could get into the title race themselves if they can win their games in hand.
Jordanthorpe have only lost once at home, but they have just moved to a new home at the Boundary Sports Ground and if they haven't yet got used to it, it could let Burgoyne in.
The day's final game sees Dynamo Hartshead entertain Handsworth New Crown for the clash of the bottom two. Dynamo just won a seven goal thriller when they met earlier in the season and with both sides showing defensive frailty in abundance, this could be another high scoring affair..
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Report
week ending Sunday 20 Feb 2005
LOXLEY
DON'T MAKE IT AT THE BALL
All
Although the CBC Premier Division saw all it's games go pretty much to
form, Division One almost saw Niagara end Woodhouse West End's one hundred
per cent record, while Loxley saw their Division Two title hopes suffer a
massive blow when they were comprehensively beaten by Ball Boys.
Ball hadn't won since before Christmas and had been held by the bottom
club the week before, but they found their best form of the season to tear
into Loxley right from the start.
Matt Parkison put them ahead and Gareth Simons doubled their lead before
half time. If Loxley thought they would change things after the break they
were sadly mistaken as Ball kept their grip on the game and went further
ahead with Simons second.
Mick Smith did his best to turn the tide for Loxley and keeper Ian
Cawthorne needed to be at his best to stop it becoming a real humiliation,
but even he couldn't stop Dave Browse netting Ball's fourth.
That defeat gave leaders New Inn Norton the chance to open up a six point
gap at the top and although the visiting Handsworth New Crown kept the
game goalless for a long time, they eventually caved in to the pressure.
Ryan Williams finally made the breakthrough and Alex Yule quickly added
two more. Williams struck again for the fourth, before sub Adam Connor
grabbed a fifth. James Sullivan finished the scoring with New Inn's sixth
and they must now be regarded as strong favourites to lift the title.
Woodhouse West End were expected to keep their all-win record with ease
when they entertained second from bottom Niagara, but diverse performances
from the two keepers nearly saw one of the biggest shocks of the season.
Niagara's keeper was in inspired form, but he couldn't stop Danny Hooper
netting twice for West End and Dale Fuller and Andy Cox grabbing one each,
but their visitors refused to throw in the towel and with Adi Shaw and a
Simon Staniforth double, making the most of three goalkeeping errors, they
almost pulled it off.
While West End were strangely out of sorts, second place Crookes Club
found some of their best form of the season to end the hoodoo Noah's Ark
had previously held over them.
Crookes hadn't taken so much as a point from their hosts and it looked
like it would be going the same way when a mistake by the Crookes keeper
allowed Robinson to give Ark a fifth minute lead.
Crookes rolled up their sleeves and were soon level when Kev Haigh grabbed
a typical poachers goal and five minutes before the break he struck again
to give his side the lead.
Haigh was becoming the main character in the game and when he was brought
down in the area he picked himself up to complete his hat-trick from the
penalty spot.
Ark tried to respond, but just as they were getting back into the game,
Scott Bennett netted an incredible fourth. When he received the ball on
the half way line, he spotted the Ark keeper off his line and his pinpoint
effort gave the keeper no chance.
With just five minutes remaining, Ark managed to grab a second consolation
through Mellor, but Crookes comfortably released Ark's hold on them.
Telecom Sports kept their promotion challenge in tact at Oughtibridge
Village, but only just. The games only goal came from the award of a
disputed penalty, but after the fuss had died down, Dave Parrott held his
nerve to give Telecom all three points.
Royal Oak Pitsmoor's chances had an even closer call at home to Oxspring
United and it needed a deflected goal and a last gasp fluke to give them
all three points.
After a goalless first half, the deadlock was finally broken when Craig
Jones shot was deflected past Oxspring keeper Mick Wilson. Oxspring soon
hit back though when Steve Wood's measured pass was perfect for Alan
Crofts to show the Oak defence a clean pair of heels and equalise.
Just when it looked as if Oak would have to settle for a point, luck came
their way again when Wilson parried a shot only to see it hit John Mellor
on the head and rebound into the gaping goal.
With CBC Premier leaders Woodhouse George's game at Handsworth Old Boys
falling to the freezing conditions, their title rivals all took full
advantage to close the gap on them.
Lee Webber was again the star for Hemsworth Villa as he grabbed four goals
for the second week running in a 5-0 win at a Dronfield Talbot that
eventually ran out of steam.
There was only five minutes of the first half left when Webber opened the
scoring, but after the break he took full advantage of the home side's
tiring defence to grab three more and Mark Hopkinson rounded the scoring
off with Villa's fifth.
After also scoring four the week before, Stannington Village's Simon Howe
almost kept pace with Webber, but in the end he had to settle for just
three in his side's 6-2 home victory over Handsworth WMC.
Kevin Bly hit two of the others with the sixth coming from Marcus
Antcliffe and even Mark Smith's two goals for Handsworth couldn't really
lift their gloom.
Freedom House finally found their form again as they recovered from Ashley
Fletcher's early strike for Morrview Ranges to also record a 6-2 victory.
Two from Andy Gray and one from Otis Pike soon had Freedom in front, but
Lee Littlewood's second for Moorview just before the break gave them a
jolt. They needn't have worried though as Sean Flynn, Sean Ward and Wayne
Bird goals in the second half all came without reply.
Stocksbridge Park Steels 'A' kept their impressive run of form going as
they brushed aside Minnies. Matt Sewell scored his third in as many games
for Steels to open the scoring and Chris Kelly rounded the keeper to
double their lead before half time.
Craig Barrowclough made it three when he took advantage of a one-on-one
with the keeper and Andy Hibbert made it four with a typical twenty yard
strike. Alistair Mitchell pulled one back for Minnies in the last minute,
but it was hardly any consolation as their slide down the table continued.
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Report
week ending Sunday 13 Feb 2005
STEELS
CAUGHT UP IN VILLA'S WEBB-ER
While leaders Woodhouse George and champions Stannington Village both recorded big wins over Handsworth sides, the day's other CBC Premier game produced a seven goal thriller as Stocksbridge Park Steels 'A' got caught up in Hemsworth Villa's web.
The opening goal came midway through the first half when Lee Webber rounded the Steels keeper before slotting home. Villa were having much the better of things, so it was against the run of play when a long throw caught them out and Chris Kelly steered the ball home.
Worse was to follow for Villa just a minute before the interval when Andy Hibbert's terrific free kick came back off the underside of the bar and Matt Sewell knocked home the rebound to give Steels the lead.
Villa kept their composure and the second half wasn't too old when Webber outpaced the Steels defence to grab his second and after causing the visitors defence all kinds of trouble he put Villa back in the lead with his third.
That made it twenty seven for the season and his twenty eighth quickly followed to give Villa a two goal cushion and they needed it after Lee Shepherd's cross was headed home by Kelly, but Steels's couldn't find a fourth and Villa took the points that keeps them in second spot.
Another man to net four goals was Stannington Village's ace marksman Simon Howe as the champions scored a magnificent seven against a Handsworth WMC that had won it's previous two games.
Handsworth were no match for Village and were three down at the interval, but it got even worse after the break and as well as Howe's fourth, Michael Barnes grabbed two and David Hague the other.
Still five points ahead of the rest though are Woodhouse George after they had far too much power for a Handsworth Old Boys surprisingly sliding towards the wrong end of the table.
George's first came after fifteen minutes when Paul Hancock's pinpoint free kick allowed Chris Towey to head past the advancing keeper. Towey's head was also responsible for George's second and Shaun Waller scored for the sixth consecutive league game to make it three by half time.
The pattern was much the same after the break and Michael Towey ran through the static Old Boys defence to make it four. Wes Pierce then produced a great opportunists strike for George's fifth and the final goal came as Chris Towey completed his hat-trick.
Just one Division One game survived the heavy rainfall and it saw a ten-man Telecom Sports take all three points from a Niagara who's place in the division looks increasingly at risk.
The game wasn't too old when Telecom were reduced to ten men, but a terrific rearguard action and some wayward finishing by the Niagara forwards kept their goal in tact.
Paul Marrison was always a threat down Telecom's right and he eventually helped carve out the opening for Joe Shaw to put the ball into Dean Grayson's path and he made no mistake. The same combination carved a second goal for Grayson and Telecom collected a hard earned three points to keep them in third place.
Daylight is eventually beginning to show between the Division Two title challengers and after brushing aside the challenge of a Lord Nelson that started the day level on points with them, leaders New Inn Norton look increasingly likely to take the title.
Ace marksman Alex Yule's two early strikes put New Inn in charge by half time and early in the second half, James Sullivan struck a third. Matt Wright pulled one back for Nelson, but Sullivan netted his second to keep them at bay.
John Dickens hit a second for Nelson, but Ryan Willams and Gregg Thomas strikes made the game safe for New Inn, before Brian McGuire netted a third for Nelson.
As if that defeat wasn't bad enough for Nelson, they slipped a place after Loxley completed a 9-1 hammering of fellow promotion hopefuls Stocksbridge Park Steels 'B'.
With the elements in their favour, John Bailey and John Rhodes had Loxley two up after just ten minutes and although Paul Thorpe pulled one back, another goal for Bailey, two more for Rhodes and one for Simon Mirfin took Loxley's tally to six by the break.
Any thoughts that Steels might take advantage of the elements to get back into the game disappeared when they lost a player to a second yellow card and Loxley added three more through Jason Jones, Steve Mayfield and Carl Wells.
The other two games saw the bottom four fighting it out. Lynthorpe Oak went to a Dynamo Hartshead that had won it's last three and after a goalless first half, it again looked good for Dynamo when Tom Flannery put them ahead.
It wasn't to be this time though as Dynamo ran out of power and Steve Fairbank netted an equaliser from close range before Hilton Statford struck Oak's winner.
Bottom club Handsworth New Crown started well against visitors Ball Boys and went ahead through leading scorer Jason Ball, but they couldn't hold it and Craig Woolley levelled for the Boys just before the break.
Ball Boys were \having much more of the game and although they were failing to make the most of the many chances that fell their way until Matt Parkison put them ahead, but they eventually paid for those misses when John Purdie grabbed a late equaliser for the home side..
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Report
week ending Sunday 6 Feb 2005
WALLER
TREBLE HELPS GEORGE OVERCOME FREEDOM
The clash of the CBC Premier's top two saw a Shaun Waller treble help leaders Woodhouse George hit five past Freedom House and that allowed Hemsworth Villa to claim second place with their seventh successive league win at Moorview Ranges.
Woodhouse West End ended Noah's Ark's unbeaten record to further cement their place at the top of Division One, but Division Two has new leaders after New Inn Norton beat Pen Nook while third place Loxley held Lord Nelson.
It took Waller just ten minutes to hit his first for Woodhouse George in their top of the table clash with Freedom House and it wasn't too long after when his flicked header made it two.
Freedom tried to get back into the game, but they were as good as killed off when Kirk Briddon found the bottom corner from twenty yards. Waller completed his hat-trick when his cross-cum-shot found the top corner and centre half Paul Hancock completed the scoring when he scrambled home a fifth.
Replacing Freedom in second place is Hemsworth Villa after a seventh successive victory, at Moorview Ranges. Villa opened the scoring after fifteen minutes when Danny Ebbutt's cross gave Lee Webber the chance to score his twenty fourth goal of the season and the lead was soon doubled when Mark Hopkinson shot powerfully home.
Moorview didn't lie down though and after Hedges in the Moorview goal had made some good stops, Ashleigh Fletcher reduced the arrears before half time. For a good while after that Ranges gave Villa as good as they got, but Villa sealed the points with just five minutes remaining when sub Steve Jones made the most of a one-on-one with the keeper.
Minnies title hopes all but disappeared after reigning champions Stannington Village blew them away with the kind the form that brought them the title last season.
David Hague and Simon Howe both hit doubles and Michael Barnes added his name to the scoresheet. A sixth came from the help of an own goal, before Wrigglesworth netted a late consolation for the visitors.
Handsworth WMC have given themselves a real chance of avoiding the drop after they completed an eight day double over their closest neighbours Handsworth Old Boys.
Two Carl Eaton penalties had won the game for them the week before and it was Eaton that again opened the scoring before half time. George Baron doubled the WMC's lead soon after the break and after the Old Boys missed from the penalty spot they knew they would have to buy the drinks for a second week in a row.
When Lee Bridges and Adam Parker gave SCS Park a two goal lead at Dronfield Talbot it looked as if they were well on their way to the three points that would have eased their relegation fears, but in the end they had to settle for a point.
Talbot aren't such an easy touch these days though and two Matt Joicey headers his dad, the former Owls striker, Brian Joicey, would have been proud of, brought them level.
Talbot's celebrations were cut short when veteran striker Steve McMahon put Park back in front within a minute of the equaliser, but Talbot weren't to be denied a share of the spoils and not long before the final whistle Steve Adie netted a deserved equaliser.
ARK
SUNK BY WEST END SHOW
Division One's big game saw Woodhouse West End emerge with the league's only unbeaten record after they ended Noah's Ark's unbeaten run. Spencer Taylor gave West End a first half lead and soon after the break, Danny Hooper made it two with a brave diving header at the back post.
A bizarre third goal came West End's way when sub Andy Jones scored with his first touch when he beat the Ark keeper to the ball after the keeper had dropped it for an intended clearance upfield, but instead of giving up, Ark fought back.
Full back Jonathan Crossland was pushed upfield and the move was rewarded when he pulled one back for the home side and when Danny Hooper was penalised for a push in the area, Adam Burley slammed home the spot kick to reduce the arrears to a single goal.
Ark pushed hard for an equaliser, but their fellow Dairy Farmers of Britain Milk Cup semi finalists West End wanted to preserve their season-long one hundred per cent record though and their terrific work rate helped them to deservedly hang on to yet another three points.
Second place Crookes Club took a big step towards promotion when a Paul Jennings treble helped them emerge from third place Telecom Sports with a 5-1 victory under their belts.
Jennings has had the sort of barren spell that all strikers go through, but he was given the perfect opportunity to end it when Crookes were awarded a penalty after just five minutes and three minutes later Liam Boswell was on hand to double their lead.
The game was as good as over after just eleven minutes when Andy Thorpe blasted home a fee kick and Jennings's second made it four. Paul Marrison netted for Telecom before the break, but that was as good as it got for them.
Telecom weren't really in the game and Jennings missed one chance to complete his hat-trick when he missed a second penalty, but he wasn't to be denied and he completed his treble in the second half.
Royal Oak Pitsmoor hadn't played for five weeks and the rustiness showed as Redmires easily brushed them aside 5-0. Andy Birks was first to a through ball to open the scoring and when Pete Walton's run caught the home defence square he went through to double Redmires lead.
Ian Gambling's free kick was bundled in by James O'Connell to give the visitors a three goal lead at the break and although Oak had their best spell at the start of the second period, the best move of the game allowed Lee Rodgers the chance to hit Redmires fourth, before sub Simon Bradbury chipped in their fifth.
Until a couple of weeks ago, Civil Service had struggled to get points and to find the net, but they finally found their shooting boots to slam six past a disappointing Oxspring United and earn a second successive victory.
Steve Mustill was their destroyer in chief with all four of his side's first half goals and they were followed by two Martyn Kitridge strikes in the second half.
NEW
INN TAKE OVER AT THE TOP AS NELSON AND LOXLEY STALEMATE
For the fourth time in five weeks, Division Two has new leaders, with New Inn Norton taking over after a 3-o home win over fellow title hopefuls Pen Nook.
For a long time it was very tight and just as it looked as if it might end in a goalless stalemate, Alex Yule made the breakthrough for New Inn. Oliver Wilson quickly added a second and Yule made the points safe with another.
Lord Nelson looked as if they would hold on to top spot when Andy West scrambled the ball home to give them a first half lead, but Loxley came back strongly in the second half and after John Bailey had twice hit the woodwork he had better luck when he set up Mark Newman for an equaliser.
Two more challengers that met were Burgoyne Arms and Jordanthorpe Hotel and after letting a two goal lead slip early in the game, Burgoyne recovered to win a seven goal thriller.
Scott Marcus took advantage of a mistake by the visitors defence to put Burgoyne in front and a great shot by Darren Firth quickly doubled their lead, but Jordanthorpe soon hit back when Jon Curtain slammed home a penalty and they were level when a defender put the ball past his own keeper.
Lee Sargent then put Jordanthorpe ahead, but just before half time Burgoyne levelled when Gary Cooper netted after playing a great one-two with Andy Mitchell. Both sides could have won it in the second half, but the points finally went Burgoyne's way when David Nash got on the end Scott Marcus's free kick to hit the winner.
Ball Boys challenge now looks to be over after Lynthorpe Oak rallied from two goals down to claim a share of the spoils. It was a family affair that gave Ball the initiative as uncle and nephew Dave and Luke Browse both found the net, but Oak never gave up and after Paul Eldred had pulled one back, Matt Nesta beat three defenders before scoring a very late equaliser.
Until the new year, Dynamo Hartshead had only ever won a single game in their history, but they really look to be on a charge after their third in a row, 4-2 win at Handsworth New Crown.
Defender Dave Brooksbank scored their first two and Paul Gregory added a third before half time. Jason Ball pulled one back for Crown after the break, but Gregory scored his second to restore Dynamo's three goal lead before Crown's second came from Chris Hague's cross-cum-shot.
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