4 Jan 2009

League Cup - Service too good for Pitsmoor

First Division title challengers Civil Service knocked out previous finalists Pitsmoor Royal Oak from the CBC Premier Division. Service took an early lead from a Ben Sanderson header but Oak, who had suffered two late withdrawals from their side due to illness got themselves in front at half time via a Craig Graham header and a Darren Birchall penalty. A change of tactics and some stern talk from the manager saw Service come out with a more positive attitude in the 2nd half and with a goal from a free kick by Adam Firth followed by two quick goals from Andy Bath and one other bullet header from sub Ian Hoyland  Service sealed a fine win.

Joining them in the next round will be Stocksbridge Park Steels who beat Hemsworth Villa after extra time. Steels had shocked Villa with two lightning strikes courtesy of Mitchell Savage but this spurred Villa on to greater efforts and the clever Keith Cronin set up two goals for Dave Tollerfield and Nick Owen. A nice move saw Scott Moat take a nice one two and put Villa in front at half time. After the break a Mark Garrett header levelled the score for Steels and set up extra time. An own goal by Matt Bray and further Steels goals from Adam Todd and Kevin Davies sealed the game and put Steels through to the next round.

The two Round 2 matches resulted in an expected win for Venue against their Division Two opponents Bulls Head, but the young underdogs acquitted themselves well  Nick Ash adding to his goal scoring record to put them into the lead but the Premier side coming back with two goals from Mark England – Woodcock (both set up by Oliver Worth ) and a clinching goal from Ryan Cockayne. Tom Nelson was the star player for Venue. In the other cup tie Red Lion defied the form book against an in form Sportsman Stannington. Chris Leek gave them a half time lead and Greg Shaw soon scored after the break and then added a thunderbolt from the edge of the area. This strike sealed under strength Sportsman’s fate and Leek added another for an emphatic win.

CBC Premier - West End back on top

In the league the West End bandwagon rolls on as they toppled Millhouses Abacrombie from the top of the league by doing the double over them. It looked from the outset that West End were going to repeat  the beating that they had given to Abacrombie earlier in the season but having missed four early chances they were relieved when a floated ball from the left by David Haley deceived the Abacrombie defence and keeper to hit the top corner. The anxiety in West Ends play subsided and they got another goal soon after from the same player. Abacrombie had a couple of chances themselves but were distinctly nervous in front of goal. After half time West End lost their shape a bit and Abacrombie failed take a couple of chances that could have put them back into the game .It was West End who finished the game strongly but they failed to put away the chances that came their way.

In the other Premier match, Stannington Village overcame Blue Ball . Ball had took the lead via a Danny Mace penalty but Village equalised following a great run down the right by right back Craig Gambling who crossed to Shane Toulson whose shot was parried by the keeper out to the grateful Jack Mylneck who slotted home from close range. In the second half a square ball from Toulson found Jack Coulson in a great position and he took the chance to put Village in front and they went further ahead when Mylneck scored his 2nd. A Richard Hanson free kick gave Ball some hope but an edge of the box screamer from Jack Ranson sealed the game for Village.

Division 1 - Old Boys stop Loxley , but The Vine continue to climb

In Division 1 a close match saw Handsworth OB just edge out in form Loxley. Dean Smith got two of the goals and Harrison Wyatt the other with an excellent cross from Craig Crownshaw giving Chris Whalley an easy task for Loxley and a late Richard Lester goal ensuring that this game went right to the wire. Laycocks cemented their lead at the top of the table with an easy win against Hollin Bush. The strike pairing of Luke Glaves 3 and Sam Read 3 continued to send notice to other teams in this division that Laycocks mean business. John Kilcoyne and man of the match Matt Kent were Laycocks other scorers in a one sided affair with sub David Cooper getting a consolation for Hollin Bush.

The Vine are making steady progress up the league and they dealt out a 5-0 beating to an out of sorts Southey Social. Good team play was the essence of their victory and goals from Ricky Davidson 2, Ricky Gregory Craig Daughtry and Jonathan Riley saw them record an impressive win. The other match was a close knit affair with Woodhouse Angel prevailing by 2-1 over SUJB Old Boys. Blades were on top in the first half and led at half time thanks to an Andy Brookfield goal after he had latched on to a through ball from Matt Hardy. In the 2nd half pressure began to tell on the Blades and Spencer Starkes took advantage of a defensive blunder to level the scores. The same player got the winner to ensure the points belonged to Angel.

Division 2 - Anvil round up the leaders, while Brinsworth pip Aston

In the 2nd Division it was Anvil who stole the headlines with a good win over previously unbeaten Ranch with an emphatic 3-0 win. A Dean Jepson free kick had given Anvil the lead and this was followed by a quick strike from Nathan Mitchell. After the break Ranch applied the pressure but the Anvil defence remained strong and a well struck goal from the left by Alistair Mitchell ensured victory for Anvil.

An open game saw Brinsworth Whitehill overcome Aston. A Scott McKenna header gave Aston the lead but Brinsworth drew level through Carl Fleming and he scored another soon after. Aston came back to equalise through McKenna again and he completed his hat trick to give Aston the lead at half time. Soon after the break a long range effort from Gavin Jones went through the Aston keepers hands to level the game and it was that man Fleming who scored two poachers goals near the end to give Brinsworth the win. Crookes and District were leading Birley Moor News 3-2 at half time with goals from Chris Wilson Sam Firth and Ainsley Cawley but Birley Moor got the upper hand in the 2nd half despite another goal from Cawley and ran out 6-4 winners. In the other game Fairbank Rhodes scored the only goal of their game with Oughtibridge Village in the first half courtesy of a close range effort by man of the match Andy Baxter.

11 Jan 2009

CBC Premier - Handsworth send Millhouses crashing, while Oak hold Villa

Although some of the leading teams in all three divisions surprisingly dropped points, CBC Premier leaders Woodhouse West End maintained its perfect record with a comfortable victory over Venue to go five points clear at the top.

The biggest shock in the CBC Premier was second place Millhouses Abacrombie’s 6-1 defeat by relegation threatened Handsworth WMC, a defeat that Millhouses contributed to themselves in more ways than one.

Right throughout the game Millhouses created enough chances to have won two games, but just for once the Premier’s leading scorers kept on missing the net. Added to that they also managed to score two own goals, the first of which was the opening goal of the game and had a touch of comedy about it. Robert Pratt’s corner was met by Scott Abramski and although his shot was cleared off the line, the defender’s clearance struck one of his own team mates and rebounded past the keeper into his own net.

Pratt soon made it two when he followed up after keeper Mark Davies could only parry Andy Stevens’ shot and two soon became three when Liam Simmonite was put through and a defender in his desperation to stop him only succeeded in steering the ball past his own keeper again.

With Ryan Hardy now dominating in midfield for Handsworth they continued to press and a fourth came when Simmonite produced a great finish. He then struck a fifth after being put through by Stevens and although Adam Sturch did eventually find the net for Millhouses, Handsworth had the final say when veteran sub Nick Garner smashed home an unstoppable shot.

Hemsworth Villa also surprisingly dropped points when they were held at home by a Pitsmoor Royal Oak side that had previously failed to get any points since winning on the opening day of the season. Oak took the lead against the run of play when Scott Szpajer’s cross was met by Nick Cumming’s diving header and it stayed like that until the second half. After further fierce pressure, Villa did eventually grab an equaliser when Keith Cronin set Nick Owen up for a chance he couldn’t miss. Villa should have won it when they were awarded a penalty, but Owen then went from hero to villain when his spot kick was saved by Pitsmoor keeper Dave Marrison and it was no less than he deserved after a great display between the posts.

Stannington Village’s title chances also suffered a blow when they were beaten 5-3 at home by a Blue Ball side they had beaten just a week earlier. Sami Eric gave Ball the lead and a cool finish by Joe Shaw soon made it two. Village pressed to get back into the game but a swift counter attack saw Joe Barker strike a third for Ball before half time and soon after the break, good work by Shaw enabled Lee Johnstone to celebrate his return to the club with Ball’s fourth. Wayne Bird headed one back for Stannington, but any thoughts of a comeback were quickly dispelled when Barker produced a calm finish for Ball’s fifth, although it was a good job he did as Stannington grabbed two more through sub Jamie Oxley and Jack Mylnek.

Leaders Woodhouse West End made no mistake though. Ashleigh Atkins gave them a first half lead that was doubled by Sammy Glaves soon after the break. Dale Fuller scored a third when he followed up to score after his spot kick had been initially saved and Mark Barraclough scored the fourth against his old club. Scott Birch grabbed Venue’s consolation from the penalty spot after Mike Smith had been brought down, but they never really threatened to get back into the game.

Third place Redmires had an even more convincing 5-0 victory at Niagara, but they were helped when Niagara lost their centre half after his ‘professional’ foul after just ten minutes. John Mellor gave Redmires a half time lead and Danny Lindley made it two after the break. As Niagara’s legs tired Luke Siggs helped himself to two goals before Mellor wrapped up the scoring with his second of the game.

Division 1 - Good day for Service as both Laycock's and Brimington are held

Division One leaders Laycock Sports were stopped from scoring in the league for the first time this season when Sportsman Stannington held them to a goalless draw. Andy Register hit the bar early on for Laycock’s and they struck the woodwork again in the second half, but a terrific display by John Kilcoyne wasn’t enough to break down the visitors defence and Sportsman might have won it themselves if the normally reliable Chris King hadn’t missed two clear cut chances.

That result gave second place Civil Service the chance to make up ground and although they were given one of their hardest tests of the season by a Southey Social that could count themselves unlucky not to get something from the game, Service took the points with a first half Adam Firth goal.

Third place Loxley opened up a small gap beneath them when they came from behind to beat Heeley Crown 2-1. Crown had the wind at their backs in the first half and dominated, but only had a Mick Eason header to show for it. Loxley should have been level though when Mick Smith had the easiest of chances, but he put it wide. The second half saw the roles reversed as Loxley poured forward and Danny Bray levelled when his shot flew past the keeper and Loxley won it when super sub Richard Lester hooked the ball over his shoulder and into the net for his third goal in as many weeks after coming on as sub.

FC Brimington let two valuable points slip when they conceded a goal at home for the first time this season. Handsworth Old Boys continued their improved form and took the lead through Gareth Griffiths, but Brimington kept their unbeaten home record when Matt Collier crossed for Elliott Christie to head the ball down for Thomas Brooke to score.

Another side to continue their improved form was The Vine as they took all three points at Woodhouse Angel after a high scoring affair. It didn’t look too good for the visitors when Richard Newey and Lance Dixon put Angel two up and even though Steve Wilkinson pulled one back from twenty five yards, The Vine were two behind again when Kirk Briddon scored from the penalty spot after Newey had been fouled in the area.

The Vine’s comeback started with a Joe France header and they levelled with a Wilkinson free kick. Another free kick, this time by Brent Healey, put them in front for the first time and although Briddon’s second of the game brought Angel level, they had been severely hampered by the dismissal of Luke Browse for two yellow cards. A Ricky Gregory flick on put Ricky Davidson in to restore The Vine’s lead and Gregory strike clinched the victory near the end.

Division 2 - Baxter leaves Anvil in the soup

With Division Two leaders Ranch involved in cup action, second placed Anvil had the chance to close the gap at Fairbank-Rhodes, but despite them having lost all their previous home games it was Fairbank that came out on top to lift them up to third.

It looked good for Anvil when Ashley Cross’s corner flew straight into the net to give them the lead, but Fairbank equalised before half time through Joe Knight. After the break, Cross again put Anvil in front, only for Andy Baxter to hit a real screamer from some distance to level. Mitchell Robinson then crossed for Knight to put Fairbank ahead and Baxter capped off his man of the match performance with his second from the penalty spot.

That result could have allowed Brinsworth Whitehill to reclaim second place, but they also slipped up, losing 3-1 at home to Colley. Adam Jackson gave Colley the lead and a great turn and finish by Lee Campbell doubled their advantage by the break. Ricky Kitchen pulled one back for Brinsworth early in the second half and they had what looked a good claim for a penalty turned down by the referee when Bazil Nyoni looked to have been felled in the area. Their bad luck with penalties then went one further when Colley were awarded a penalty, even though Colley conceded afterwards that they thought the defender had won the ball, but the referee gave the spot kick and Carl Lomas made the points safe for the visitors.

That allowed Bulls Head to climb above Brinsworth after Bulls Head had a good 4-1 victory over The Park. Jordan Barton shot across the keeper to give Bulls Head the lead and Ben Holmes doubled it. Steve Simmons pulled one back for the visitors with just over ten minutes remaining, but a fortunate goal off the knee of Nick Ask restored Bulls Head’s two goal advantage and Ash quickly added a more spectacular diving header to wrap things up.

Oughtibridge Village’s Craig Hanson must wonder what he has to do to finish up on the winning side after his four goals along with one from Shaun Adams proved to not be enough as visitors Crookes & District ran out 6-5 winners. Sam Firth, Liam Jacobs and Chris Cottyn had Crookes three up by the break and an Ainslie Cawley strike maintained that lead after Village had pulled one back. Village then pulled to more back to leave Crookes thinking they were going to throw another lead away, but man of the match Cottyn scored two more to complete his hat trick and keep their noses just in front.

League Cup - Rangers get Bush-whacked by Ward

The much delayed League Cup Round Two tie between Division Two leaders Ranch and Division One strugglers Hollin Bush finally took place and although a shock was on the cards after Tom Hartley fired Ranch into a half time lead, thanks to an Ian Ward treble, it was Bush that eventually came through. Ward netted his first with an unstoppable free kick, but Ranch responded on the counter when a move started by Jordan Stead saw Richard Honeyman’s shot parried by the keeper and Dave Ashmore follow up to put his side back in front. They couldn’t hold on to it though and Bush levelled again through Ward. Ward left it as late as possible to get the winner as there was just fifteen seconds remaining when he struck home Bush’s winner.

18 Jan 09 - CBC Premier - Mellor treble lifts Redmires, while Ball score five for a second week running

With Millhouses and Hemsworth Villa drawing, Redmires climbed to second place as a John Mellor (pictured right) treble helped them to victory over Niagara. Blue Ball also climbed the table as they beat Handsworth WMC 5-0. Stocksbridge Park Steels gained revenge for their early season defeat by nearest rivals Venue, while Pitsmoor Royal Oak gained a second successive draw, this time at Ecclesfield 147.

While Millhouses Abacrombie were being held at home by Hemsworth Villa, a John Mellor treble helped Redmires to a 4-1 victory over Niagara and into second place in the CBC Premier. It was the visitors that got the perfect start when Craig Foster put them ahead after just fifteen minutes and, after being awarded a penalty, Redmires missed a great opportunity to level when Danny Lindley saw his spot kick saved. The equaliser wasn’t too long coming though, with Andy Birks applying the finishing touch and Redmires were ahead before half time when Shaun Downing threaded a through ball for Mellor to race onto and beat the keeper.

After the break, the same combination brought Redmires third goal when Downing squared the ball for Mellor to finish in style and Mellor completed his hat-trick when Redmires were awarded a second penalty and he took over the responsibility.

Hemsworth Villa took an early lead at Millhouses Abacrombie when Scott Moat took Ian Holmes’ pass before swivelling and beating the keeper. The lead didn’t last long though as Sam Bartram was brought down in the area and Danny Turner stepped up to beat Jamie King in the Villa goal. Villa were the indebted to King for a couple of great saves and they took full advantage when David Tollerfield crossed for the smallest man on the pitch, Jim Linfoot, to head home and restore their lead before half time.

Villa threatened to add some more after the break and this time it was Abacrombie’s keeper Mark Davies that kept his side in the game, and his work also proved to be valuable as Bartram produced a through ball for Turner to run on to and equalise again.

Last season’s runners-up Blue Ball are climbing the table once again after they produced a second successive five goal display to beat Handsworth WMC. Sami Eric and Lee Johnstone both found the net for a second successive week to put Ball two up in the first half and Handsworth, who had all three keepers injured, could only muster a Paul Turner shot just before the break.

Handsworth went closer after the break when Liam Simmonite hit the woodwork and David Cawrey had one cleared off the line, but it was Ball that took charge again and Joe Barker added a third before Joe Shaw and Ben Cook completed the scoring.

Venue went into their local derby with Stocksbridge Park Steels attempting to complete the double over their fiercest rivals, but this time it was Steels that took home the points and the bragging rights. Chris Kelly hammered home a superb opener from twenty five yards to put Steels in front and although Venue almost levelled when Scott Birch hit a post, they found themselves two behind at the break after Craig Barraclough supplied the perfect cross for Kevin Davies to head home. Steels looked comfortable in the second half and only a great save by Venue keeper James Larkes stopped them adding a third.

Pitsmoor Royal Oak ended a run of defeats when they drew the previous weekend and further evidence of a recovery came with another draw at Ecclesfield 147. James Thew scrambled the ball home to give them a half time lead and, with Dave Marrison in top form in goal, it looked as if they might even get a shock victory against their injury hit hosts, but Ecclesfield fought back and after Ryan Keeney had had one effort cleared off the line, Matt Clarke forced a corner home. A special word of thanks also goes to the referee Mr Scarborough who did a terrific job after the venue for the game had to be changed at the last moment.

Division 1 - Bath cleans up for Service, while both The Vine and Handsworth Old Boys climb the table

Second place Civil Service narrowed the gap above them to just three points with a second victory in eight days over Southey Social, but Loxley were held by Red Lion. The Vine and Handsworth Old Boys both had comfortable wins to climb three places each and they both now lie just outside the top three.

Despite falling behind after just ten minutes to an Andy Guest strike, an Andy Bath (pictured left) hat-trick helped Civil Service clean up the points at home to Southey Social to put Service just three points behind the Division One leaders Laycock Sports. Bath equalised five minutes later with a well placed shot from the outside of his foot and he gave Service an interval lead. In the second half Bath completed his hat-trick with a well taken free kick and although the Southey keeper made a number of great saves to keep his side in the game, he couldn’t stop Ben Brown adding a fourth for Service of his knee.

Third place Loxley lost some ground when they could only draw at relegation threatened Red Lion, but they were probably happy with a point after two Chris Leek strikes had seen Lion roar into a two goal lead. Leek’s first came when he found himself one on one with the Loxley keeper and he grabbed his second when he raced onto Ryan Barker’s through ball. Loxley got themselves back into the game when Richard Lester headed home Neil Cole’s corner and Lester had a hand in the equaliser when he cushioned Craig Crownshaw’s cross for Danny Bray to fire home. Both sides went for a winner, but with Leek missing a header and Loxley having a good penalty appeal turned down, they had to settle for a point each.

Climbing the table fast is The Vine after they made it three wins out of three in the new year with a 4-1 triumph over Junior Blades. The Vine had to come from behind to do it after Higginbottom gave the visitors the lead, but Ricky Davidson levelled from the penalty spot before half time and after the Blades keeper was dismissed for handling the ball outside his area, there was only going to be one winner. Danny Seaman celebrated his return from injury to put The Vine in front, before Davidson added his second and Steve Wilkinson completed the scoring.

Another side on the up is Handsworth Old Boys who made it four games unbeaten with a convincing 4-0 victory at struggling Hollin Bush. Gareth Griffiths kept his hot streak going with two of them, while Handsworth’s others came from Dean Smith and Rees Williams.

Division 2 - Ash double hat-trick leaves Crookes in tatters, while Rivelin gain first win of the season

Bulls Head's Nick Ash (pictured right) plundered six goals in his sides 8-1 win at Crookes & District, while bottom club Rivelin finally won for the first time, beating Brinsworth Whitehill 5-2. Anvil kept the pressure on the leaders as Matt Asher grabbed a treble in their victory over Oughtibridge Village and Scott Mckenna scored three for a second successive game as Aston beat Anston Athletic. Fairbank-Rhodes were held by The Park, while Birley Moor News climbed above Colley by beating them 4-1.

The biggest climbers in Division Two was Bulls Head as Nick Ash added another six goals to his season’s tally in an 8-1 victory at Crookes & District. Mark Bryant and Jordan Barton had already given Bulls Head a two goal lead before Ash started his scoring spree with four before half time and although the Crookes defence did much better after the interval, after Crookes had pulled a goal back through David Elliott, Ash completed his double hat-trick with two more in a game where the referee also gained praise for his efforts.

Another referee to gain praise was Paul Matthewson for his handling of the game in which Rivelin finally gained their first win of the season by coming from two down to beat Brinsworth Whitehill 5-2. Two Carl Fleming strikes gave Brinsworth the advantage at half time, but the second half belonged to Rivelin and an Adam Hunt double together with strikes from James Pierce, Scott Smith and a Paul Nasim penalty gave Rivelin that all important first win.

Second place Anvil kept the pressure up on the leaders with a 5-1 home win over Oughtibridge Village. A Matt Asher treble and two from Alistair Mitchell did the damage for Anvil while Village’s reply came from Shaun Hammond.

Another referee gained praise as Fairbank-Rhodes slipped a place when they were held by The Park. Joe Knight lobbed the keeper to give Fairbank the lead after twenty minutes, but ten minutes later Lee Bridges drilled home The Park’s equaliser. James Abramski did his best to get a winner for Fairbank but his man of the match performance couldn’t quite open up the well organised home defence.

Scott McKenna hit his second hat-trick in as many games as Aston renewed their promotion challenge with a comfortable 4-0 home win over neighbouring Anston Athletic. McKenna steered his first over the keeper after just two minutes and ten minutes later he smashed home his second from an acute angle. Scott Hall then made a vital save to keep Anston at bay, before Steven Jeffries netted Aston’s third before the break. Anston were much harder to break down in the second half, but they couldn’t stop McKenna from sidefooting home his third.

Colley must also have thought their revival would continue when Adam Jackson gave them the lead at home to Birley Moor News, but Colley lost their keeper through injury and Jason Naylor and an own goal had Birley in front by half time., and Birley wrapped up the points with further goals from Dwayne Neavin and Dexter Greaves.

County FA Cups - Crossland double helps Brimington through to last eight

Division One FC Brimington eased through to the last eight of the County FA Junior Sunday Cup as a goal from Jervaise Christie and two from Andy Crossland (pictured left) gave them a 3-0 victory over George & Dragon, but there were heavy defeats for both Sportsman Stannington and Woodhouse Angel. Woodhouse West End's quarter final Senior Cup tie at Athersley Recreation was postponed and they will have to try again next weekend.

FC Brimington marched into the last eight of the Sunday Junior Cup with a convincing 3-0 victory over George & Dragon, but our two other remaining sides both fell to heavy defeats. Brimington made light of the fact the game had to be switched at short notice as Jervaise Christie chipped the keeper to give them an early lead and they had one foot in the next round when Andy Crossland found the top corner of the net before half time. Crossland added another after the break and they should have had fourth when Elliott Christie was felled in the area, but the spot kick was saved and Dave Hall blazed the rebound over the bar.

It wasn’t such good news for both Stannington Sportsman and Woodhouse Angel though as they both suffered heavy defeats. Angel took the lead at Brunsmeer Athletic through Ryan McGuiness, but it was all downhill after that and even a late goal from Kirk Briddon was no consolation as their hosts had hit a bagful in between. Sportsman were hampered by the loss of their keeper through injury during their game at Cottage and despite a consolation goal from Joe Lilleyman they went out. Woodhouse West End’s Senior Cup Quarter Final tie at Athersley Recreation was postponed and they will have to try again next weekend

25 Jan 09 - League Cup - Senior Service sends holders tumbling

Craig Senior (pictured left) grabbed four goals as cup holders Handsworth WMC crashed out of the Cup 7-0 at Ecclesfield 147. The days other tie between FC Brimington and Heeley Crown was postponed yet again and they will have to try again next weekend. 

On another weekend when the fixtures were decimated by the weather, League Cup holders Handsworth WMC probably wished their game hadn't gone ahead as they crashed out of this year's competition to former holders Ecclesfield 147. Craig Senior was the destroyer in chief with four goals, but he still failed to take the man of the match award away from defender Lee Pagden.

The first quarter of the game was very even  and Handsworth might even have taken the lead when Andy Stevens' free kick came back off the crossbar and 147's keeper was forced to save a George Barnes header. David Cawrey also twice went close and Robert Pratt forced another save by the 147 keeper, but 147 were creating chances of their own and when Gavin Hunter floated over the perfect free kick, Senior headed home to put his side in front. Hunter then made it two and his brother Kevin added a third before half time.

Any thoughts of a second half fightback by the holders were quickly dispelled when Jayson Reeves added a fourth from the penalty spot and Senior then rubbed salt into Handsworth's wounds by adding another three to end Handsworth's grip on the trophy.

CBC Premier - Villa Nick it with Owen treble

In the only CBC Premier game to beat the weather, a Nick Owen (pictured right completing his hat-trick) treble was just enough for Hemsworth Villa to pip Venue 3-2.

Just one CBC Premier game survived and it saw Nick Owen score all his side's goals as Hemsworth Villa revived their title bid with a narrow 3-2 victory over Venue. Owen's first came courtesy of a very controversial penalty, but he kept his cool while all the protests died down to send keeper Jack Marks the wrong way. Venue hit back when Scott Birch timed his run to perfection to get onto the end of a Mark Woodcock pass and beat the Villa keeper, but they still found themselves behind at the break after Owen's left foot shot beat the keeper.

The second half started with Owen missing a real howler, but with Stef Harris marshalling the Villa defence, chances for Venue to level were at a premium and with just five minutes remaining, David Tollerfield unselfishly set up Owen for his hat-trick and make up for that earlier miss. It was a good job he did though as two minutes later Woodcock again supplied the pass for Birch to score his second, but despite a couple of penalty appeals, Venue couldn't force an equaliser.

Pictured below is Nick Owen's penalty beating the keeper, Villa halting a Venue attack and players of both sides trying to see the ball through the sun.

Division 1 - Chris is King as Sportsman slam Blades, while Southey gain revenge on The Vine

After opening the scoring within the first ten seconds, Sportsman Stannington's Chris King (pictured left) went on to complete a hat-trick within 20 minutes and his side went on to record a 9-2 victory. The other game to be played saw Southey gain a very deserved 5-2 victory over The Vine to gainb revenge for the five goal defeat they suffered at The Vine just a few weeks ago.

Sportsman Stannington got the previous weekend's heavy Junior Cup defeat out of their system by hitting nine against Junior Blades. It took Chris King less than ten seconds to grab his first and he had completed his hat-trick within the first twenty minutes. Goals followed at regular intervals after that as Matt Jessermino and sub Chris Greenwood both grabbed doubles. Johnny Davis and Joe Lilleyman grabbed Sportsman's others while the Blades refused to give in and finally grabbed a couple of consolations from Sam Bouzida and Sam Laycock.

A couple of weeks ago The Vine beat Southey Social 5-0, but this time it was Southey that hit five to put a real dent in their visitors promotion bid. A wonder strike by Richard Spencer gave Southey an early lead, but it was cancelled out by Ricky Gregory. That brought some heavy pressure by The Vine, but too many easy chances went begging and they paid for it when Andy Guest headed Dave Hudson's cross home to put Southey back in front. Hudson then quickly added one of his own direct from a corner, but a mistake by the Southey keeper gifted one back for Ricky Davidson just before half time.

The start of the second half saw The Vine create and miss some more chances, but it didn't take long for Southey to take a grip of the game and Matt Hodson added their fourth and they made the game safe when Chris Roberts tapped home Nicky Danks' cross. Referee Mr Morris also gained praise from both sides.

Division 2 - Anston leave it late to beat Colley, while Fairbank-Rhodes held up by Crookes

Despite Colley taking an early lead, late goals by Luke Johson (pictured right) and Joe Bellamy saw Anston Athletic take all three points, while Fairbank-Rhodes promotion hopes took a knock after Joe Knight's goal was cancelled out by Crookes & District's Chris Wilson.

Fairbank-Rhodes promotion bid suffered a blow when they were held at home by Crookes & District. Fairbank looked certain to take an early lead with a Craig Bartram shot, but it hit both posts before staying out. They didn’t have to wait too long though as leading scorer Joe Knight met a cross from the left with a perfect header to put them ahead. That seemed to shake Crookes into life and driven on by their man of the match Lewis Broomhead, they grabbed an equaliser before the break when Chris Wilson scored. The second half saw Fairbank put their visitors under severe pressure and they again hit the woodwork twice, but Crookes youngsters stayed firm to hold on for a share of the spoils.

Colley took an early lead at Anston Athletic when Anston’s keeper Jon Parker’s clearance when straight to Carl Lomas and he lobbed the ball back into the empty net. If Colley had taken their other chances during the first half they would have had the game won by half time. Those misses proved costly after the break when Colley found themselves reduced to ten men and Anston got into the game more and more. With just ten minutes remaining, Anston eventually made their larger numbers pay when Luke Johnson battled his way into the box before beating the keeper. They almost took the lead when Andy Dodd hit the woodwork, but they did get a winner with time almost up when Simon Herbert crossed for Adam Russell to bring down and push the ball into the six yard box for Joe Bellamy to score.

Senior Sunday Cup - Badkin blow as West End run ends

Woodhouse West End’s perfect record this season finally came to an end with a 3-0 Sunday Senior Cup quarter final defeat at Athersley Recreation. West End travelled to Barnsley in the Senior Sunday Cup to face a strong Athersley Rec side who had taken some noticeable scalps in previous rounds. West End were in confident mood of progressing to the Semi finals of the competition and flying the league flag further. On a flat but very wet pitch West End started in determined mood but found themselves up against after just 2 minutes when keeper - John Badkin was caught late by the oncoming Athersley Rec forward and received a bad cut to his right eye (which later required 6 stitches) which forced him off (see picture left). West End were forced to put reshuffle with their top scorer and main attacking threat in Ash Atkins going in goal - this severely hindered the attacking threat they normally posses. West End had the better of the first half and were disappointed to go in at half time level at 0-0.

The second half began as the first half ended - with two good teams not giving anything away - the first goal in such a tight game was always going to be crucial. West End's hard work was undone midway through the second half when disappointingly they lost possession from a throw in next to the corner flag in their opponents half, a long hopeful ball released the competitions top scorer and the lighting fast Athersley Rec forward, Jason Bentley, raced clear of the West End defence to beat sub keeper Ash Atkins with a smart finish. West End were now up against it with the large numbers of local support firmly behind the home side. West End continued to enjoy the most possession and committed more and more men forward in the hope of grabbing an equaliser; Indeed West End Manager - Billy Fuller tried to up the tempo by swapping Ash Atkins for David Haley in goal. With just five minutes left and West End still very much in the game a wicked deflection from a free kick beat West End's sub sub keeper David Haley to make it 2-0 and this was followed by a last minute goal again on the break, with West End now playing 1v1 at the back to make the final score 3-0 - a scoreline that slightly flattered the home side. West End were left to reflect what might have been but proud to be last remaining Sheffield side in the competition.