TROWBRIDGE LEAGUE: NORTH Bradley Saints completed an historic treble by lifting the Division One championship on Saturday.
The Saints, who won the Division Three and Division Two titles in their first two seasons, became the first team in the league's 100-year plus history to make it a hat-trick of championship victories.
They were crowned the new champions on Saturday, although former leaders Dynamo West End were in no mood to follow the script.
With Simeon Mills scoring with a header after ten minutes, veteran Shane Thornton missing a chance two minutes later and goalkeeper Stuart Powell diverting another Mills' effort, Saints' party could have been wrecked with the post also coming to their rescue from Colin Garbutt's fierce drive.
But an inspired double half-time substitution by manager Ben Howe put Saints on their way, with strikers Carl Davies and Jack Heard scoring twice inside 12 minutes of the restart.
Yet Saints, with Leigh Trainer dismissed in stoppage time, still had to settle for the one point required to lift the trophy outright when Thornton struck a superb 63rd minute free kick past Powell.
The presentations to Saints were made by Alan Thompson, the league registration secretary.
Saints' manager Ben Howe said: "It has been a very good achievement. We have managed to keep the same squad together but have brought in two or three new players each season.
"It is good to beat Broughton Gifford in something. We had looked at going into Junior Division of the Wiltshire League, but there would be too much travelling involved for us, so we are going to concentrate on retaining the title and looking to progress in the Wiltshire Junior Cup."
Broughton Gifford, champions in half of the last 20 years, finished runners-up for the sixth time in that spell.
A double in eight days over relegated Heytesbury was crowned by keeper Kevin Challis scoring the fifth and final goal following a Chris Stiles' double and singles from Ashley Groves and Darren Whiting.
Division Two champions Blue Circle, who dropped only one home point all season - and that against relegated Steeple Ashton, concluded their successful campaign with a repeat of their 3-2 victory over Castle Combe Reserves which sealed Steve Martin's outfit the title 14 days before.
Shaun Sheppard, Gary King and Kane Scott were on target for Circle, with Gavin Ferris and Paul King replying.
There was an end of season shock for runners-up and divisional cup winners CS Filos, who were hammered 6-2 at Hilperton United, where John Harris scored a second half hat-trick. Neil Hannaford, who had given Hilperton the lead in the first half, added another along with Jerome Dyer.
Another hat-trick hero, Warren Jones, with Shane Godsell and Luke Wolf contributing further strikes, sent Rudloe Reserves into the extended week of the season as hot favourites to land the Division Three title, with fellow newcomers St Andrews as runners-up. The 5-1 win over Apetio Godsell also scoring at the wrong end left Ashley King's outfit requiring four points from their last three games to become champions if Saints win their final match at home to Semington Magpies tomorrow.
Rudloe began the week with a superior goal difference.
Magpies, the only remaining threat to the top two, lost their promotion aspirations in the long grass and strong wind at Bowerhill where the perimeter of the three pitches had been cut but the actual playing surface had been left to reduce adult soccer to a farce.
Three first half goals, from Charlie Heydon, Jason Povey and Mark Robinson, before Jason Harford, who also struck the crossbar, delivered a fourth put Bradford Town Reserves on their way to a 4-1 win. Kelvin Lockwood headed home a 79th minute consolation after Nathan Walker had struck the woodwork for Magpies who had second half chances to have reduced the arrears further.
Magpies, after a 4-0 victory over The Stiffs, courtesy of two goals from Joshua Mills, a Simon Hillman header and a brilliant Walker free kick from the halfway line, started the week facing four games in six days, two of those in the space of 24 hours.
A double in three days by St Andrews over Trowbridge Wanderers a brace from Ewan Maynard and a Dave Greenwood penalty in a 3-2 success in the second game, had kept Kevin Gover's young side at the top.
Wanderers, who had beaten FC Chippenham 3-2 the previous week, had to settle for a point second time round, Mel Messaoud levelling Dan Smith's opener.
The Stiffs, with club secretary Theresa Giles running the line, may have picked up the wooden spoon but they celebrated the end of their season by keeping a clean sheet for the first time. First half goals from Andy Barlow, Dave Kemmery and Simeon Player recorded a first double as well at the expense of Hilperton Reserves.
THE league, which extended the season to accommodate 13 outstanding matches, are likely to award the points to Calne Eagles after opponents Castle Combe A failed to appear at the new agreed venue of Bromham.
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