Race for Premier title is heating up

Sherston Town started the season as clear favourites to claim back-to-back championships but, after suffering a 4-2 loss at home to Maud Heath Sports, their chances of success are starting to fade away.

Having lost just two games in the whole of last term Sherston have lost three in just eight outings.

Maud Heath moved up four places after their win which was a surprise even to their own manager Andy Townsend. A double from Dean Slade put Heath two up before Gavin Thompson halved the deficit.

Slade completed his hat-trick to restore and Simon Hillier added a fourth before Andy Wicks hit Sherston's second.

West Lavington's 3-2 victory over Corsham Cricket Club has seen them open up a three point gap from Box Rovers at the top.

But with a game in hand Rovers will be expected to close that margin in the coming weeks, and even Sherston and Maud Heath Sports who lie third and fourth respectively could join the current leaders if results were to go their way.

Corsham won their first four games of the season and were showing the signs of being serious title contenders, but two defeats on the bounce has seen them slip down the table and even though they have played just six games they have a mountain to climb to recapture early season form.

Chris Jones headed Corsham ahead only for Darren Thorpe to bring the scores level. Paul Southway regained the lead for Corsham but once again Lavington levelled when Simon Drewitt fired home his 13th of the season. Lavington's winner came two minutes from time via Steve Moxham.

CORSHAM Centre missed out on the chance to remove Colerne at the top of the Division One table after opponents Chippenham Sports & Social Club were unable to raise a side.

The Centre, who have played just seven matches, are favourites to pick up consecutive championships having romped to the Division Two title last year. Many people may think the Centre are in a false position not having played either Colerne, Semington or North Star A and having beat many of the lesser teams, but a 4-1 defeat of Holt shows it will take a special performance end their fantastic run.

Holt FC narrowed the gap on the leading two sides after their 3-1 win at Wingfield took them to within one point of the Centre and two points of Colerne. Holt fell behind to Andy Edwards' fourth goal of the season but were level through Adam Chequer, who rode three tackles before putting the ball beyond Wingfield's keeper Colin Williams.

Tyler Pang gave Holt the lead in bizarre fashion when his 30 yard cross looked to be nothing more than a harmless ball into the area, but Wingfield's keeper Williams lost it in the sun and it bounced twice before going between his legs and into the empty net. Neil Grant finished things off with Holt's third which allowed them to extend their revival to four games without a loss.

Having lost their previous four matches both North Bradley and Atworth United were suffering from a lack of confidence. Bradley were dealt a further blow before kick off when keeper Julian Hooper failed to turn up, forcing manager Ali Belcher to make a rare appearance between the sticks.

Without Hooper, Bradley claimed only their second success of the season courtesy of a 3-1 win and this was after a superb first half display from Dan Foster which saw him score all three of Bradley's goals.

Atworth picked up in the second half but despite a consolation from Craig Rees they have now experienced their worst run for many years.

Semington Rovers finished the new year as they ended the old one, another defeat means that the one time leaders have now dropped to fifth spot.

Having beaten opponents North Star A earlier in the season Semington were hopeful of recording their first league double but the Star, who are now starting to find their feet after a shaky start to life in Division One, had other ideas. Tommy Ludford bagged his third treble in as many games for the Star, and Dale Smith and Ronnie Kallmeier added the others for a Star side who made it three wins on the trot.

THERE was plenty of New Year cheer for Christian Malford and star player Scott Evans as they ended Parsons Nose's run of four consecutive victories and stretched their own unbeaten record to eight games without defeat.

Not for the first time in recent years Malford owed their 5-1 win to the prolific Evans who scored a sublime second half hat-trick to earn his side the points.

Parson's Mark James cancelled out Mark Golledge's opener for Malford but it was Chris Pitman's well taken goal that gave Malford a 2-1 lead at the interval.

Although the final result was not a fair reflection on the game the second period belonged to Malford and in particular Evans who increased his team's lead with a spectacular strike. Another magnificent effort from Evans made it 4-1 and he scored his 16th of the season to seal the victory.

Steeple Ashton's Neil Taylor will want to forget his 300th appearance for the club as their game with AC Soho's was abandoned after 72 minutes with Soho winning 5-1.

A horrendous challenge from Stuart White on Ashton's Marc Sheppard led to Sheppard needing hospital treatment and White being dismissed after receiving a second yellow card for his reckless lunge, and this was after Soho had already been reduced to ten-men following Tyrone Prades' sending off.

With Sheppard waiting for the ambulance to arrive it was decided to call a halt to proceedings. Marcus Young (4) and Shaun House had scored for Soho with Ashton's consolation coming from Ricky Madden's first goal for the club.

For the fifth time this season, The Crown, Devizes lost out in a five-goal thriller. Sutton Benger were the side who benefited from the Crown's late lapse in concentration as they came from 2-1 down to snatch a 3-2 victory.

Niall McLean missed an easy chance for The Crown in the very first minute just moments before Danny Cocker put Benger in front. Paul Revening picked up Antony Dowell's excellent through ball to fire The Crown level and Dowell crashed home from 18 yards to put the Devizes side 2-1 up.

James Pope made it 2-2 and with time running out the game was heading for a draw, but The Crown were made to pay for injuries to their back four pairing of Steve Gregory and the influential Graham Gaiger which left them short at the back as Cocker nipped in to steal both points with Benger's winner two minutes from time.

KING'S Arms (Trowbridge) regained pole position in Division Three after they defeated bitter rivals and previous front runners FC Bradford 2-1.

Gareth Evans scored another two goals for Pig & Whistle United to take his tally to 15 in six games, Evans' double and goals from Jeff Hale (2), Leigh Stevenson and Paul McCarthy helped United overcome Somerford FC 6-3 and make it six wins on the trot and eight games since they last suffered a defeat.

Chris Yeo, Ben Smith and Jason Martin replied for Somerford who led the game 3-2 at one stage.

After holding Sir Audley's Arms to a goaless first 25 minutes, North Star B then endured a nightmare 65 minutes that that saw them concede 14 goals without reply.

James McLaughlin led the rampage with four, Adam O'Keefe three, and Dave Nolan and Steve Mallard joined in the fun with two apiece. Solo efforts from Chris Shipway, Kieron Smith and Stuart Shipway completed the near perfect display for the Arms. The Star finished with nine men following injuries to both Darren and David Lymath.

North Star B have also suffered further disappointment when they were deducted two points for playing an ineligible player earlier in the season.

Trowbridge Town Supporters Club had a comfortable 4-0 win over Classic FC, Steve Munday with a classy hat-trick.

The local derby between White Horse FC and Westbury Rangers B ended before it even started, referee Steve Higgins forced to call of the game after the hosts failed to show.

AFC Calne dropped a vital point at the top of Division Four but in spite of their 1-1 draw with AFC Pilot they moved three points clear of Bar OC who were without a game.

After being outplayed in the opening exchanges, that saw Chris Bishop, Matty Gurke and Lee Jackson all go close for Pilot, it was Calne who took a second half lead 12 minutes from time through Ryan Kelleher's 21st strike of the season.

A foul on Simon Wheeler led to Pilot being awarded a penalty which was converted by Lee Jackson to give the Melksham team a deserved point.

After trailing 6-2 at half time at home to Rowde Dynamos, AFC Springfield looked as if they would go onto suffer a mauling. But the introduction of Ross Geoghan at half time made the team much more composed at the back and allowed them to hit back.

Even though they lost 7-5 at the final whistle Springfield were happy with their great fight back.

Tamlyn Goodrich and Chris Andrews scored for Springfield in the first period but goals from Ashley Edwards (2), Jamie Mullens, Ray Clemence and Adam Ford's first strike of the season put Rowde in total command. Scott Fleming pulled one back for the hosts with a well taken penalty, Goodrich intercepted a goal kick and placed the ball past a stranded goalkeeper to make it 6-4, and a well taken shot by Andrews threatened a home team comeback. But in the end, Rowde were glad to hold on for a win with Hayter scoring his second of the game.

Darren Legg was the star of the show for Fascia Graphics as they defeated Pack Horse Rangers 2-0. Legg headed home a first half cross from Mark Smith to put Graphics ahead and in the second half he turned provider as his telling cross was knocked home by Smith to seal Graphics their fifth win of the season. Things may have been different had Phil Clark not had a goal disallowed for a push on Graphics' keeper.