GreenUN 21 October 2013

GreenUn

MON

Your 20-page Monday sports special 16

21 OCT 2013

“

It is really frustrating for everyone. We have defended steadfastly and are on track to get a deserved draw and then that happens – Sean O’Driscoll Pages 2-3

Officials in a hole after game is abandoned

Drain stops play for

Pages 10-11

Bristol

“ Non-league football | Pages 12-14

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The boys worked their socks off after going down to ten men. It was always going to be tough and we gave 110 per cent – Rovers right-back Michael Smith on the 1-0 home defeat

by Wycombe Pages 6-7

2

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Monday, October 21, 2013

Crewe Alexandra vs Bristol City | Gresty Road, Saturday, October 19

Player Rating (out of 10) ● Elliot Parish: Safe hands, good distribution, he did what he had to do well

7

● Brendan Moloney: Had his hands full with Molyneux, but got forward to good effect

6

● Derrick Williams: Stood up to be counted and defended stoutly throughout

7

● Nicky Shorey: Caught out once or twice, but defended well and supported Bryan

7

● Scott Wagstaff: His late mistake should not detract from another positive display

6

● Marlon Pack: Protected back four, retained possession and displayed range of passing

6

● Bobby Reid: Too many stray passes in first half, but improved when pushing on after break

6

● Joe Bryan: Constantly asked questions of Crewe’s defence and linked well with Shorey

7

● Jay Emmanuel-Thomas: Missed City’s best chance and had a quiet game by his standards

5

● Sam Baldock: Made good runs in first half, but lacked service and faded after the break

5

Star man ● Aden Flint: Defended resolutely at times and put his body on the line

7

Crewe Alexandra Steve Phillips – 6 Kelvin Mellor – 6 Mark Ellis – 6 Adam Dugdale – 6

Matt Tootle – 7 Byron Moore – 7 Anthony Grant – 8 Abdul Osman – 6

Oliver Turton – 6 Lee Molyneux – 7 Chuks Aneke – 6

Substitutions Crewe: Max Clayton for Molyneux (72 mins), George Ray for Aneke (90 mins) City: Ryan Taylor for Emmanuel-Thomas (60 mins), Stephen McLaughlin for Baldock (84 mins)

Geoff Eltringham (Co Durham) – Got the big decision right

Match facts

Shots off target Corners

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Home 6

Away 1

10

5 5 12 1

Offsides

3 8 4

Attendance

4,781

Fouls conceded

FOR the first time in what is becoming an increasingly difficult season for Bristol City, the importance of the result will far outweigh that of the performance when the Robins host Brentford at Ashton Gate tomorrow night.

With nearly a quarter of the League One campaign gone, City find themselves in the same position they have occupied at this stage in each of the last four years – bottom of the table and facing up to the prospect of weeks and months spent battling the threat of relegation.

Not only that; Sean O’Driscoll’s team is still without a league win in 11 attempts this term and is yet to keep a clean sheet following defeat to Crewe Alexandra at Gresty Road.

Again, City can count themselves unfortunate to have dropped points in circumstances that rendered the final outcome a bitter pill to swallow.

Just as they did at Port Vale a fortnight earlier when plucking a draw from the jaws of victory, the Robins were undone by an individual error of judgment at the death.

If the consequences of Aden Flint’s ill-advised back-pass at Vale Park were profound, the impact of Scott Wagstaff ’s dubious challenge on Byron Moore in the second minute of added time was nothing short of shattering.

Having defended resolutely to thwart enterprising opponents who eventually ran out of ideas, City appeared the side most likely to snatch a late winner. But that impression was turned on its head when the unfortunate Wagstaff thrust out a leg and Moore went to ground a little too easily to convince referee Geoff Eltringham of the necessity of awarding a penalty.

Moore dusted himself down to beat Elliot Parish from the spot and consign the Robins to the basement, a position that was confirmed when it became apparent Sheffield United had seen off Port Vale to win 2-1 at Bramall Lane.

City owner Steve Lansdown and his directors held an impromptu post-match conference on the steps of the grandstand, no doubt pondering their next move.

Of course, they will consider the position of head coach O’Driscoll, who has now presided over a wretched sequence of 20 league matches without a victory. As bad as that record is, City are by no means

Andy

Stockhausen

Expert analysis Crewe Alexandra

1

Bristol City

0

confronted by the parlous situation that prompted the sacking of O’Driscoll’s predecessors, Keith Millen and Derek McInnes.

The Robins are not being comprehensively outplayed and neither are there signs that the players have ceased to respond to the manager. In fact, all the available evidence supports the assertion that the players are steadfastly behind O’Driscoll, while results and performances this season suggest this team is not far

20 ● The number of games City have now gone since their last league victory

short of turning draws into wins and losses into draws.

It is evident the head coach could do with the kind of experienced help that requires funding in the transfer market and City’s directors ought to be considering whether to ease their policy of financial prudence in the short-term in order to avert the possibility of a second successive demotion.

Managers under pressure invariably speak in terms of fine lines.

O’Driscoll is no fool and he readily acknowledges the urgent need for a result, but there is no disputing the fact his side deserved to take something from this contest between evenly-matched protagonists.

Had Jay Emmanuel-Thomas not squandered the gift-wrapped opportunity presented him by Alex centre-back Adam Dugdale, the outcome might well have been different.

But the former Arsenal man, with only keeper Steve Phillips to beat

from 15 yards, inexplicably dragged his shot wide.

Parish was called upon to make one exceptional save, flinging himself high to his right to divert Moore’s ferocious drive onto the post. Otherwise, Crewe were restricted to shots from range.

For all their resilience and hard work out of possession, City nevertheless lacked the guile to translate promising situations into clear-cut goal-scoring opportunities and strikers Sam Baldock and Emmanuel-Thomas chose the same time to have an off day.

It took the introduction of target man Ryan Taylor on the hour to change things and the combative Yorkshireman gave his team-mates the option of mixing up play and going long as the game stretched.

That said, they ought to have held out for a point and Wagstaff will no doubt have experienced a sleepless night on Saturday. These are the fine lines that can cost managers their job and O’Driscoll must hope his players can transform near-misses into the hard currency of points when Brentford pitch up in BS3 tomorrow.

But the head coach’s task has already been made more difficult by the yellow card shown to Aden Flint in the first half.

His fractionally-late challenge on man-of-the-match Anthony Grant will automatically trigger a one-match ban, leaving O’Driscoll with the unenviable task of forging a new centre-back partnership between youngsters Derrick Williams and Lewis Dunk in the space of just 48 hours.

It seems that is the way of things when you are at the wrong end of the league and struggling for a result and it is incumbent upon these young Robins to make their own luck against a Brentford team that lost in the play-off final as recently as May.

Match reaction

Referee

Shots on target

City lose a valuable point

DISAPPOINTED Bristol City head coach admitted defeat was hard to take after watching his side lose to a last-gasp penalty at Gresty Road.

Although O’Driscoll did not dispute referee Geoff Eltringham’s decision to award the 90th minute penalty when Scott Wagstaff tripped Byron Moore, he felt his players deserved better.

He admitted: “It is really frustrating for everybody. We have defended steadfastly and are on track to get a deserved draw and a first clean sheet, and then that happens.

“Scott is distraught after conceding the penalty and all of the lads are feeling down. It’s disappointing and we are getting used to being disappointed.

“There was nothing in the game; they didn’t deserve to win it and we didn’t deserve to lose it. A draw would have been a fair result and we thought we’d done enough to get it.

“One minute more and we’d have been high-fiving one another for getting a really good point on the road.

A nil-nil draw would have been something we could have built on,

but it’s not to be.”

Although Wagstaff protested his innocence, there was contact between him and Moore and referee Eltringham was perfectly placed to see.

O’Driscoll admitted: “I’d have been disappointed if it was one of my players going down in the box and it was not given. “ It’s a soft one. He’s in the penalty area and he’s got the trip. He’s made the most of it, but technically it’s a penalty and we have to take it on the chin.”

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Monday, October 21, 2013

after yet another costly mistake

● Bobby Reid holds off a Crewe defender

● Nicky Shorey protects the ball

● City’s Aden Flint cuts a dejected figure after Crewe grab a late winner at Gresty Road

● Crewe’s Byron Moore despatches the penalty which secured the points for his side at Gresty Road on Saturday

● Former City keeper Steve Phillips enjoys the victory

pared and ready to go again on Tuesday night.”

Nearly 700 City fans travelled to Gresty Road and they applauded their team off at the end despite the disappointment of conceding a late goal.

O’Driscoll said: “I’d like to thank them. They are getting frustrated and they are disappointed by what has happened, but they have given the players good support. The lads went over at the end and the supporters showed their appreciation. It is really appreciated by all of us.”

Fan’s view by Matthew Withers IT is really hard trying to stay positive when writing this week’s column. Our team sits bottom of the third tier of English football, yes bottom, without a clean sheet in the league all season and on the back of our 20th league game without a win.

I spoke last week about the silence from the boardroom being deafening and, lo and behold, this week we receive a letter from vice-chairman Jon Lansdown, the first of regular updates, explaining where they see the club at the moment and their vision for the future.

The board’s vision is based around five pillars, recruitment, academy, stadium, financial prudence and community. I wonder if Lansdown and the board have thought about a sixth pillar “Winning”?

I'm not being flippant, but where it matters most for any football team is on the pitch on a Saturday afternoon or Tuesday evening. The results of the first team are key to the success of any football club.

I have said that chopping and changing managers or head coaches is not the answer, however, the buck has to stop with Sean O’Driscoll in terms of results and our league position.

The question around O'Driscoll's position will continue to be asked the longer we go without a win.

Everything that has been written this week I agree with, however, I'm asking myself at this moment, am I really seeing an improvement on the pitch?

We have played well in patches this season, but we haven't put a performance of substance together throughout a full game, in any league game. That cannot continue. No one wants to end up playing in League Two, but at the moment that's where we are heading. I heard a statistic that O'Driscoll only won one of his last 26 league games at Doncaster Rovers. I'm not sure if that's true, but if it is, that's a full season with only one win. I appreciate that there were a handful of games in charge at Nottingham Forest, but whatever way you look at it the City head coach is on borrowed time if things don't improve quick. Let me make it clear, despite what I have said I am not saying that O’Driscoll must go now. For a start who can come in and continue the road that the club has decided to take.

Tactically, playing one up front in Sam Baldock is not working. We are playing this way in order to accommodate Jay Emmanuel Thomas. Jet is a quality player, but we do not have enough in and around him to allow that free role. We either have to rest JET and adopt two up front and a more traditional midfield or we have to get JET more involved. Baldock needs the ball into his feet or down the channels, we are not utilising Baldock's talent.

Tuesday night’s game with Brentford is huge and it's vital that the fans play their part.

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Defeat in Cheshire leaves City at the foot of the table and puts additional pressure on O’Driscoll and his players ahead of tomorrow’s home game against Brentford.

“We’re already focussing on the next game and the players have to pick themselves up,” said O’Driscoll.

“They’ve been doing it all season and now they will have to do it again.

We’re chasing results now and that makes things more difficult.

“The players have to be mentally strong and make sure they are pre-

Pictures: Dougie Allward

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Monday, October 21, 2013

Crewe Alexandra vs Bristol City | Gresty Road, Saturday, October 19

● Bristol City’s Ryan Taylor comes under pressure from a Crewe defender during the 1-0 defeat at Gresty Road on Saturday

Pictures: Dougie Allward

● Crewe manager, Steve Davis and City’s Sean O'Driscoll before the game

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● Crewe's Kevin Mellor is tightly marked by City's Ryan Taylor

● City's Brendan Moloney pushes the ball past a Crewe defender

● Bristol City's Joe Bryan is tackled by Crewe's Kevin Mellor

● Marlon Pack finds a pass

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Monday, October 21, 2013

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Crewe Alexandra vs Bristol City | Gresty Road, Saturday, October 19

● City's Ryan Taylor wins a header during Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Crewe

● City’s Scott Wagstaff is dispossessed by a Crewe defender

● City's Derrick Williams wins a header against a Crewe attacker in the 1-0 defeat at Gresty Road on Saturday

● Jay Emmanuel-Thomas turns a Crewe defender

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● Jay EmmanuelThomas races on to a ball during the game against Crewe

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Fan’s view with Dennis Payter THE sending off of a player so early in the game often kills it off as a spectacle as was the case with David Clarkson’s dismissal against Wycombe.

Well, perhaps it was not shaping up as a “spectacle” in the true sense of the word but the red card took the wind out of their sails of our youngsters and put the Chairboys on the front foot.

The linesman appeared to make the decision after the referee consulted him, yet at no stage had he put his flag up during the incident. It happened near the halfway line and a yellow card could have sufficed, although Clarkson should not have sought retribution in that way despite being on the end of some hefty challenges.

So often in the past a team reduced to ten men has proved harder to beat and there is no doubt Rovers worked really hard to keep a clean sheet. But we lack the ability up front to keep the ball at the best of times, so it was always going to be an uphill battle on Saturday.

Ryan Brunt, who has struggled with an ankle injury, battled away without any success or help from the sadly disappointing Ellis Harrison who is only a shadow of the confident and exciting talent we saw last season.

John Ward switched him to up front after the break where he still couldn’t get into the game. It was a difficult situation for a youngster who wasn’t helped by a lack of decent service, but I feel that Ellis could do with a spell out of the firing line to recharge his batteries and regain his confidence to take people on.

As I have said before even before the sending off we are missing a fit Matt Harrold up front. We have a number of promising youngsters trying hard all over the pitch but the truth is we seem to lack that physical presence needed in this division.

However it can be argued it is not all about strength by the way Will Packwood started his loan spell from Birmingham City with his man-of-the-match performance at the back.

The tall American showed his class with the amount of time he always seemed to have in passing the ball accurately to a team mate without panicking.

There was a big striker at the game capable of scoring goals in the shape of Andy Rammell as the Supporters Club celebrated its Share Scheme topping the £1 million mark, a magnificent achievement. The fans paid to bring him to the club in 2003 and his goals saved us from relegation. I hope they don’t have to do it again this season.

I gave my wife a pleasant surprise when I told her I had booked us a hotel for a couple of nights at a place beginning with “A.” She said “Acapulco or the Algarve?” I replied “no, Accrington” and it just happens that Rovers are there tomorrow.

I hope she is not disappointed.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Bristol Rovers vs Wycombe | Memorial Stadium, Saturday, October 19

Clarkson’s red card gives his side a difficult task DAVID Clarkson is too experienced a professional not to accept responsibility for the sending-off that gave his Rovers’ team-mates a massive task for over an hour against high-riding Wycombe.

While John Ward was right to insist that any deliberate attempt to injure an opponent would have been totally out of character for the seasoned Scottish striker, referee Darren Sheldrake had equal justification in issuing a red card after consulting one of his assistants.

Clarkson no doubt felt a nudge in the back from Wycombe midfielder Josh Scowen as they went to contest a bouncing ball in midfield.

But the Rovers man’s backward swing with an outstretched left arm as he spun around, which caught his opponent across the top of his head, did not look an entirely natural movement.

It was certainly not a punch or an elbowing offence. But players know the potential penalty for a raised arm and if Clarkson was unlucky, it was in

“

...............................................................

Matt Harrold is again being sorely missed and his return to fitness will be key to hopes of avoiding another relegation battle

Richard Latham

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the fact that a linesman intervened after the well-placed Sheldrake saw no offence.

Rovers could not afford such an indiscretion against a Wycombe side going in the right direction under an impressive talker in manager Gareth Ainsworth.

The home side might have taken an early lead when Seanan Clucas ran onto a Ryan Brunt cross from the left and saw his header pushed around a post by visiting goalkeeper Matt Ingram.

But it proved to be Rovers’ only accurate goal attempt.

Richard Latham

Expert analysis Bristol Rovers

0

Wycombe Wanderers

1

After Clarkson’s dismissal Wycombe dominated possession without being able to create many openings themselves against some tigerish defending and committed midfield play.

Ward initially acted positively to going a man down by switching Ellis Harrison from the flank to partner Ryan Brunt.

But the second half began with Brunt as a lone forager up front and the toll that took on the legs of a player short of full-match fitness saw him replaced by new loan recruit Alex Henshall shortly after the hour-mark.

Harrison moved to the middle again, but it was not his day and he later gave way to substitute Mitch Harding, who found it equally difficult to make an impact in the final ten minutes.

For all their commendable spirit, Rovers could make no impression on a Wycombe back-line in which central defender Kortney Hause excelled.

What Ward’s men did do, to their credit, was restrict the opposition to mainly long-distance goal attempts, most of which flew high and wide of Steve Mildenhall’s goal.

The Rovers keeper did have to make a smart reaction save from Jon-Paul Pittman, one of three substitutes who finally offered Wycombe more penetration in the closing stages.

It was a warning the hosts failed to heed. On 82 minutes Pittman found space for a fierce low drive and, although Mildenhall dived full length

to parry with his right-hand, he could only divert the ball straight into the path of another replacement, Max Kretzschmar, who drilled the rebound into an empty net from eight yards.

So Rovers were unable to build on the momentum of their previous performance at Mansfield and, with just five goal attempts in the game, only Clucas’s header being on target, they could have few complaints.

Home supporters, who got solidly behind their team in response to the effort being shown, were left to view a League Two table all too similar to the first half of last season.

Matt Harrold is again being sorely missed and his return to fitness will be key to hopes of avoiding another relegation battle.

One huge positive was the debut performance of on-loan centre-back Will Packwood, whose mature display belied his years and the fact that he is looking to bounce back from a career-threatening broken leg.

The Birmingham City player looked a born leader, unafraid to issue instructions to more senior colleagues, and won most of his battles in the air and one the ground.

Ward will be hoping for more of the same in three testing league games before the start of this season’s FA Cup campaign.

For more Bristol Rover’s stories visit www.bristolpost.co.uk

Match reaction MICHAEL Smith accepted major responsibility for Wycombe’s winning goal and was equally honest in his assessment of Rovers as a team.

“We haven’t played well enough,” said the right-back.

“We work a lot on our shape in training and Wycombe have only opened us up once. But they have gone home with the points, which is very disappointing.

“Perhaps a little bit of tiredness was to blame for their goal, but there was also a lapse in concentration.

Either myself or Seanan Clucas should have taken care of the scorer, so we hold our hands up.

“It was probably mainly my fault.

We are not happy with the way we have played.

“The effort was there, but we need to hold the ball better and to pass it better too.

“In training we look fantastic, but on matchdays sometimes it just doesn’t happen for us and we need to put that right ourselves.

“The boys worked their socks off after going down to ten men. It was always going to be tough and we gave 110 per cent.

“But the fact that we had a man sent off is no excuse. We haven’t played at our best.

“Their goal came with around ten minutes to go and has killed us off, but we will pick ourselves up and go again at Accrington on Tuesday night.”

Smith was unable to make any judgement on the red card for David Clarkson, which both managers agreed was the key moment.

“I didn’t see the incident as I was looking in a different direction,” he said.

“I asked the referee straight afterwards what happened and he didn’t see it either.

“It was the linesman who made the decision. People will have to make up

● Rovers’ players look shocked

● Rovers’ Tom Parkes comes under pressure from former Pirate Jo Kuffour

7

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Monday, October 21, 2013

Player Rating (out of 10)

after referee Darren Sheldrake brandishes a red card for David Clarkson

Pictures: Neil Brookman

● Steve Mildenhall: Unlucky with the goal, having made a fine save from the initial shot, and generally sound

7

● Michael Smith: Failed to get tight enough on Kretzschmar for the winning goal. Otherwise committed and impressive

7

● Tom Parkes: Formed a dependable looking partnership with Will Packwood and competed strongly throughout

7

● Tom Lockyer: Another cool and impressive contribution from Rovers’ play-anywhere youngster, this time at as left-back replacement for Lee Brown

7

● Seanan Clucas: Good effort with early header and worked hard in an often outnumbered midfield before being substituted late on

7

● John-Joe O’Toole: A mixed afternoon for the powerful midfielder who won a fair share of challenges without really imposing himself on the game

6

● Ollie Clarke: Still working to regain full match fitness, but responded to the team going down to ten men with a wholehearted shift

6

● Ellis Harrision: Struggled to recover from a poor start and not helped by having to switch from the flank to a central role after the sending-off

5

● David Clarkson: Left his team with a massive task after his early departure from the game, which was avoidable

4

● Ryan Brunt: Lack of full match fitness told in the second half. The last thing he needed was to lose his strike partner so early, but no shortage of effort

6

Star man

8

● Will Packwood: An impressive debut from the Birmingham City loanee, who was rarely stretched and showed maturity and leadership qualities

Wycombe Wanderers Matt Ingram - 6 Nick Arnold - 6 Anthony Stewart - 7 Kortney Hause – 8

Charles Dunne – 7 Josh Scowen – 6 Stuart Lewis 7 Billy Knott – 7

Matt Bloomfield - 7 Paris Cowan-Hall – 6 Jo Kuffour - 6

Substitutions ● Rovers’ new signing Will Packwood ventures forward for a corner

their own minds, but it has turned the game.”

While Rovers have serious personnel problems for the visit to Accrington tomorrow night, Smith did not share the view that the team could have done with a free midweek.

“The Accrington game coming quickly means we can put this one behind us and hopefully get three points there,” he said.

“They are bottom of the table, but in this league anyone can beat anyone and Accrington on a Tuesday night is a tough place to go.

“They beat us twice last season and we need to be positive and go for all

three points.”

Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth was full of praise for Rovers: “They were well organised with 11 men and even better organised with ten,” he said.

“I told my players at half-time that we would need to be patient. “ I am a huge admirer of John Ward and knew his team wouldn’t lie down.

“I was too far away to tell whether the red card was justified.

“My player was definitely caught and the officials clearly thought some intent was involved, so it was the right decision.”

Rovers: Alex Henshall, for Brunt (62 mins), Mitch Harding for Harrison (80 mins), Alefe Santos for Clucas (85 mins).

Wycombe: Matt McClure for Kuffour (62), Max Kretzschmar for Bloomfield (67), Jon-Paul Pittman for Cowan-Hall (76)

Referee Darren Sheldrake: missed the Clarkson foul

Match facts Shots on target Shots off target Corners Fouls conceded Offsides Attendance

Home 1 4 1 5 1 5,783

Away 9 9 10 10 0

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● Rovers come under pressure from Wycombe having been reduced to ten men

● Rovers’ Seanan Clucas races between two Wycombe defenders during the 1-0 defeat at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday

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Monday, October 21, 2013

Bristol Rovers vs Wycombe | Memorial Stadium, Saturday, October 19

● Bristol Rovers’ John-Joe O’Toole fires the ball forward in the game against Wycombe Wanderers at the Memorial Stadium on Saturday

Pictures: Neil Brookman

● Rovers’ Ellis Harrison challenges Wycombe’s Anthony Stewart

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● Rovers’ manager John Ward

● Rovers’ Ryan Brunt races clear of the Wycombe defence

● Rovers’ Tom Parkes marks Wycombe’s Nick Arnold

● Bristol boxer Lee Haskins shows off his belts ahead of next weekend’s title defence

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Monday, October 21, 2013

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Bristol Rovers vs Wycombe | Memorial Stadium, Saturday, October 19

● Rovers loan signing Alex Henshall is challenged by Wycombe’s Charles Dunne

● Rovers fans catch up on the latest scores after the game

● Rovers’ man-of-the-match, loan signing Will Packwood, pulls his shirt over his head after the defeat by Wycombe

● Two Rovers supporters check out the team news

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● Bristol Rovers’ manager John Ward carries out a post-match analysis on the Memorial Stadium pitch

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www.bristolpost.co.uk

Minute by minute

8 12 21 30 33

Jamie Murphy scores out wide to give the hosts an early lead, with Sam Davies converting – 7-0

Davies extends the Wizards’ lead with a penalty after Auguy Slowik is yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on – 10-0 Ross Johnston dives over from close range following a line-out to get Bristol on the scoreboard – 10-7

Callum Braley darts down the blindside from a line-out to give Bristol the lead – 10-12

Davies ensures a half-time lead for the home side when he slots a penalty – 13-12

43

Home centre Will Price is shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Mariano Sambucetti

54

Auguy Slowik races 40 metres to score his first try for Bristol – a wonderful solo effort – 13-17

Monday, October 21, 2013

Aberavon v Bristol | Talbot Athletic Ground, Saturday, October 19

Officials in a hole after

game is abandoned

UNTIL the bizarre hole episode – and, indeed this whole bizarre episode – is concluded, Bristol will remain in limbo as to whether their endeavours in Port Talbot have been rewarded.

The visitors racked up four tries in their British & Irish Cup pool game at Aberavon – but must wait to find out whether they will be given the bonus-point win, or simply made to return to the Talbot Athletic Ground to replay the fixture.

Bristol led 24-20 after 67-and-a-half minutes, when home lock Sam Williams came close to disappearing down a deep hole – understood to have been caused by a collapsed drain – near the halfway line.

Referee Ross Campbell stopped the game, before the pitch was taken over by club officials, groundstaff, men in fluorescent jackets, a gentleman holding a pitchfork, and the peculiar sight – on a rugby field, at least – of a wheelie-bin containing soil being wheeled out.

When Campbell decided he could not guarantee the players’ safety – the

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We knew they were going to have a lot of spirit. They weren’t ever going to roll over and let us run away with the game

Matt Sherratt

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hole had been filled in, but was still causing concern, while the players had been inactive for 13 minutes – it provided more questions than answers.

Will the result stand? Or will Bristol be made to return to South Wales to replay the match?

On the face of it, 24-20 is not much of a lead, particularly as Aberavon had cut Bristol’s advantage from 24-13 and were clearly buoyed by Aisea Natoga’s try, which arrived shortly before the hole situation began to unravel.

However, while the B&I Cup does not apply a 60-minute cut-off, after which point a result stands in the

Steve

Cotton

Expert analysis Aberavon

20

Bristol

24 Abandoned after 68 minutes

event of an abandonment, that is the blueprint for many competitions – plus it is Aberavon’s responsibility, is it not, to prepare a pitch that does not put the players’ safety at risk.

Bristol lock Mariano Sambucetti joked that, had diminutive scrum-half Ruki Tipuna been playing, he may have disappeared down the hole and never been seen again.

And, while light-hearted, Sambucetti’s comment highlighted the fact that the pitch had been extremely dangerous had someone – and Aberavon lock Williams was fortunate – planted their foot at the wrong angle.

But, what of the rugby? Bristol were slow starters, going 10-0 down inside 12 minutes, before recovering to play arguably the better rugby of the two sides once they stopped feeding the dangerous Natoga free ball.

The Fiji full-back – who is turning out for Aberavon as he finds his route to the Ospreys side blocked – was afforded far too much time and space in the opening exchanges, before Bristol became wise to this and cut off his supply.

Aberavon opened the scoring in the eighth minute when, from a line-out, Andrew Collins fed Jamie Murphy to score in the corner, with Sam Davies converting. The classy Wales Under-20 fly-half then capitalised when Auguy Slowik saw yellow for a deliberate knock-on.

But Bristol grew in stature – and

earned their first points on 21 minutes when Welshman Ross Johnston, back from suspension, was driven over from a line-out.

Callum Braley raced unopposed down the blindside from another line-out to give Bristol the lead, but Davies kicked Aberavon in front at the break with a penalty shortly before half-time.

Bristol coach Matt Sherratt, in charge of the team – along with fellow coach Matt Ferguson – for the day, said: “The message before the game was to try to put them under pressure and almost starve them of hope in the game.

“But we probably did the opposite.

Some discipline lapses and poor execution of our basic skills gave them, and their good players, a foothold into the game.”

Much of the second half – or what existed of it – belonged to Bristol.

They were given a fillip when home centre Will Price saw yellow for upending Sambucetti, and ramped up the pressure with two cracking solo tries in the space of eight minutes.

First teenager Slowik took Charlie Amesbury’s pass and raced in from 40 metres, despite being pursued by Natoga, before Fautua Otto – from Slowik’s pass – produced a similar finish, also holding off his fellow Pacific islander.

Natoga – a cut above the majority of his Aberavon team-mates – gave Bristol cause for concern when he went

● Bristol’s Auguy Slowik touches over from close range, with Davies converting to cut the visitors’ lead to four points.

But just as Bristol readied themselves to go again, drain stopped play when the deep hole became visible.

“Up to that moment, it was probably the same story as the Leeds game the week before – we showed a little bit of grit and determination to get back in the game,” said Sherratt.

“We knew they were going to have a lot of spirit. They weren’t ever going to roll over and let us run away with the game.”

Now they must wait for the decision on whether their five-point victory will stand.

Key incidents

62

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66

Fautua Otto extends Bristol’s lead with a similarly impressive long-range score after taking Slowik’s pass – 13-24 The impressive Aisea Natoga goes over from close range for Aberavon – before play is abandoned when a deep hole is discovered on the pitch

BEFORE drain stopped play – as Bristol coach Matt Sherratt put it – the visitors had scored four tries to Aberavon’s two in a competitive British & Irish Cup pool game at the Talbot Athletic Ground.

The match had ebbed and flowed, with Aberavon racing into a 10-0 lead, Bristol hitting back to lead 24-13, and Aberavon scoring again to claw it back to 24-20 when the now-infamous hole was found in the middle of the pitch.

While Bristol must wait to discover whether or not the result – a bonus-point victory – will stand, the 67-and-a-half minutes of play that took place in Port Talbot will have

provided the Bristol coaches with plenty of pointers about the fringe members of their squad.

Bristol were slow out of the blocks.

Aberavon opened the scoring in the eighth minute, when – following a couple of phases off a line-out – centre Andrew Collins found winger Jamie Murphy, who finished smartly.

Fly-half Sam Davies – who followed in the footsteps of players such as Richie McCaw and Jerry Collins by winning the IRB young player of the year award – converted, and then scored a penalty, to give his side a 10-0 lead. Bristol lost Auguy Slowik – who would later have a much more pos-

itive impact on the match – to the sin-bin for a deliberate knock-on, but they found a way back into the game when hooker Ross Johnston rumbled over off a line-out.

Bristol took the lead for the first time in the game when, from a line-out drive, scrum-half Callum Braley showed his vision and initiative by darting down the blindside to score in the corner.

Adrian Jarvis missed the conversion – and Davies kicked the Wizards into a 13-12 half-time lead.

For the first 22 minutes after the break, Bristol took control of the game. Aberavon lost centre Will Price to the sin-bin for a dangerous

W:11.3939cm H:5.6936cm tackle on Mariano Sambucetti, before two stunning solo tries lit up the game. Teenager Slowik raced in from 40 metres after taking Charlie Amesbury’s pass, even holding off Ospreys’ Fijian flyer Aisea Natoga to get to the line, before turning provider for Fautua Otto, who sealed the bonus point – if the result stands, of course – with another long-range score.

The excellent Natoga went over from close range to haul his side back into the game, with Davies converting, before referee Ross Campbell brought the game to an early close due to the deep hole a yard in from the halfway line.

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Monday, October 21, 2013

Player Rating (out of 10)

down to score his side’s third try in the British & Irish Cup game against Aberavon

● Fautua Otto looks for space against Aberavon

Pictures: johnwhitemedia.co.uk

● Charlie Amesbury: A lively display on the wing as Amesbury did his Championship prospects no harm at all

7

● Fautua Otto: Scored a fine solo try and showed how he can be the fulcrum of the Bristol back-line when firing

7

● Nick Carpenter: – A solid enough showing in attack and defence from the England Under-18 centre

6

● Sammy Speight: Offered enough glimpses of his class and quality in a composed performance on the wing

7

● Adrian Jarvis: Marshalled his backs effectively as Bristol got on top before the abandonment

7

● Callum Braley: A much-improved performance from the young scrum-half, who used his initiative to score a smart try

7

● Bruce Douglas: – The prop was solid at the set-piece and hard-working and busy in defence

7

● Ross Johnston; Marked his return from suspension with a well-worked try and competed fiercely

7

● Gaston Cortes: Put in a solid, workmanlike shift in the tight exchanges before making way for Lilley

6

● Mariano Sambucetti: Produced a typically abrasive and confrontational performance on his 150th appearance for the club

6

● Ben Glynn: Got through a lot of the unglamorous, unseen work in the tight as Bristol enjoyed the ascendancy

6

● Iain Grieve (capt): Grafted for Bristol in the tight and loose as the visitors got on top before game was abandoned – 6

6

● Redford Pennycook: Got through a considerable amount of work and linked effectively with the backs

6

● Mitch Eadie: Tackled well and put his body on the line in a hard-working performance

6

● Players, referee and groundstaff inspect the hole

Star man ● Auguy Slowik: Scored a stunning first try for the club – and then had a hand in Otto’s try

Referee Ross Campbell

Aberavon

Match facts Home Pens conceded 11 Handling errors 9 Line-outs won 9/11 Successful kicks at goal 4 Missed kicks at goal 2 Attendance

2,000

Away 11 13 13/14 2 2

Aisea Natoga – 7 Ashley Evans – 6 Andrew Collins – 6 Will Price -6 Jamie Murphy – 7

Sam Davies – 7 Chris Morgans – 6 Nicky Smith – 6 Ieuan Davies – 6 Chris John – 6

Rhodri Hughes – 6 Sam Williams – 6 Jack Jones – 6 Chris Davies – 7 Ben Thomas – 6

Replacements Bristol: Mark Lilley for Cortes (48), Glen Townson for Sambucetti, (48), Rhys Lawrence for Johnston (64), Jack Tovey for Otto (64), Joe Joyce for Eadie (64).

Aberavon: Nicky Thomas for John (41), Rowan Jenkins for Smith (52), Scott Otten for Davies (52), Nathan Brown for Davies (64), Craig Everett for Hughes (64), Dan Davies for Morgans (66).

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● Bristol’s Iain Grieve is felled

8

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Monday, October 21, 2013

FA Trophy

Egan strikes twice to win it for Mangotsfield Shortwood United

0

Mangotsfield United

2

A GOAL in each half from Josh Egan gave Mangotsfield a deserved place in today’s FA Trophy second qualifying round draw and a further £2,700 in the coffers.

Mangotsfield came close on a couple of occasions in the opening ten minutes. First, Matt Sysum put a header just wide. Then, Kyle Tooze cut in from the left and his well-hit effort was palmed over the crossbar by goalkeeper Tom King.

On 14 minutes, after receiving the ball on the right edge of the penalty area, Ben Hunt fired a low shot across goal, which King saved low to his right.

The hosts went close to taking the lead on 34 minutes when a corner from the right was met by James Baldwin, whose header was cleared off the line by Tom Parrinello. Moments later, Jake Parrott’s strike from 25 yards was tipped over by Kevin Sawyer.

With half-time approaching, Man-

gotsfield opened the scoring with a training-ground move, which saw the ball worked wide for Tooze, whose low ball in was met by Egan, who guided the ball home from eight yards out.

On 65 minutes, only a great piece of defending denied Mangotsfield a second goal. Tooze skipped past a challenge on the left flank before crossing low across the six-yard box, where the ball was nicked off the boot of Ryan Bath.

However, a superbly-taken second goal came with ten minutes remaining. Hunt chased a through ball to put King under pressure, whose poor clearance was picked up by Egan.

From 30 yards out, he lobbed the ball over King and a covering defender to find the net.

The home side were offered a chance on 82 minutes after being awarded a free-kick in a central position 22 yards out, but despite Alton Axton finding the target, Sawyer saved low down to his left.

In the closing stages, Mangotsfield were denied a third goal after a corner from the right was met by Alex Kite, whose bullet header from eight yards brought a fine save out of King.

Calor Southern League

Home defeat caps miserable week for Yate Yate Town

1

Godalming Town

3

YATE'S miserable week ended with defeat at home to Godalming in Division One South & West of the Calor Southern League.

Rob Cousins' team were looking to bounce back from Wednesday night's 7-0 hammering at Gloucester City in a FA Cup third qualifying round replay, but went down to a Godalming side who leapfrogged them in the table with the three points.

Godlaming took a 23rd-minute lead when Jake Cox conceded a penalty, which was slotted home by Sam De St

Croix. Yate equalised four minutes later when Lewis Haldane fired a superb shot into the bottom corner of the net.

Yate finished the half strongly and came close to taking the lead when Mike Bryant fired just over the crossbar and a curling effort from Jordan Rodgers brushed the post.

The home side continued to press in the early stages of the second half and Cox was denied by a fine save from the Godalming goalkeeper.

However, a deflected effort from Jack Mazzone gave Godalming the lead in the 69th minute.

The same player sealed the three points for the side from Surrey with a neat finish in the closing minutes of the game.

Paulton edged out by Burnham Burnham

2

Paulton Rovers

1

PAULTON were hoping to get past the Buckinghamshire club to make their furthest advance ever in the FA Trophy.

Both sides started brightly, but gradually the home strikeforce of Ryan Black and Marc Charles-Smith were proving a handful to the Rovers defence.

The two combined on 13 minutes to put Burnham in front. Black cut down the right wing and his low cross was tucked into the net by Charles-Smith.

Paulton had chances, with Scott Brice twice heading over from Brandon Barnes corners.

Both teams started the second half in determined mood, and Charles-Smith brought a good save

out of Kyle Smith, while Mike Perrott and Barnes tested Michael Watkins in the home goal.

The 72nd minute saw the miss of the game when Charles-Smith’s shot was blocked by Marcus Mapstone, the ball fell to Lee Togwell, who, from four yards out, hit the post and missed the rebound.

Three minutes later, Burnham made it 2-0. Charles-Smith ran along the byline and slipped the ball to Togwell, who made no mistake this time, turning the ball past Phillips.

A minute later, Paulton were back in the game when Josh Klein-Davies received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and turned to hit a low drive past Watkins.

Bur nham’s Lewis Driver, one of several players booked in the first half, was shown a second yellow for a foul.

In injury time, Paulton thought they had equalised, but Perrott’s effort was ruled out for offside.

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Clevedon enjoy Totton return AFC Totton

1

Clevedon Town

2

CLEVEDON returned to the scene of their Red Insure Cup semi-final win in March 2012 and again came away victorious.

Totton, despite a recent run of poor results, started brightly and it needed a good save from Danny Greaves to deny Lerone Plummer in the sixth minute.

Ross MacNab had a shot blocked for Clevedon, before it required a goalline clearance from Clayton Fortune to prevent Rob Flooks putting the hosts in front.

In the 22nd minute, Greaves was called on again to save from Alex Moth.

Clevedon took the lead in the 28th minute when a curling free-kick from Ollie Barnes hitting the underside of the crossbar and bounced over the line.

Clevedon doubled their lead on 47 minutes. Reeko Best attacked down the left and laid the ball back to Ollie Barnes. He sent over a perfect cross to MacNab, whose back-post header looped over Joe McCormack and into the back of the net.

On 52 minutes, the dangerous Jamal Branker brought a great save out of Greaves. Soon after, Luke Roberts went close to scoring for the home side with a header.

Totton finally scored the goal that their attacking endeavours warranted when, in the first minute of added time, substitute Nathan Hurst found space in the box and placed a firm shot past Greaves.

● Yate’s Brad Abrahams attempts to win the ball

● Two Yate players challenge a Godalming opp

Gloucestershire County League

Southmead let lead slip against leaders Longlevens LONGLEVENS opened a six-point lead at the top of the Gloucestershire County League with 2-1 win at Southmead CS Athletic, after second-placed Gala Wilton lost 2-1 at Chipping Sodbury Town.

A superb strike by Rob Sivers gave Southmead a 20th-minute lead, but Sivers went from hero to villain when he was sent off a minute before half-time.

Southmead’s Seb Gribble pulled off a brilliant penalty save to deny Ryan Dunn in the 55th minute. However, Brad Barnard netted a 75th-minute equaliser

for Longlevens, and Craig Martin won it for them seven minutes later.

Chipping Sodbury conceded an own goal on 20 minutes against Gala Wilton, but hit back to win with strikes from Danny Coombes, on 53 minutes, and Alex Fox, on 83 minutes.

Bottom club Thornbury Town drew 1-1 at Kings Stanley. Toby Bennett scored a fifth-minute penalty for Thornbury, before Steve Robinson equalised with a header midway through the first half.

Hanham Athletic lost 5-2 at Kingswood, despite goals from Billy Hodge

and Craig Stone. Rockleaze Rangers were 3-2 winners against Yate Town Reserves, thanks to goals from Sam Andrews, Nathan Bryer and Ed Freeman. Yate’s goals came from Scott Robson and Ben Royall.

Patchway Town had two goals from Matt Davis in a 2-2 draw at home to Henbury, whose goals came from Reece Purnell and Aaron Anglin.

Bristol Academy won 3-1 at Bristol Telephones, thanks to goals from Jpe Cowan, Alex Bisb and Mark Parsons, Dhani Golding netted for Telephones.

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Monday, October 21, 2013

13

Skrill South

Bath hit back in the second half to earn a point

● Yate’s Mike Bryant blocks the ball

g opponent during Saturday’s game at Lodge Road

Pictures: Jon Kent

Somerset County League

● Jake Jackson gets a shot in against Godalming

Whitehawk

2

Bath City

2

BATH gained a well-earned point at Whitehawk after coming back from a two-goal half-time deficit.

Bath, playing up the Brighton club’s sloping ground in the first half, went behind on three minutes when Michael Boateng’s cross into the box found Jake Robinson, who volleyed home from 15 yards.

Former Team Bath player Sami El-Abd crossed from the left for Robinson to put a header wide on 20 minutes, but Bath gradually came back into the contest and had a good spell of pressure just before the half-hour mark.

Two corners in quick succession saw Josh Low’s goalbound strike hit his own team-mate in Joe Burnell.

Next, Dave Pratt got in on the action with a shot on the turn that ricocheted off two defenders before being cleared.

Just as an equaliser looked on the cards, Whitehawk scored again.

There appeared to be little danger as Sam Gargan cut in from the right, but his sweetly-struck shot went through the legs of Andy Gallinagh and into the net.

Eight minutes after the break, Low galloped down the left and although his cross was checked by the defence, the ball found its way back to Noah Keats. His effort from the edge of the 18-yard box then flicked off Low and, with both players claiming the goal, it was the latter who obtained the official verdict.

As the game opened up, the home side were far from done. Just minutes after Bath’s goal Tommy Fraser was only inches away from sliding in on a Gargan cross, before Danny Mills saw his shot from the edge of the area blocked by Gallinagh.

However, City drew level in the 65th minute after Sekani Simpson’s run into the area was ended when he was clipped from behind by Robinson.

Referee David Woolford pointed to the spot and Allen fired his penalty powerfully into the roof of the net.

Bath survived one further scare when El-Abd had a header tipped over the crossbar by Mellor, but that apart it was the visitors who finished the stronger of the two sides and deservedly took home a point.

Skrill South

Stockwood riding high in the table Weston bounce back in style with five-goal show In other cup ties, Yatton Athletic lost 3-0 at Ilminster Town, Langford Rovers beat Berrow 2-1 and St George (EIG) were beaten 3-2 at Castle Cary.

Clevedon United suffered a 4-1 home defeat to Middlezoy Rovers, while Congresbury were 5-3 winners at home to Keynsham Town Reserves.

In First Division games, Saltford battled out a 2-2 draw with visitors Dundry Athletic, while Brislington Reserves lost 4-1 at Bur nham United.

Weston-super-Mare

5

Concord Rangers

0

WESTON put last week’s FA Cup defeat to Brislington behind them as they recorded their biggest Skrill South win of the season.

Despite the scoreline, the visitors created the better of the early first-half chances, with Sam Higgins twice forcing corners from home goalkeeper Luke Purnell, while Leon

Gordon also brought a good save out of him. For Weston, Chas Hemmings went close with a header in the second minute, and Naby Diallo forced a good save from goalkeeper Jamie Butler.

The deadlock was broken a minute before the interval when Diallo headed in Dayle Grubb’s cross from the left.

Grubb got on the scoresheet on 51 minutes with a superb low strike from 30 yards.

Substitute Jake Harris, who had replaced Hemmings, went close on

two occasions, as he hit the crossbar with one shot and had another effort cleared off the line However, Weston scored three times in the closing 15 minutes.

Alec Fiddes scored from close range as the Concord defence failed to cut out Ashley Kington’s low cross.

Weston struck again when Martin Slocombe fired home a low 35-yard effort.

Kane Ingram wrapped up the scoring in the last minute from the penalty spot after Harris had been brought down.

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STOCKWOOD Green moved up to second in the Premier Division with a 4-0 home success against Street Reserves.

Stockwood are now within four points of leaders Nailsea United, who were without a game, but have played two matches more.

In the second round of the Premier/First Division Cup, Fry Club were 4-2 home winners against Weston St Johns, but Nailsea Town were knocked out with a 3-1 defeat away to First Division leaders Frome Collegians.

14

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Monday, October 21, 2013

FA Vase, Toolstation League and Hellenic League

Williams strikes to clinch Vase win for Hallen HALLEN progressed to the second round of the FA Vase with a 3-1 win at Cadbury Heath in a battle between two Toolstation League Premier Division clubs.

Tom Collett fired Hallen into a fourth-minute lead, but Matt Huxley equalised for the hosts with a near-post finish on the half-hour.

Hallen regained the lead in the 53rd minute when, following a good run and cross from Aysa Corrick, Ricky Charlton's shot was parried and Mark Fear slotted home the rebound.

The visitors struck again eight minutes later when Geraint Williams scored after more good work by Corrick.

Brislington's excellent form in knockout competitions continued with a 1-0 home win over local rivals Longwell Green Sports in the first round of the FA Vase.

Frank Gingell scored for Brislington, who can now look forward to Saturday's big FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie at home to Conference side Welling United.

Bishop Sutton's improved run of results came to an abrupt end with a 6-0 defeat at home to Odd Down.

Almondsbury UWE were knocked out by a 4-2 home defeat to Barnstaple Town, while other teams to make an exit included Ashton & Backwell, beaten 3-1 at Brimscombe & Thrupp, Bristol Manor Farm, who lost 4-0 at Buckland Athletic, and Winterbourne United, who went down 3-2 at Tavistock.

now top the division with ten wins and a draw from 11 games.

Hengrove Athletic, who have found life tough since promotion last season, battled well to draw 1-1 at home to Radstock Town.

In the three other top-flight games played, Bridport drew 1-1 with struggler Slimbridge, Melksham triumphed 1-0 at Sherborne and Street beat Ilfracombe Town 1-0.

● Larkhall Athletic continued their outstanding season with a 3-0 win at Bitton in the Premier Division, thanks to two goals from Tyler Sibbick and one from Scott Lye. The Bath-based side

● Tytherington Rocks retained their one-point lead at the top of Division One West following their 2-0 win at Letcombe, with goals from Joe White and Justin Bishop.

4 ● The number of goals scored by Roman Glass St George in their home victory against Cheddar

● Action from Saturday’s FA Vase clash between Cadbury Heath (red shirts) and Hallen

Pictures: Michael Lloyd

With First Division leaders Bradford Town in FA Vase action, second-placed Cribbs could only reduce the gap at the top to ten points, rather than eight, after being held 1-1 at home by Chard Town.

Roman Glass St George won 4-0 in a mid-table battle with Cheddar, while Oldland Abbotonians and Portishead Town drew 1-1.

Keynsham Town's struggles at the foot of the table continued with a 3-0 defeat away to Welton Rovers. Elsewhere, Calne beat Wellington 2-1, Corsham had a goalless draw with Wells, Chippenham Park won 2-1 at Westbury and Wincanton beat Devizes 5-0.

● Cadbury Heath’s Matt Huxley on the ball

● Heath’s Ivan Sachs tries to get past two players

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Results FA Trophy, first rd qualifying: Abingdon Utd 0 Fareham Tn 3, AFC Totton 1 Clevedon Tn 2, Arlesey Tn 3 Waltham Abbey 0, Aylesbury Utd 0 Ramsgate 1, Biggleswade Tn 0 Chesham Utd 1, Binfield 9 Warminster Tn 1, Burnham 2 Paulton Rov 1, Chatcham Tn 2 AFC Hayes 0, Chippenham Tn 3 Chertsey Tn 0, Daventry Tn 2 Corby Tn 1, Dunstable Tn 3 Peacehaven & Telscombe 2, Egham Tn 3 Cirencester Tn 2, Evesham Utd 0 Leek Town 2, Frome Tn 1 Poole Tn 1, Halesowen Tn 1 St Neots Tn 3, Hampton & Richmond Borough 1 Bedford Tn 1, Hamworthy Utd 1 Oxford City Nomads 2, Hemel Hempstead Tn 3 AFC Hornchurch 2, Highmoor Ibis 2 Folland Spts 4, Hungerford Tn 4 Bashley 2, Kettering Tn 0 St Ives Tn 1, Kidlington 5 Lymington Tn 1, King’s Lynn Tn 1 Cambridge City 2, Marlow 4 North Leigh 1, North Greenford Utd 2 Aylesbury 1, Reading Tn 2 Milton Utd 0, Redditch Utd v Chasetown aban, Shortwood Utd 0 Mangotsfield Utd 2, Slough Tn 1 Merthyr Tn 2, Stourbridge 3 Banbury Utd 2, Swindon Supermarine 2 Bideford 3, Tiverton Tn 3 Truro City 2, Wantage Tn 7 Abingdon Tn 0, Weymouth 1 Bridgwater Tn 0, Whitstable Tn 2 Potters Bar Tn 2, Wingate & Finchley 2 Hitchin Tn 2, Witham Tn 0 St Albans City 3.

FA Vase, first rd: Almondsbury UWE 2 Barnstaple Tn 4, Binfield 9 Warminster Tn 1, Bishop Sutton 0 Odd Down 6, Bovey Tracey 0 Shepton Mallet 2, Bradford Tn 2 AFC Porchester 3, Brimscombe & Thrupp 3 Ashton & Backwell Utd 1, Brislington 1 Longwell Green 0, Buckland Ath 4 Bristol Manor Farm 0, Cadbury Heath 1 Hallen 3, Plymouth Parkway 2 Gillingham Tn 0, Saltash Utd 2 Willand Rov 1, Tavistock 3 Winterbourne 2.

Calor Southern League, Div I South & West: Wimborne Tn 5 Didcot Tn 2, Yate Tn 1 Godalming Tn 3.

Toolstation Western League, Premier Div: Bitton 0 Larkhall Ath 3, Bridport 1 Slimbridge 1, Hengrove Ath 1 Radstock Tn 1, Sherborne Tn 0 Melksham Tn 1, Street 1 Ilfracombe Tn 0.

First Div: Calne Tn 2 Wellington 1, Corsham Tn 0 Wells City 0, Cribbs 1 Chard Tn 1, Oldland Abbots 1 Portishead Tn 1, Roman Glass St George 4

Cheddar 0, Welton Rov 3 Keynsham Tn 0, Westbury Utd 1 Chippenham Park 2, Wincanton Tn 5 Devizes Tn 0.

Uhlsport Hellenic, Div I West: Fairford Tn 0 Shortwood Utd 3, Hook Norton 1 New College Swindon 3, Letcombe 0 Tytherington Rocks 2, Malmesbury Vic v Lydney Tn aban, Purton 2 North Leigh Utd 0.

David Wilson Homes Gloucestershire County: Berkeley Tn 0 Ellwood 4, Bishops Cleeve Res 4 Frampton Utd 2, Bsl Telephones 1 Bristol Academy 3, Chipping Sodbury Tn 2 Gala Wilton 1, Kings Stanley 1 Thornbury Tn 1, Kingswood 5 Hanham Ath 2, Patchway Tn 2 Henbury 2, Rockleaze Rgrs 3 Yate Tn Res 2, Southmead CS Ath 1 Longlevens 2.

Somerset County, Premier/Div I Cup: Banwell 2 Larkhall Ath Res 3, Castle Cary 3 St George(EIG) 2, Clevedon Utd 1 Middlezoy Rov 4, Congresbury 5 Keynsham Tn Res 3, Frome Coll 3 Nailsea Tn 1, Langford Rov 2000 2 Berrow 1, Fry Club 4 Weston St Johns 2, Ilminster Tn 3 Yatton Ath 0, Watchet Tn 5 Bishops Lydeard 4, Westfield 2 Odd Down Res 1, Wrington Redhill 0 Broad Plain House 3, Shepton Mallet Res 3 Minehead 2, Stockwood Green 4 Street Res 0.

Div II Cup: Ashton & Backwell Utd Res 5 Long Ashton 4, Chew Magna 4 Cheddar Res 1, Churchill Club 70 0 Staplegrove 7, Cleeve West Tn 3 Bishop Sutton Res 3 Bishop Sutton won 5-3 on pens), Cutters Friday Res 3 Wells City Res 4, Imperial 2 Tunley Ath 3, Nailsea Tn Res 0 Chilcompton Spts 6, North Curry 2 Fry Club Res 1, Peasedown Ath 4 Hengrove Ath Res 0, Portishead Tn Res 5 Combe St Nicholas 1, Radstock Tn Res 4 Stockwood Green Res 1, Timsbury Ath 3 Farrington Gurney 2, Uphill Castle 3 Winscombe 4 aet, Weston St Johns Res 1 Nailsea Utd Res 5, Worle 2 Kewstoke Lions 3.

Div I: Burnham Utd 4 Brislington Res 2, Saltford 2 Dundry Ath 2.

Bristol Premier, Premier Div: AEK Boco 5 Bitton Res 0, DRG Frenchay 2 Shaftesbury Crus 0, Highridge Utd 2 Lebeq 1, Longwell Green Res 3 Totterdown Utd 2, Mendip Utd 4 Wick 1, Nicholas

Wdrs 3 Hallen Res 2, Old Sodbury 1 Cribbs Life Res 3.

Div I: Brislington Cktrs 4 Eden Grove 4, Greyfriars Ath 2 Olveston Utd 4, Oldland Abbots Res 2 Lawrence Rov 5, Roman Glass St George Res 2 Sea Mills 3, Seymour Utd 2 Frampton Ath 1.

District, Senior Div: Crosscourt Utd 3 AEK Boco Res 2, De Veys 1 Warmley Saints 1, Iron Acton 1 Portville Warriors 4, Longwell Green Spts A 1 Pucklechurch Spts 0 Shire Res 3 Nicholas Wdrs Res 2, Wick Res 4 Hallen A 2.

Div I: Lebeq Res 3 Hambrook 3, Seymour Utd Res 2 Bradley Stoke Tn 2, Soundwell Vic v Miners pp, St Pancras 3 Chipping Sodbury Tn Res 0, Stanton Drew 0 Mendip Utd Res 3, Talbot Knowle Utd 7 Rangeworthy 4, Totterdown Utd Res 0 Winterbourne Utd A 6.

Div II: Bendix 1 Nicholas Wdrs A 1, Chipping Sodbury Tn A 1 Cribbs A 2, Frampton Ath Res 2 Greyfriars Ath Res 1, Hartcliffe 0 Real Thornbury 11, Iron Acton Res 4 Frys Club A 4, Lloydy Coalpit Heath 2 DRG Frenchay Res 1.

Div III: Hallen B v Patchway NE pp, Hambrook Res 4 Made for Ever Res 2, Henbury A v Stapleton pp, Horfield Utd 2 Hillfields OB 4, Olveston Utd Res 8 Roman Glass St George A 0, Pucklechurch Spts Res 3 Bristol Barcelona Res 1, South Bristol Central 2 Yate Ath 1.

Div IV: Bradley Stoke Tn Res 3 Westerleigh Spts 3, Fishponds Ath 3 Shaftesbury Crusade Res 5, Greyfriars Ath A 3 Bendix Res 2, Lawrence Rov Res 4 Old Sodbury Res 3, Talbot Knowle Utd Res 1 Highridge Utd Res 4, Wick A 1 Sea Mills Park Res 2.

Div V: Cesson 3 Iron Acton A 0, Highridge Utd A 1 Stanton Drew Res 7, Mendip Utd A 1 Staple Hill Orient 5, Patchway NE Res 2 Oldland Abbots A 1, Rangeworthy Res 4 Brislington Cktrs Res 0.

Div VI: Bradley Stoke Tn A 5 Greyfriars Ath B 2, Brimsham Green Res 1 Stoke Lane 6, Hanham Ath Colts 4 Seymour Utd A 1, Saltford Res v Cribbs B aban, Stapleton Res 12 Yate Ath Res 0.

Suburban, Alf Bosley Cup, rd I: Ashton & Backwell Colts 3 Downend Foresters 8, Old

Georgians 3 St Aldhelms 1, Ridings High 4 Southmead CS Utd 0, Stoke Gifford Utd 2 Avonmouth 6.

Norman Goulding Cup, rd I: AEK Boco Colts 2 Rockleaze Rgrs A 4, AFC Mangotsfield Res 1 Frys Club OB 0, AFC Whitchurch 4 Almondsbury UWE A 2, Broad Plain House Res 1 Stoke Gifford Utd Res 2.

Len Bartlett Cup, rd I: Bsl Spartak 3 Stoke Gifford Utd A 3 (Spartak won 4-2 on pens).

Premier Div I: Easton Cowboys Sub 1 Tytherington Rocks Res 1, Lawrence Weston 3 Severn Beach 3, Little Stoke 2 Ashton Utd 1, Mangotsfield Spts 1 Fishponds OB 3.

Premier Div II: AFC Mangotsfield 6 Wessex Wdrs 0, Almondsbury UWE Res 2 Rockleaze Rgrs Res 1, Brislington A 1 Bristol Ath 2, CAB Olympic SC 1 Glenside 5 OB 2, Totterdown POB 5 Cadbury Heath Res 2.

Div I: Avonmouth Res 3 Oldbury 4, Stoke Rgrs 4 Filton Ath 2, Tyndalls Park Rgrs 5 Parson Street PB 2.

Div II: Hanham Ath Sub 3 St Annes Tn 4, Keynsham Tn A 0 Ridings High Res 3, Old Cothamians 6 Ashton Utd Res 2, Wanderers 3 Lawrence Weston Res 5.

Div III: Corinthian Spts v Old Cothamians Res aban, Downend Foresters Res 7 Coupland Insulation 1, Fishponds OB Res 4 Severn Beach Res 1, Sartan Utd 0 Bristol Bilbao 4, Brandon Sports 3 Filton Ath Res 3, Glenside 5 OB Res 4 North Bristol Catalans 5.

Div IV: Old Georgians Res 0 Severnside 6, Park Knowle v Cadbury Heath A pp, Winford PH 8 Oldbury FC Res 0.

Div V: AFC Mangotsfield A 2 Kellaway Rgrs Res 3, Avonmouth A 2 Lawrence Weston A 6, Fishponds OB A 0 Lockleaze Comm 8, Parson St OB Res 1 Real St George 11, Wessex Wdrs Res 2 North Bristol Utd 8.

Div VI: Brandon Spts Res 2 TC Sports 1, Cosmos 2 Long Ashton A 4, Winford PH Res 2 Park Knowle Res 4.

Bristol & Avon: Bradley Stoke Tn B 2 Iron Acton B

2, Broad Walk Comm Res 3 LS Utd 3, Dodington 2 Bristol Sports 3, Sea Mills Park A 3 Broad Plain A 4, Wessex Wdrs A 2 De Veys Res 10, Westerleigh Spts Res 4 Whitchurch Phoenix 4.

Downs, Div I: Cotswool 2 Sporting Greyhound 5, DAC Beachcroft 2 Clifton St Vinc 3, Jamaica Bell 0 Ashley 2, Jersey Rgrs 0 AFC Bohemia 6, Lawes Jrs 1 Torpedo 2, Portland OB 1 Sneyd Park 1, Retainers 3 Saints OB 1.

Div II: Corinthians 2 Tebby 4, Easton Cowboys 1 Clifton St Vinc Res 2, Hare On The Hill 2 Clifton Rockets 8, Lion 1 Ashley Res 2, Old Cliftonians 0 Torpedo Res 2, Saints OB Res 0 St Andrews 1, Sneyd Park Res 5 Sporting Greyhound Res 1.

Div III: Easton Cowboys Res 2 Torpedo A 1, Evergreen 2 Cotham OB 1, Green Park Rgrs 1 Clifton St Vinc A 0, Helios 0 Bengal Tigers 3, Luccombe Garage 0 Wellington Wdrs 1, Old Elizabethans 3 Sneyd Park A 4, Portland OB Res 3 Retainers Res 3.

Div IV: Cosmos UK 0 Warmley Utd 4, DDAS 3 Conham Rgrs 8, Jersey Rgrs Res 3 Clifton St Vinc B 3, Lion FC Res 6 Clifton Rockets Res 6, NCSF Utd 5 West Town Utd 2, Retainers A 1 Torpedo B 3, Sneyd Park B 0 Tebby Res 0.

Weston-s-Mare & District, Div I: Berrow Res 2 Hutton 6, Nailsea Utd A 0 Tickenham Utd 4, Portishead Tn A 3 Churchill Club 70 Res 2, Winscombe Res 1 Cleeve West Tn Res 4, Yatton Ath Res 2 Clevedon Utd Res 7.

Div II: Congresbury Res 4 Draycott 5, Nailsea Utd B 3 Clevedon Dons 3, St George (EIG) Res 3 Locking Park 2.

Div III: Axbridge Tn 4 Shipham 3, Portishead Tn B 5 Banwell Res 5, Wedmore 1 AFC Nailsea 2.

Div IV: King Alfred SC 1 St George (EIG) A 0, Pill Utd 0 Wrington Redhill Res 5.

Div V: Dolphin Ath 4 South Park Rgrs 4, Portishead CT 6 Congresbury A 1, Selkirk Utd 0 Priory Rgrs 3, Shipham Res 2 Portishead Tn Colts 3.

Div VI: Banwell A 3 Burnham Utd B 2, Berrow A 3 Axbridge Tn Res 2, Clevedon Utd B 2 Wedmore Res 4.

Arsenal ....................(1) 4

Wilshere 18 Ozil 58, 88 Ramsey 83

chelsea ....................(1) 4

Hazard 33, 82 Eto’o 66 Oscar 78

everton ....................(1) 2 Mirallas 8 Pienaar 57

Norwich ...................(0) 1 Howson 70 Att 60,009

cardiff ......................(1) 1 Mutch 10 Att 41,475

hull ..........................(1) 1 Sagbo 30 Att 38,828

Man Utd ...................(1) 1

Southamptn ............(0) 1

Newcastle ................(1) 2

liverpool .................(1) 2

van Persie 26 Att 75,220 Cabaye 23 Dummett 57 Att 51,703

Lallana 89

Gerrard 42 (pen) Sturridge 72

Stoke ........................(0) 0

West brom ..............(0) 0

Swansea ..................(0) 4

Sunderland .............(0) 0

Att 25,904

Bardsley 57 (og) de Guzman 58 Bony 64 (pen) Fletcher 80 (og) Att 20,245

West ham ................(0) 1 Vaz Te 58 Att 34,507

barnsley ..................(3) 3

Middlesbrough .......(0) 2

blackburn ................(0) 0

charlton ..................(1) 1

Trotta 76 Saville 80 Harris 87

blackpool ................(1) 1

Wigan.......................(0) 0

Sinclair 54

bolton ......................(1) 1

Sheff Wed................(1) 1

McCourt 26 O’Grady 41, 43 (pen)

Adomah 82, 84 Att 11,438

Att 13,915

Church 7

Ince 24 (pen)

Att 15,721

Beckford 16 Att 17,177

Baptiste 26 (og)

ipswich ....................(0) 0

burnley ....................(0) 1

leicester ..................(2) 2

huddersfld ..............(0) 1

Millwall .....................(0) 2

QPr .........................(1) 2

Att 16,062

Arfield 80

Vardy 11 Gerrard 38 (og)

Konchesky 67 (og) Att 22,297

McDonald 51, Easter 90 Att 13,727

Kranjcar 26 Austin 69

Nottm For ................(1) 1

bournemouth ..........(0) 1

reading ...................(2) 4

Doncaster ................(1) 1

Watford ....................(1) 2

Derby .......................(2) 3

Lansbury 39, Att 28,070

Pugh 90

Guthrie 11 Le Fondre 39 McCleary 80, Pogrebnyak 90

Robinson 31 Att 17,697

Forestieri 12 McGugan 68 Att 16,180

Man city ..................(1) 3 Aguero 16, 51 Silva 80

Yesterday Aston Villa ...............(0) 0 Spurs .......................(1) 2

Att 35,391

Townsend 31 Soldado 69

hOMe AWAY P W D L F A W D L F A Pts Arsenal ..............8 3 0 1 9 5 3 1 0 9 4 19 Chelsea .............8 4 0 0 10 2 1 2 1 4 3 17 Liverpool ............8 3 0 1 5 2 2 2 0 8 5 17 Man City ............8 4 0 0 13 2 1 1 2 7 7 16 Spurs .................8 2 1 1 4 4 3 0 1 4 1 16 Southamptn .......8 2 2 0 5 1 2 1 1 3 2 15 Everton ..............8 3 1 0 6 3 1 2 1 6 7 15 Man Utd .............8 1 2 1 4 3 2 0 2 7 7 11 Hull ....................8 2 2 0 3 1 1 0 3 4 8 11 Newcastle ..........8 1 2 1 5 5 2 0 2 6 9 11 Swansea ............8 1 1 2 8 8 2 0 2 4 3 10 West Brom .........8 1 1 2 4 4 1 3 0 3 2 10 Aston Villa..........8 1 0 3 4 7 2 1 1 5 3 10 West Ham ..........8 1 0 3 5 7 1 2 1 3 1 8 Stoke .................8 1 2 1 2 2 1 0 3 2 5 8 Cardiff ................8 1 1 2 4 5 1 1 2 4 8 8 Fulham...............7 1 1 2 4 6 1 0 2 1 3 7 Norwich..............8 1 1 2 4 6 1 0 3 2 7 7 Crystal Pal .........7 1 0 2 3 4 0 0 4 2 9 3 Sunderland ........8 0 0 4 3 9 0 1 3 2 11 1

Aldershot .............................2 Alfreton town ................... 3 braintree town....................3 chester Fc ........................ 0 cambridge Utd....................2 Salisbury ........................... 0 Dartford ...............................4 hyde .................................. 3 Fc halifax ............................3 Welling .............................. 0 Grimsby ...............................3 Forest Green..................... 1 hereford...............................0 barnet ................................ 1 kidderminster .....................4 lincoln city ...................... 1 Nuneaton .............................1 Gateshead ......................... 4 tamworth.............................3 luton ................................. 4 Wrexham .............................2 Woking .............................. 0 hOMe AWAY A 4 10 9 6 7 12 10 10 15 9 18 17 13 14 11 22 15 17 11 12 13 17 4 28

Pt 38 32 30 28 27 27 26 25 25 25 25 25 22 19 19 18 18 18 17 16 14 13 12 2

Ward 8, 45 Sammon 88

Yeovil .......................(0) 0

brighton ..................(0) 0

Att 6,873

Yesterday leeds .......................(3) 4 birmingham ............(0) 0 McCormack 18 Austin 33 Smith 45, 74 Att 21,301

hOMe AWAY P W D L F A W D L F A Pts Burnley ............12 4 2 0 12 3 5 0 1 10 4 29 QPR .................11 5 1 0 8 1 3 2 0 6 3 27 Leicester ..........12 5 1 0 11 5 3 1 2 8 7 26 Nottm For ........12 4 2 0 11 5 2 3 1 9 7 23 Blackpool .........12 4 2 0 6 2 2 3 1 8 7 23 Reading ...........12 4 2 0 12 5 2 2 2 7 6 22 Watford ............12 3 2 1 13 7 3 1 2 11 7 21 Derby ...............12 1 2 3 9 13 4 1 1 15 7 18 Leeds ...............12 3 1 2 10 6 2 1 3 4 7 17 Bournemth .......12 4 0 2 11 8 1 2 3 8 17 17 Blackburn.........12 3 1 2 10 5 1 2 3 7 9 15 Ipswich.............12 4 0 2 11 5 0 3 3 7 11 15 Wigan ..............10 3 2 0 10 6 1 0 4 4 5 14 Huddersfld ......12 2 3 1 10 6 1 2 3 4 6 14 Brighton ...........12 2 2 2 9 8 1 3 2 2 4 14 Middlesbro’ ......12 1 4 1 11 9 1 2 3 8 12 12 Doncaster ........ 11 2 1 3 6 8 1 2 2 5 8 12 Millwall .............12 2 1 3 8 10 1 2 3 6 15 12 Charlton ........... 11 1 2 2 3 4 1 2 3 6 10 10 Birmingham .....12 2 1 3 10 6 1 0 5 3 13 10 Bolton ..............12 0 4 2 5 7 1 2 3 5 12 9 Barnsley...........12 2 2 2 9 15 0 0 6 5 14 8 Sheff Wed ........ 11 0 3 2 5 7 0 4 2 6 10 7 Yeovil ...............12 0 1 5 1 8 1 2 3 5 10 6

brentford .................(0) 3

colchester ...............(0) 1

crawley town..........(0) 1

bradford ..................(0) 0

crewe .......................(0) 1

bristol city ..............(0) 0

Gillingham ...............(0) 1

Preston ....................(0) 2

Moore 90 (pen) Kedwell 76

Mk Dons ..................(1) 3 Williams 45 (pen) Reeves 66 Bamford 88

Okuonghae 49 Att 5,705 Att 3,836 Att 4,781

Keane 47 Brownhill 53

rotherham ..............(0) 2

Frecklington 73 Flanagan 75 (og) Att 11,564

Oldham ....................(1) 1

carlisle ....................(0) 0

Peterboro.................(0) 1

Shrewsbury .............(0) 0

Sheff Utd .................(1) 2

Port Vale ..................(1) 1

tranmere .................(0) 0

leyton Orient ..........(1) 4

Rooney 26 (pen)

Mendez-Laing 64 Collins 12 Doyle 75 Att 4,313

Att 4,478 Att 6,956

Yates 45 Att 18,545

Lisbie 22, 61 Cox 78 Batt 85

Walsall .....................(1) 2

Stevenage ...............(0) 1

Wolves .....................(0) 1

coventry ..................(0) 1

Sawyers 11 Westcarr 56 Griffiths 68 Att 22,939

Zoko 72 Att 3,720

Phillips 86

hOMe AWAY P W D L F A W D L F A Pts L Orient ............12 5 1 0 16 5 5 1 0 15 3 32 Peterboro ........12 5 0 1 8 4 5 1 0 16 4 31 Wolves ............. 11 4 1 1 12 5 4 1 0 9 2 26 Preston ............12 3 2 1 9 6 3 2 1 10 7 22 Bradford ...........12 4 1 1 14 4 2 2 2 7 6 21 Swindon ...........12 5 1 0 14 4 1 1 4 8 9 20 MK Dons..........12 4 2 0 14 7 1 2 3 7 9 19 Crawley Town .. 11 4 1 1 10 7 1 3 1 8 7 19 Walsall .............12 2 2 2 7 9 3 2 1 7 3 19 Rotherham .......12 2 2 2 8 10 3 2 1 10 8 19 Brentford ..........12 3 1 2 7 5 2 2 2 9 11 18 Port Vale ..........12 2 2 2 8 9 2 0 4 6 9 14 Shrewsbury......12 2 3 1 7 4 0 3 3 5 10 12 Colchester .......12 1 3 2 5 8 1 3 2 6 9 12 Carlisle.............11 2 0 3 4 11 1 3 2 6 9 12 Crewe ..............12 2 2 2 8 12 1 1 4 3 13 12 Coventry ..........12 4 1 1 16 13 2 2 2 11 8 11 Oldham ............ 11 2 2 2 6 5 1 0 4 8 11 11 Gillingham........12 1 2 3 6 8 1 1 4 8 13 9 Sheff Utd..........12 2 2 2 6 6 0 0 6 4 14 8 Stevenage .......12 1 1 4 7 11 1 1 4 3 10 8 Tranmere .........12 0 2 4 6 17 2 0 4 4 8 8 Notts Co .......... 11 2 0 3 8 6 0 1 5 5 15 7 Bristol City ....... 11 0 3 2 5 9 0 3 3 10 13 6 *Coventry deducted 10 points for entering administration

Accrington Stanley.(0) 0

Oxford Utd ..............(0) 0

bristol rovers .........(0) 0

Wycombe ................(0) 1

cheltenham .............(0) 1

rochdale .................(0) 2

chesterfield .............(0) 0

burton Albion .........(2) 2

hartlepool ................(0) 1

Plymouth .................(0) 0

Morecambe..............(1) 1

AFc Wimbledon .....(0) 1

Newport county......(2) 3

York..........................(0) 0

Northampton ...........(1) 2

Dag & red ...............(2) 2

Portsmouth .............(1) 1

bury .........................(0) 0

Scunthorpe..............(0) 0

exeter ......................(1) 4

torquay....................(0) 0

Mansfield .................(0) 0

Att 1,476 Att 5,783

Henderson 82, 90

Att 6,901

McGurk 10, 14

James 55

Att 3,929

Ellison 8

Smith 52

Zebroski 23 Minshull 45 Crow 89

Att 3,475

Norris 28 Morris 62 Att 4,046

Hines 40 Murphy 42

N’Gala 4

Att 15,434

Att 3,250

Sercombe 34, 50 Davies 49 Parkin 90

Att 2,473

hOMe AWAY P W D L F A W D L F A Pts Chesterfield .....12 4 0 2 7 4 3 2 1 11 7 23 Rochdale .........12 5 1 0 13 4 2 1 3 5 8 23 Exeter ..............12 4 0 2 9 8 3 2 1 9 5 23 Oxford Utd .......12 2 2 2 7 7 4 2 0 14 5 22 Fleetwood T .....12 3 1 2 13 9 4 0 2 7 5 22 Morecambe......12 3 3 0 12 8 3 1 2 8 7 22 Wycombe.........12 3 1 2 8 7 3 1 2 10 7 20 Mansfield .........12 2 3 1 10 7 3 2 1 5 4 20 Southend .........12 3 1 2 7 5 3 1 2 7 5 20 Newport C .......12 4 1 1 13 6 1 3 2 5 8 19 Wimbledon.......12 4 1 1 10 6 1 2 3 4 7 18 Burton Albion ...12 1 2 3 6 9 4 1 1 11 8 18 Scunthorpe ...... 11 3 2 1 7 6 1 3 1 6 6 17 Dag & Red .......12 3 2 1 9 5 1 3 2 8 12 17 Portsmouth ......12 3 0 3 8 7 1 4 1 11 12 16 Hartlepool ........12 2 0 4 5 8 2 3 1 9 6 15 Cheltenham .....12 1 3 2 9 11 2 0 4 6 13 12 York .................11 2 1 2 6 6 1 1 4 7 11 11 Plymouth..........12 2 2 2 3 6 1 0 5 5 9 11 Bristol Rvrs ......12 2 2 2 7 8 0 2 4 3 8 10 Torquay ............12 1 3 2 6 9 1 1 4 7 12 10 Bury .................12 2 2 2 8 6 0 1 5 5 10 9 Northamptn ......12 1 3 2 8 8 1 0 5 2 9 9 Accrington S ....12 0 2 4 4 8 0 2 4 3 11 4

FA carlsberg trophy First round Qualifying

basingstoke ........................1 boreham Wood................. 0 chelmsford..........................3 eastbourne borough ....... 0 Dover ...................................0 havant and W ................... 0 eastleigh..............................1 Staines town .................... 0 ebbsfleet United .................2 Gosport borough ............. 1 hayes & Yeading ................2 bishop’s Stortford ........... 3 Maidenhead Utd..................1 Dorchester ........................ 3 Sutton Utd ...........................1 bromley ............................. 0 tonbridge Angels ...............1 Farnboro ........................... 3 Weston-S-Mare ...................5 concord rangers ............. 0 Whitehawk ...........................2 bath city ........................... 2 hOMe AWAY P Eastleigh .............. 12 Bromley ............... 11 Sutton Utd ........... 11 Bishop’s Stortford 10 Weston-S-Mare ... 11 Ebbsfleet United .. 12 Hayes & Yeading . 11 Eastbourne Boro . 11 Dover ................... 11 Havant and W...... 12 Basingstoke ......... 11 Staines Town ....... 11 Farnboro ................ 9 Chelmsford .......... 10 Concord Rangers 11 Maidenhead Utd .. 10 Whitehawk ........... 11 Bath City .............. 10 Tonbridge Angels . 10 Boreham Wood.... 11 Dorchester ........... 10 Gosport Borough . 10

W 5 5 5 3 3 2 1 3 2 3 4 5 3 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

D 2 0 1 0 1 4 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 2 0 1

l 0 0 1 1 2 1 3 0 3 3 1 0 1 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 4 2

F A W 8 2 3 17 4 2 16 6 1 8 3 3 9 7 3 7 6 2 6 6 5 12 5 2 4 5 3 10 11 1 9 5 1 10 4 0 6 2 1 10 8 1 8 6 1 7 12 2 5 8 2 6 7 1 5 8 1 6 9 1 6 15 1 3 4 0

D 0 1 2 2 1 2 0 0 0 4 0 1 1 0 3 2 0 2 1 1 1 1

l 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 4 2 1 4 5 3 3 2 1 3 2 3 4 3 5

F 8 7 6 13 7 13 10 3 4 6 5 5 11 3 5 7 8 5 6 3 4 4

A 6 7 2 12 4 6 6 11 2 5 10 14 14 8 11 5 12 7 12 9 5 13

Pt 26 22 21 20 20 18 18 17 16 16 16 16 13 13 13 12 12 10 9 9 7 5

Trafford 6, Wakefield FC 1 — Whitby 0, Chorley 1 — Frickley 1, Brigg Town 2 — Cammell Laird 0, Curzon Ashton 1 — AFC Fylde 1, Kendal Town 1 — Ramsbottom Utd 7, Worksop 2 — Witton Albion 2, FC United of Manchester 2 — Ashton Utd 0, Sheffield 3 — Mossley 3, Lancaster City 2 — Northwich 2, Radcliffe Borough 0 — Blyth Spartans 6, Skelmersdale Utd 0 — Droylsden 0, Nantwich Town 3 — Stocksbridge P S 3, Scarborough Athletic 4 — Marine 1, Burscough 1 — Buxton 1, Darlington 1883 1 — Kettering 0, St Ives Town 1 — Evesham 0, Leek Town 2 — Coalville Town 3, Stafford Rangers 2 — Halesowen 1, St Neots Town 3 — Redditch A, Chasetown A — Gresley 2, Ilkeston 1 — Kings Lynn Town 1, Cambridge City 2 — Belper Town 2, Mickleover Sports 3 — Barwell 0, Rushall Olympic 4 — Stourbridge 3, Banbury 2 — Grantham 2, Soham Town Rangers 2 — Daventry Town 2, Corby 1 — Stamford 1, Kidsgrove Ath 2 — Eastbourne Town 0, East Thurrock 0 — Witham Town 0, St Albans 3 — Whitstable Town 2, Potters Bar Town 2 — Lewes 1, Leatherhead 2 — Arlesey 3, Waltham Abbey 0 — Cheshunt 3, Three Bridges 4 — Thamesmead Town 1, Met Police 2 — AFC Sudbury 5, Crawley Down Gatwick 0 — Wingate & Finchley 2, Hitchin 2 — Hastings Utd 4, Horsham 2 — Hampton & Rich’d 1, Bedford Town 1 — Folkestone Invicta 2, Kingstonian 0 — Leiston 0, Wealdstone 3 — North Greenford Utd 2, Aylesbury 1 — Dunstable 3, Peacehaven & Telscombe 2 — Cray Wanderers 1, Hendon 4 — Chatham Town 2, AFC Hayes 0 — Wroxham 4, Margate 9 — Biggleswade Town 0, Chesham 1 — Grays Athletic 1, Herne Bay 1 — Guernsey 1, Billericay 2 — Bury Town 2, Dereham Town 0 — Heybridge 1, Canvey Island 2 — Burnham Ramblers 0, Carshalton Ath 1 — Hythe Town 3, Tilbury 1 — Hemel Hempstead 3, AFC Hornchurch 2 — Maldon & Tiptree 1, Maidstone Utd 3 — Dulwich 2, Harrow Borough 1 — Bognor Regis Town 2, Thurrock 1 — Enfield Town 2, Lowestoft Town 1 — Aylesbury Utd 0,

Ramsgate 1 — Slough 1, Merthyr Town 2 — Weymouth 1, Bridgwater Town 0 — AFC Totton 1, Clevedon Town 2 — Tiverton 3, Truro City 2 — Chippenham 3, Chertsey Town 0 — Egham Town 3, Cirencester 2 — Shortwood Utd 0, Mangotsfield 2 — Hungerford Town 4, Bashley 2 — Swindon Supermarine 2, Bideford 3 — Frome Town 1, Poole Town 1 — Marlow 4, North Leigh 1 — Burnham 2, Paulton 1

calor lge South & West

Wimborne town ..................5 Didcot town ...................... 2 Yate ......................................1 Godalming town .............. 3 hOMe AWAY

P North Leigh .......... 11 Supermarine ........ 12 Paulton ................ 11 Merthyr Town ....... 10 Bridgwater Town .... 8 Tiverton ................ 11 Wimborne Town ... 12 Cirencester ............ 8 Taunton ................ 12 Godalming Town .. 11 Cinderford ............ 11 Stratford Town ..... 10 Thatcham Town ... 10 Bishops Cleeve ... 11 Mangotsfield .......... 9 Yate ....................... 9 Shortwood Utd....... 8 Evesham................ 9 Fleet Town ........... 11 Guildford City....... 11 Clevedon Town ...... 8 Didcot Town ........... 9

1 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 3 1 3 1 1 2 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 2 2 1 1 1 3 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 3 1 2

W 5 5 4 4 2 4 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1

D 0 0 1 1 2 0 2 0 3 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 2 3 2 1 1 1

l 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 2 2 4 2 2 3 2 3 1 1 2 3 2 2

F 21 14 20 14 9 12 26 8 11 6 8 4 3 11 9 9 11 12 5 11 4 5

A W 3 4 4 2 9 3 6 3 3 4 9 2 9 1 7 3 10 1 9 2 10 1 9 2 7 2 11 2 8 1 11 1 11 1 11 0 7 0 16 0 6 0 8 0

D 0 3 1 0 0 2 2 0 1 0 3 2 1 0 1 2 1 1 2 0 1 1

l 2 2 1 2 0 1 3 1 3 4 1 2 2 4 2 1 2 3 4 5 3 4

F 10 11 16 12 11 12 5 8 9 7 8 17 8 11 5 7 7 3 5 5 2 5

A 6 11 9 11 3 11 7 5 12 15 8 15 8 16 8 8 5 12 16 24 8 15

Pt 27 24 23 22 20 20 19 18 13 13 12 12 12 12 11 11 9 7 7 7 5 5

treble check:

Complete check for Littlewoods, Vernons and Zetters: 3 = Score Draws, 2= No Score Draw or Void 1= Home or Away

EPB-E01-S3

hAlF tiMe

Kretzschmar 82

T Brown 63 Att 2,887

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

P W D l F A W D l F Cambridge ........... 16 8 0 0 18 2 3 5 0 7 Kiddermnstr ......... 16 6 1 1 18 7 4 1 3 10 Luton.................... 16 5 3 0 17 7 3 3 2 13 Braintree Town..... 16 4 1 3 12 9 4 3 1 12 Grimsby ............... 16 5 1 2 17 9 3 2 3 6 Salisbury .............. 16 6 1 1 13 5 2 2 4 7 Nuneaton ............. 16 4 3 2 15 13 3 2 2 8 Barnet .................. 16 3 3 1 13 8 3 4 2 12 Welling ................. 16 4 3 1 13 7 3 1 4 13 Gateshead ........... 16 4 1 3 14 12 4 0 4 11 FC Halifax............ 16 7 2 0 20 7 0 2 5 8 Alfreton Town ....... 16 6 1 1 18 10 2 0 6 8 Lincoln City .......... 16 5 1 2 9 3 1 3 4 8 Wrexham ............. 16 4 2 2 12 9 1 2 5 9 Macclesfld............ 16 3 2 3 10 10 2 2 4 9 Forest Green ....... 16 4 1 2 17 7 1 2 6 12 Southport ............. 16 4 2 1 10 7 1 1 7 6 Dartford................ 16 4 1 3 12 10 1 2 5 6 Hereford............... 16 3 3 2 7 7 1 2 5 8 Tamworth ............. 16 2 2 4 10 13 2 2 4 6 Woking................. 16 1 4 3 7 12 2 1 5 9 Chester FC .......... 16 1 4 3 3 7 2 0 6 8 Aldershot ............. 16 4 2 3 16 14 2 2 3 4 Hyde .................... 16 0 1 7 3 14 0 1 7 9 *Aldershot deducted 10 points for entering administration

FUlltiMe

15

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Monday, October 21, 2013

16

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Monday, October 21, 2013

Bristol Rovers 2013-14 The season so far . . .

Bristol City 2013-14 The season so far . . .

Bristol Rugby 2013-14 The season so far . . .

LEAGUE ONE AUGUST

3 Bradford (H)................................................................................................................ 2-2 6 Gillingham (Capital One, First Round) (A) ................................................................. 2-0 11 Coventry (A) ............................................................................................................ 4-5 17 Wolverhampton (H) ................................................................................................. 1-2 24 MK Dons (A) ............................................................................................................ 2-2 27 Crystal Palace (Capital One, Second Round) (H)................................................... 2-1 31 Gillingham (A) .......................................................................................................... 1-1

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

SEPTEMBER

15 Cornish Pirates (Sandy Park)................................................................... 21-23 22 London Scottish (H) .................................................................................. 31-18 28 Jersey (A) ................................................................................................. 26-17

4 Bristol Rovers (JPT, First Round) (H) ........................................................................ 2-1 14 Peterborough (H) ..................................................................................................... 0-3 17 Shrewsbury (H) ....................................................................................................... 1-1 21 Swindon (A) ............................................................................................................. 2-3 24 Southampton (Capital One) (A)............................................................................... 0-2 28 Colchester (H) ......................................................................................................... 1-1

4 Bristol City (JPT, First Round) (A) .............................................................. 1-2 7 Plymouth (A) .............................................................................................. 0-1 14 Dag & Red (A) ......................................................................................... 0-2 21 Hartlepool (H) .......................................................................................... 2-2 28 Southend (A) ........................................................................................... 1-1

OCTOBER

5 Fleetwood (H) ............................................................................................ 1-3 12 Mansfield (A) ........................................................................................... 1-1 19 Wycombe (H) .......................................................................................... 0-1 22 Accrington Stanley ...................................................................................(A) 26 Chesterfield ............................................................................................. (H)

NOVEMBER

2 Oxford Utd ..................................................................................................(A) 16 Bury ......................................................................................................... (H) 23 Burton Albion ............................................................................................(A) 26 Cheltenham ..............................................................................................(A) 30 AFC Wimbledon ...................................................................................... (H)

OCTOBER

6 Bedford (H) ................................................................................................. 45-27 12 Leeds (H) B& I Cup .................................................................................. 21-17 19 Aberavon (A) B&I Cup .........................................................(abandoned) 24-20 27 Nottingham ................................................................................................... (H)

LEAGUE TWO AUGUST

3 Exeter (A) .................................................................................................. 1-2 6 Watford (Capital One Cup, First Round) (H) ............................................. 1-3 10 Scunthorpe (H) ........................................................................................ 0-0 17 Newport County(A) .................................................................................. 0-1 24 York (H) ................................................................................................... 3-2 31 Northampton (H) ...................................................................................... 1-0

OCTOBER

5 Port Vale (A) .............................................................................................................. 1-1 8 Wycombe (JPT Second Round) (A) .......................................................................... 1-2 19 Crewe (A) ................................................................................................................ 0-1 22 Brentford................................................................................................................... (H) 26 Carlisle ..................................................................................................................... (A)

NOVEMBER

2 Plymouth ........................................................................................................ (A) 9 London Welsh ................................................................................................ (A) 17 Rotherhamv (H) 23 Cornish Pirates ............................................................................................. (A)

DECEMBER

1 Leedsv (H) 8 B&I Cup ......................................................................................................Rnd 3 15 B&I Cup .....................................................................................................Rnd 4 21 Ealing (A)

JANUARY 2014

5 Moseley .......................................................................................................... (H) 12 B&I Cup ....................................................................................................Rnd 5 19 B&I Cup ....................................................................................................Rnd 6 26 Plymouth ...................................................................................................... (H)

FEBRUARY

2 Jersey ............................................................................................................. (H) 8 Bedford ........................................................................................................... (A) 15 Nottingham ................................................................................................... (A)

NOVEMBER

5 Crawley Town (H) 2 Oldham .......................................................................................................................(H) 16 Tranmere .................................................................................................................. (A) 23 Sheffield United ........................................................................................................(H) 26 Leyton Orient ............................................................................................................(H) 30 Preston ..................................................................................................................... (A)

DECEMBER

DECEMBER

14 Rotherham ................................................................................................................(H) 21 Notts County ............................................................................................................. (A) 26 Walsall ......................................................................................................................(H) 29 Stevenage ................................................................................................................(H)

JANUARY

JANUARY

1 Leyton Orient .............................................................................................................. (A) 4 Coventry .....................................................................................................................(H) 11 Bradford .................................................................................................................... (A) 18 MK Dons................................................................................................................... (H) 25 Wolverhampton ........................................................................................................ (A) 28 Brentford ................................................................................................................... (A)

1 Rotherham...................................................................................................... (A) 9 Cornish Pirates ............................................................................................... (H) 22 Leeds ............................................................................................................ (A) 30 Ealing ........................................................................................................... (H)

1 Carlisle .......................................................................................................................(H) 8 Oldham ....................................................................................................................... (A) 15 Tranmere.................................................................................................................. (H) 22 Sheffield United ........................................................................................................ (A)

APRIL

MARCH

5 Moseley .......................................................................................................... (A) 12 B&I Cup .......................................................................................... quarter-final 18 London Welsh .............................................................................................. (H) 26 London Scottish............................................................................................ (A)

MAY

3 B&I Cup ................................................................................................ semi-final 10 Championship semi-final ......................................................................... 1st leg 17 Championship semi-final ....................................................................... 2nd leg 23 B&I Cup ....................................................................................................... final 29 Championship final.................................................................................. 1st leg

JUNE

1 Cheltenham ............................................................................................... (H) 4 Scunthorpe .................................................................................................(A) 11 Exeter ....................................................................................................... (H) 18 York .......................................................................................................... (A) 25 Newport County ....................................................................................... (H) 28 Accrington Stanley .................................................................................. (H)

FEBRUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

14 Morecambe ..............................................................................................(A) 21 Portsmouth .............................................................................................. (H) 26 Torquay ....................................................................................................(A) 29 Rochdale ..................................................................................................(A)

1 Chesterfield ................................................................................................(A) 8 Oxford Utd ................................................................................................. (H) 15 Bury ..........................................................................................................(A) 22 Burton Albion........................................................................................... (H)

MARCH

1 Gillingham .................................................................................................................. (H) 8 Shrewsbury ................................................................................................................ (A) 11 Peterborough............................................................................................................ (A) 15 Swindon.................................................................................................................... (H) 22 Colchester ................................................................................................................ (A) 25 Port Vale................................................................................................................... (H) 29 Rotherham ................................................................................................................ (A)

1 Northampton............................................................................................... (A) 8 Plymouth ................................................................................................... (H) 11 Dag & Red............................................................................................... (H) 15 Hartlepool ................................................................................................. (A) 22 Southend ................................................................................................. (H) 25 Fleetwood .................................................................................................(A) 29 Morecambe ............................................................................................. (H)

APRIL

APRIL

5 Preston .......................................................................................................................(H) 12 Walsall ...................................................................................................................... (A) 19 Notts County............................................................................................................. (H) 21 Stevenage ................................................................................................................ (A) 26 Crewe .......................................................................................................................(H)

5 AFC Wimbledon ......................................................................................... (A) 12 Torquay ................................................................................................... (H) 19 Portsmouth ............................................................................................... (A) 21 Rochdale ................................................................................................. (H) 26 Wycombe .................................................................................................(A)

MAY

4 Championship final.................................................................................. 2nd leg

MAY

3 Mansfield ................................................................................................... (H)

3 Crawley Town............................................................................................................. (A)

Columnist

EPB-E01-S3

Former team-mate Randall shows he has not lost of knack of entertaining PAUL Randall, who starred for Bristol Rovers and Stoke City back in the late-70s and early-80s, before plying his trade in non-league football, has recently had a book depicting his life published.

Paul was a prolific goalscorer and most Rovers fans will fondly remember his time at the club. The book was written with the help of author Neil Palmer. I have already read the book, and it really is an interesting, funny and moving read. Some of the stories he recalls are hilarious and had me laughing out loud; no doubt I will use a few in this column over the coming months.

I got to know Paul when he dropped down into non-league to play in our team at Bath City. He continued to do

Dave Payne Writes for the Green ’Un what he did best – score goals. Recently, he was back at Twerton Park, the home of Bath City, where he was signing copies of his book. I went along on the evening and it was good to catch up with him again. Someone present that evening asked him what was the best goal he had ever scored.

He instantly replied: “The equaliser for Stoke City, away at Liverpool.”

Paul’s father Ken is from Liverpool, and a massive fan of the team, but he couldn’t have been more proud of his son that day.

Paul was, without doubt, the best finisher I have played alongside, and judging by the round tummy he was sporting the other night, he seems to have no problem these days finishing off his dinner!

Seriously though, the book is a must for any Rovers supporters, but I believe that anybody who enjoys both football and reading should rush out and get a copy.

Still on the subject of books, I recently went on to the internet to order a book.

It was entitled ‘How not to get scammed on eBay’. Well I sent a

cheque for the sum of £20 to the postal address listed a month or so ago and I have yet to receive my book.

Funnily enough, I was reading an article in a newspaper which stated that the biggest selling books are cookery and diet-themed. This led me to thinking about writing a book which I am sure could be a best seller.

It’s going to be entitled, ‘How not to eat what you have just learned to cook!’

Moving away from books, I was delighted to see one of my former teams, Western League side Brislington, progress in the FA Cup. They defeated Weston-super-Mare in the last qualifying round, a team three leagues above them, which was a magnificent achievement.

They have been drawn to play at home against Welling this Saturday; again a team playing at a much higher standard of football than them. If they win this tie on Saturday, they will be in the draw for the first round proper of the FA Cup, where teams such as Bristol City and Rovers enter the competition.

Unfortunately, I won’t be able to get to the match as my team has a game that day, but I will be there in spirit. I sincerely hope that manager Jeff Meacham, a good friend of mine, can lead his players to an historic victory, which their endeavours truly deserve.

Please note Paul’s book is on sale now at both Bristol Rovers and Bath City’s club shop and other outlets.