Bristol Premier Combination March 1st 2025 edition
By Simon Parkinson
OLDLAND Abbotonians Reserves are raring to take on all comers at this time as they continue to climb the Combination First Division table on a wave of positive results and performances.
Goals from Aldo Marku, Ellis Clarke and Owen McCallum proved sufficient to see Oldland past competitive visitors Chipping Sodbury Town Reserve 3-1 at Castle Road for a fifth straight league win and sixth in their last seven appearances.
Oldland went 1-0 up courtesy of Marku’s breakthrough effort before half-time, only to initially get pegged backed by a Jamal Bwanamkuu leveller after the break.
As a very tight game swung from end to end, Clarke finally got his team’s and the game’s second goal after some great play by Harry Poole and McCallum.
Their third and clinching strike came as Sodbury were pushing for an equaliser, McCallum providing the finishing touch to a long and searching ball to wrap up three more points for his fast-rising side.
Oldland’s only defeat in that seven match sequence came at the hands of league leaders Bristol Barcelona – 6-1 – who are suddenly finding points hard to come by after being made to suffer a second straight loss.
Hard on the heels of their 2-0 demise at the hands of second-placed title rivals Bendix, Barca are now licking their wounds ahead of this Saturday’s trip to take on Hambrook & Brimsham United (2pm) as they were beaten 3-0 at their GFA Oaklands Park HQ by jubilant and freescoring Hillside guests, going great guns now in fifth spot with five wins from their last six under their belt, celebrating victory via Victor Robson, Finlay Ozsoylu and Morgan Vincent goals.
Lion have become a force to be reckoned with in eighth position heading into Saturday’s tough encounter with title and promotion contenders Greyfriars Athletic at Little Stoke Park (2pm).
Josh Hardie struck twice, and Ryan Robinson and Jace Esof weighed in with singles contributions, as Lion roared past high-flying Bedminster Down 4-0 to complete a season’s double over their fourth-placed guests following January’s 3-2 victory.
The one other second tier fixture played came at the Lawns, where Cribbs A, with Alex Craig netting both goals, were held to a 2-2 draw by an Old Sodbury outfit they leapt above in a bottom three bout.
Premier Division pacesetters Winterbourne United, meanwhile, forcefully responded to their 3-1 home defeat by Nicholas Wanderers by beating AEK-Boco Reserves, whose Scott Woodman registered, 6-1 on the road to head the table by 11 points as they step away from league activity this weekend.
Ben Weaver was at the double and David Herbert, Craig Doyle, James Mainstone and Tristan Day all weighed in as rampant Winterbourne returned to something akin to their unstoppable best.
“We had a few players back after missing our last game and we looked in total control; we could, and should, have had more goals,” otherwise happy Bourne boss Tim Minihane remarked.
“It was a great response to our defeat the previous weekend as we turned in one of our most complete performances this season.”
Winterbourne now take a break from their championship chase as they entertain Shirehampton Reserves for a Combination League Cup semi-final cruncher at Parkside Avenue this Saturday (2pm).
Iron Acton’s Chris Sweet was not such a satisfied supremo after seeing his second-placed side take a 2-0 away tumble at the hands of the division’s bottom team, Thornbury Town Reserves, who had Tom Manley and George Huke to thank for seeing them to only their third victory of a largely tough campaign.
Sweet, whose team travel to Moorhouse Lane to take on Hallen Reserves on Saturday (2pm) for the other League Cup semi-final affair, admitted: “We missed a gilt-edged chance in the first half to take the lead and then missed a penalty in the second half with 25 minutes to go.
“In all honesty it had to be the worst performance I’ve ever witnessed from an Iron Acton first team.”
DRG Frenchay, far from out of the title reckoning themselves with games in hand on others above them, continued their assault on the crown with a Daniel Kingston double and efforts by Jesse Hudson and Ryan Nicholls in a 4-1 home defeat of a struggling Patchway Town team replying with Troy Simpson’s consolation.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Wanderers’ impressive unbeaten run fifth in the table was stretched to 12 games as they overcame Dundridge Park guests Bradley Stoke Town, whose Dylan Plenty grabbed both goals, 3-2 thanks to Charlie Iles’ pair and Ashley Scrase’s effort. Longwell Green Sports Reserves, now up to eighth in the standings with Shaftesbury Crusade next up at home on Saturday (2pm), built on the platform of a positive 1-1 away draw with Shirehampton Reserves by beating Olveston United 3-0 at Shellards Road through Sam Randall, Harley Lock and Nico Baird goals