Bristol Premier Combination December 19th 2025 edition
By Simon Parkinson
THERE was little action across the Bristol Premier Combination board once more as the weather continued to do its worst.
For the hardy spectators braving the elements at Castle Road a treat was certainly served up in the shape of eight goals, as hosts Oldland Abbotonians Reserves and AEK-Boco Reserves fought out an enthralling 4-4 First Division draw.
It was quite some effort by Oldland, who had entered the contest with only six points from six games since the start while watching their Boco counterparts soar to the top of the table with six wins, a draw and just the one defeat to Old Sodbury from eight outings ahead of the game.
Regardless, Oldland, who are in for another tough test of their credentials at home to second-placed Old Sodbury on Saturday (2pm), played a full part in the spectacle, with Vinnie Griffin, Dexter Griffin, Corey Woodman and Jacob Darby all on target.
Boco are made of stern stuff too as their lofty position suggests, securing a hard-earned point through Sam Wakefield, Jasper Hudd, Jacob Leonard and Oleksandr Kohankov strikes, although they’ll no doubt look to return to winning ways on Saturday with AFC Mangotsfield, currently fourth in the standings, their Greenbank Rec guests (2pm).
Only one other league game was played, also in the second tier, as delighted Bedminster Down stretched their unbeaten run in Division One to four games with a third victory of their campaign thanks largely to deadly Dean Yandell.
He hit a hat-trick, and Cameron Phipps supplied Bedminster’s other goal, in a 4-1 away defeat of a Cribbs A team stuck in the bottom two of the table with six points from two wins to their name thus far and targeting better at Lawns HQ on Saturday against Hanham Athletic Reserves, who occupy the bottom rung three points adrift of Cribbs with three games in hand to underline the importance of the occasion.
There were two more Division One teams in action, albeit locking horns with each other in the fourth round of the GFA Senior Amateur Cup on the Lockleaze Sports Centre 3G to give the tie every chance of going ahead.
A close and competitive affair it was too, with Bristol Barcelona scoring through Gilbert Kwesie Techie and Old Sodbury replying with Charlie Davis’ effort inside the regulation 90 to force penalty shoot-out drama.
It wasn’t quite to be for Division One high-fliers Sodbury as they succumbed 4-2 from the spot to a Premier Division Barca team now looking forward to a trip to Gloucestershire County League big boys Bromley Heath United for a tasty last eight encounter on Saturday, February 7.
There was disappointment for ambitious Premier Division outfit Hallen Reserves, who missed out on a quarter-final place in 2-0 away defeat by County League high-fliers Filton Athletic.
In the meantime there’s important league action for the Barcelona battlers to embroil themselves in currently sixth on the Combination top flight ladder, starting with Saturday’s Oaklands Park meeting with Greyfriars Athletic at 3.30pm.
On the same afternoon, all commencing at 2pm, DRG Frenchay hope to cling on to Premier Division pole position at the expense of bottom-placed guests Patchway Town, while Hallen Reserves and Iron Acton collide in a mouthwatering top four tussle at Moorhouse Lane.
Longwell Green Sports Reserves (v Thornbury Town Reserves), Shirehampton Reserves (v Shaftesbury Crusade) and Winterbourne United (v Olveston United) all look to make home advantage count.