Weekly Round up for Sunday 3rd September 2023

Weekly round-up for Sunday 3rd September 2023
The season has started and we are up and running for the 2023-24 season.

We have a lot of games to get through and we start with a “Match of the day “

Two new teams lined up to face each other on the fabulous pitch at Massey Ferguson.

Stockton Reserves 23

Massey Ferguson v Stockton Reserves.
A very warm morning greeted the players and the eagerly awaited start to the season was upon us. The game started brightly and both teams settled into the game. The first action came after only ten minutes when a touch of over enthusiastic defending resulted in a penalty kick to Massey’s. With the small crowd eagerly anticipating the first goal of the season , Ross Davis struck it well, low down to the keepers left but with a great diving save it remains goalless. Five minutes later and Massey’s have a corner. A great knock into the box but it’s headed wide. Straight down the other end and John Ahearne latches onto a loose ball and fires home to put Stockton ahead. Four minutes later and we have our first goal for Massey’s. A long through ball and a one on one with the defender but 37 year old Davis gets the advantage and slots the ball home. Massey’s first goal in the Tracey Thomas Leamington and District Sunday Football League. Another break down the left and Massey’s looking good for a second but the pass was poor into the box. Stockton play out from the back with some intricate one touch play. A delightful passage of play results in a scramble in the box , and it results in a corner. The cross is half cleared and results in a Stockton free kick thirty yards out on the right. A lovely deep cross with some curl on it and it’s met by Alex Boulden who glances his header sweetly inside the far post. With half time looming another break down the left and youngster Quinn King picks up a pass out on the left. He jinks into the box and fires across the keeper into the net. Into stoppage time in the first half and Massey’s break down the right but the resulting shot is pushed wide of the far post by the keeper.

Half Time : Massey Ferguson 2 Stockton Res 2

Two minutes into the second half and Massey’s are on the charge. Fresh legs make an immediate difference and Stockton are under pressure. There’s a bit of ping pong in the Stockton box as the ball is cleared off the line twice, but amongst the melee Adam Buzzard finds some space and manages to turn and blast the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Another chance goes begging when Stockton lose the ball in the middle of the park and the shot from 20 yards rifles just over the bar.
As time runs down Stockton continue to press but the final third lets them down. A close range effort sails past the post and a goal mouth scramble is cleared and results in another Massey break away that could easily have extended the lead barr the intervention of the post. Another chance results in a freekick just outside the box. The Stockton wall is lined up and the fierce strike is blocked. Time runs out and Massey’s hold on to take all three points.
A very enjoyable game for the neutral supporter with some good football , well reffed, and a fine sporting attitude from both teams.
Final Score: Massey Ferguson 3 Stockton Reserves 2

We move on to our other games now and we start with Division 1A.

Division 1(A)

Khalsa 7 Chadwick End 2
Chadwick took the lead here and Steven Nollett was the marksman. However by half time Khalsa had stormed back with three of their own through Ian Pollock , Aaron Sahota and Dali Varaich. Khalsa resumed the hot pace straight from the re-start . Sukhraj Nijjar and Sundeep Kalsi both added within eight minutes and then Tom Tarbuck managed a second for Chadwick. It wasn’t enough and Cameron Brown then struck another brace before the final whistle.

Leamington Hibernian Reserves 2 Bishops Itchington 1
Matt Trinder on target to give Bishops the lead after twenty five minutes. Harry Davies made it all square just before the break. With a late strike a minute into stoppage time and Andy Cahill nicks the points for Hib’s.

We move on to Division 1(B)

Cubbington Albion 5 Tysoe United 1
Tysoe went ahead here through Jordan Gill after only sixteen minutes. Max Gough had brought Cubbington level by half time. The second half then went Cubbington’s way. Daniel Ricarte Lara scored ten minutes after the break. Freddie Finn added a brace in an eight minute purple patch and Ross Quartermaine rounded it all off with five minutes to go.

Ettington Rovers 1 Leamington Hib’s 4
Hib’s were ahead after fifteen minutes through Kurt Parsons. Matt Toms levelled on the half hour mark. Hibs took control in the second half and three goals without reply sealed the points. Jack Marsden, Saul Dawson and Connor Carson bagging the goals.

Heathcote Athletic 3 Khalsa Reserves 2
A quick fire start here as Luke Warby put Khalsa ahead after only eight minutes. John Aston replied two minutes later and Aston grabbed his second just after the half hour mark. Thaer Hafyan then brought Khalsa level ten minutes into the second half. With only seven minutes left, up popped George Ellis to give Heathcote the lead and that’s how it stayed.

We move on to Division 3

Bishops Itchington Reserves 3 Real Barston 1
A winning start for Bishops Reserves. Cole Betts struck just before the half hour mark to give Bishops the advantage. Johnny Adair doubled the lead less than five minutes later. Joe Ormesher pulled one back for Barston with twenty minutes to go but Joel Bennett went straight back up the other end to restore the two goal advantage. That’s how it stayed.

H C Raiders 1 Cubbington FC 1
Luke Swinnerton put Cubbington in front after sixteen minutes and Jack Fathers replied for HC Raiders to make it all square just before the half hour mark. That’s how it stayed here.

Kenilworth Royal Oak 3 Whitnash Town 1
Joshua Cox, and a William Harte brace doing the damage here as Royal Oak take all three points.

Napton 3 Wellesbourne Wanderers 2
Alex Rea put Wellesbourne ahead after only sixteen minutes here. Jack Hancock made it all square at the half hour mark. Chris Watts then gave Napton the advantage seven minutes later and just before the break James Pelter extended the lead. James Pomeroy pulled one back with twenty five minutes to go, but Napton held on to take the points.

Stockton 2 HRI Harbury 2
Josh Tolley with a strike on twenty two minutes gave Stockton the lead. It fired into life late into the second half. Vitor Machado and Craig Setchell both scored in a rapid three minute spell to give HRI the advantage. Then four minutes later and Malachy Rose struck to make it all square again and that’s how it finished.

We finish as usual with Division 4

A F C Snitterfield 7 Kineton Sports and Social 3
Talib Bellamy is the toast of Snitterfield. His four goal haul helping to overcome the Kineton side with three goals coming in twenty three minutes. Harry Jones , Neil Wilson and Connor Kenney getting the others. Brayden Herdman , Tristan Birch and Scott Dunn on target for Kineton.

Pig & Fiddle 2 Balsall and Berkswell 5
Fastest goal of the day here, and after getting his first on four minutes, Joe Ryan struck again four minutes after that for his second! Ruben Oliveira then decided to join in the show and proceeded to score a hat-trick. The Pig responded with two of their own through Dean Pugh and Adam Edwards but it was too little, too late and the Hornets take the points.

Southam Sporting 2 Bowling Green 5
A game of two halves here. The Bowling Green with two first half goals from Lewis Adamo and Jason Thompson were in control. Tom Gamblin added a third early in the second half . Sporting sprang to life! Joshua Thomas replied to give Sporting hope only for Bowling Green to strike back twice through Noah Whitlock and Claud Ovington. Ethan white then went back up the other end to grab another for Sporting but the clock was running out fast and that’s how it finished.