PITCHING IN SOUTHERN LEAGUE DIVISION ONE SOUTH | FINAL WEEKEND REVIEW

The latest drama

The final weekend of the Pitching In Southern League Division One South season brought plenty of drama.

There was the small matter of the title still to be decided as Wimborne Town and Frome Town battled it out. Wimborne fell behind early on in their game at Melksham Town as Ben Brooks scored, but they recovered to win 3-1 as second half strikes from Sam Roberts and Harry Morgan secured top spot.

Over at Frome Town, they went ahead early on against play-off chasing, Bristol Manor Farm, through George Rigg but that was cancelled out through Daniel Dodimead on the quarter-hour mark. Owen Brain then put the visitors ahead with an intelligent goal early in the second period. Jayden Nielsen then increased the visitors’ lead but late goals from James Ollis and Reece Rusher meant that it finished 3-3.

That result was enough for Bristol Manor Farm to secure their play-off place and so too did Mousehole as they played out a crazy game against Bishop’s Cleeve, which ended 7-3. Hayden Turner set the Cornish club on their way and then Mark Goldsworthy doubled the lead right on half-time but Jay Malshanskyj pulled one back at the start of an entertaining second period.

Turner hit his second just before the hour-mark only for Malshanskyj to respond straight away and then Ethan Dunbar level the scores. That sprung the home side back to life as Tim Nixon and Turner, for his hat-trick, scored in quick succession. Turner then added his fourth a couple of minutes later before Nixon rounded things off to put Mousehole into seventh heaven at the death.

It means that goal difference saw Larkhall Athletic agonisingly miss out as they shared the spoils at third-place Cribbs. Eben Mortimer-Taylor put the visitors ahead on 15 minutes before Sonny Harnett-Balkwill equalised as half-time approached and that’s how it stayed.

There were a few more 1-1 draws. Bideford and Bemerton Heath Harlequins played out that scoreline as Stu Bowker put the hosts ahead in the opening period and then Daniel Young restored parity after the break. Honours were also even at relegated Paulton Rovers as Levi Steele gave visitors Evesham United a first half lead before Ed Butcher carved out an equaliser midway through the second half.

It was the same at Tavistock where Liam Prynn scored early on in the second period only for James Taylor to level for Yate Town with time running out. The fifth 1-1 draw of the afternoon in this division saw Jack Watts put Malvern Town ahead at Willand Rovers on the stroke of half-time but in a game of two halves, Josh Searle hit a leveller for the hosts, who were the better side after the break.

The day’s other game saw Westbury United beat Bashley 2-0 as Bevan Cross and Jasper Jones scored a goal in each half.

IMAGE: Wimborne Town