Thick’s valiant efforts fail to prevent Ewyas Harold win

12:46pm Thursday 13th March 2008

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MATT Pitt's solitary goal took Ewyas Harold three points closer to an inactive Sutton United at the head of the Premier Division of the Hereford Times Herefordshire League after a 1-0 home win over Ledbury Town Reserves.

The important points might have gone to the leaders, but the headlines are reserved for the visitors' young keeper Clinton Thick who made a string of outstanding saves to keep his hard-working side in the contest up to the final whistle.

The town side demonstrated their intentions from Harold's first dangerous attack. Thick turned Pitt's goalbound shot round for a corner and then, from the set-piece, managed to block two further efforts.

Tony Richards and Pitt again were thwarted by the keeper. Pitt took the ball from Danny Johns and fired the ball across Thick to score the crucial goal.

Ledbury pushed forward after the goal, but apart from one long-range cross which bounced off the bar, failed to break down the solid home defence. Rob Chandler forced Thick to make one more save.

Woofferton are back in business in the title race with a 4-1 home win over Westfields Reserves.

The North Herefordshire outfit never hit top form but were too strong for the city side after opening up a two-goal lead in the first half hour. Playing with the wind, Dan Gower opened the scoring after 20 minutes and then Joe Parker doubled the lead with a firm strike 10 minutes later.

The visitors hit back and, after being denied a goal when Dave Cooper saved his earlier shot, Wes Owen nodded them back into the game five minutes before the turnaround.

Woofferton were expecting a hard tussle in the second half when they faced a blustery wind, but it never materialised. Gary Mowen came off the bench midway through the second half and injected some much-needed life into the home performance.

He created the chance for Gower to score his second goal. Jak Lewis robbed the Westfields keeper well outside his area and lofted the ball over the covering defence to complete the scoring.

Kington Town failed to make it four straight wins under manager Martin Powell when they went down 4-3 in a well-contested encounter at Bartestree.

The town side started well enough and took the lead when James Williams latched on to a long clearance from his own keeper to fire them ahead. Paul Monteath took a long throw from Joe Price and played a one-two with Mel Langford before equalising.

Williams scored his second from a through ball by Ben Corner but Ashley Andrews tied the score again when keeper Bobby Smith misjudged a high ball. Monteath tapped in a Greg Cutter cross to give Bartestree the lead.

Kington moved Brian Dyer up front and it worked when the defender played substitute Powell in to level the score. A quick free-kick in the final minute released Jeremy Evans, and his cross-cum-shot deceived Smith for the winner.

In midweek, Kington Town fought off a late challenge from visiting Westfields Reserves to claim a 3-2 win.

Although the first half was closely fought, the home side went in 2-1 up despite the Reserves looking stronger in midfield. Josh Burridge cut in from the right and fired the ball past Smith in the home goal. Burridge then missed an open goal.

Russell Jones took the ball from Paul Morgan and put the home team back on level terms. Joe Maygothling scored from the penalty spot to put them in front.

Sam Maygothling played the ball into the path of Christian, and he extended Kington's lead with a crisp drive. Westfields came back and the home side were forced to defend desperately.

The visitors struck a post and the bar but could only find the back of the net once. Steve Slade produced a thunderbolt drive from 30 yards out to score the goal of the game.

After scoring four goals inside the first 15 minutes, Colwall Rangers cruised to an easy 7-0 home win against Fownhope.

Scott Roberts put them ahead after five minutes and then two goals for Jamie Welch plus another from Dan Herbert put the game beyond the bottom side.

Roberts converted a penalty in the second half to make it five and then goals for Craig Kitchener and Adrian Jones during the last five minutes increased the misery for the visitors.

Mike Olive struck a second half hat-trick as Lads Club fought back from two goals down to beat Pegasus Reserves 4-2 at Old School Lane in a wind-dominated game.

Playing with the wind, the home side forced Lads Club to defend in the first half with Dan Stack causing them considerable problems. They took the lead when a corner went in at the near post without anyone getting a touch and then doubled the score five minutes before the break.

It was a total turnaround in the second half with Pegasus under pressure and relying on breaking out. Lads Club scored five minutes into the second half, Josh Pugh firing home a fierce volley.

The Pegasus keeper fumbled Mike Olive's shot on the hour to leave the game all-square. Olive netted two more in a five-minute spell halfway through the second period.

He fired in a 30-yard free kick and then latched on to Scott Jenkins' flick-on to put Lads Club in the clear. Pegasus missed a late penalty.

Olive was also on target in midweek when Lads Club shared the points with Ledbury Town Reserves in a 1-1 draw at New Street.

Ledbury took the lead with a penalty midway through the first half. Olive equalised 15 minutes from time but the visitors wasted a golden chance to take the three points when Ryan Daw missed a late penalty.

The bottom-of-the-table clash at Broomy Hill ended in a comfortable 5-0 win for Hinton over Leominster Town.

Second-from-bottom Hinton attacked from the start and had their noses in front after 15 minutes, Adam Jewitt converting John Morris's cross. Damien Gallimore headed in a second 10 minutes later and again it was a Morris cross which provided the chance.

Leominster's chances of a recovery were doused when key player Neil Bennett was taken to hospital with a broken leg and their formation had to be reshaped. Morris cut in from the right to make the half-time score 3-0.

Ross Semple was brought down inside the area and Gallimore stretched the lead from the penalty spot on the hour. Leominster's keeper John Jones made terrific saves to prevent Semple and Steve Gosling.

Gosling had the final word, beating Jones with a close-range volley to complete the scoring and close the gap on their rivals to three points.

It was a similar story at Delahay Meadow where Bromyard Town Reserves coasted to a 5-0 win over Wellington Reserves.

Wellington started brightly enough, but tailed away after the Town side found their feet. Bromyard took the lead just before the break and added four more goals in a one-sided second half.