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Chairman's Chat
A warm welcome to Arnall Drive to the players, spectators, and management team of this evening’s visitors Quedgeley Wanderers.
Fixtures are coming thick and fast at this current time of year and just 72 hours after Tuesday evenings 2-2 draw at home to Hanham Athletic we welcome tonight’s visitors. Quedgeley themselves require just 1 point to secure their Gloucestershire County League status for another season, however, the chances are they are safe already with Cheltenham Civil Service having to win their last two matches and make a huge dent to their negative goal difference. We still have three leagues of our own before the Cup Final and they are games we are looking to win and not just go through the motions as a top half finish would be a great result after the position we found ourselves in just after Christmas.
If you can help with sponsoring a match, player, or pitch side advertising board, or would just like to help and get involved with the running of the club please speak to myself or to another committee member who will be pleased to speak to you about any potential involvement.
Finally, please remember ‘we win together, we lose together but most importantly we stick together’.
Andrew |
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Matches played 19th April 2025 by Mark Simpson Only Frampton United win as top teams stumble in home straightAt the top the games in hand over leaders Almondsbury are running out and if they win their final match against Wick on Thursday they secure the title. Almondsbury did not help themselves yesterday losing to in-form Henbury and Rockleaze, but then again only Frampton in the chasing pack won. At the bottom Cheltenham Civil Service delayed relegation by drawing with Filton Athletic. Some important games coming up.
Totterdown United welcomed Frampton United to Bristol Barbarians RFC for their final home fixture of the season. An experienced Totterdown team started well and missed an early chance from the in-form Saunders. After this lax marking by the Totts defence and allowed Frampton’s Craig Mills to receive the ball, nutmeg Totts Toby Carter before slotting the ball into the bottom corner. Totterdown huffed and puffed with a few shots but Frampton coped well and won a corner five minutes from the break, and they converted a flick on at the near post with Joel White scoring, knocking the wind out of Totterdown. Totterdown re-grouped for the second half and put up a fight back, but a point-blank header from Mike Rimmer was brilliantly saved by Tom Kaye to deny Totts a way back in. The rest of the game had two even sides playing in good spirit, having a few wayward shots with Frampton holding on for a 2-0 win.
Wick hosted Bromley Heath United at The Nest in what seemed a must win game for the home side. Bromley started the strongest and were unfortunate not to be in the lead inside 15 minutes when only the post denied them. Ten minutes before half-time some neat play from Wick saw |
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Bayley Rudge fouled in the box for a penalty kick which Cory Langdon took but he was denied by Will Ferguson pulling off a good save. Five minutes into the second half Bromley took the lead, a mistimed header from Harry Madge fell to Cameron Ford who smashed home a cracking volley. Twelve minutes from time and Rudge was again fouled in the box and this time Liam McCracken stepped up and finished into the bottom corner for 1-1. Wick then threw everything at Bromley but couldn’t find the back of the net and then with five minutes left a slip by Frank Taylor-Fox gave Bromley a two-on-one and Kai Wilson pulled off a great stop but Aiden Noble was there to fire home the rebound. In time added on Bromley were awarded a penalty for a hand ball on the line for which Madge received his marching orders and up stepped Noble to send Wilson the wrong way and making sure that al three points went back to Pomphrey Hill with a 3-1 Bromley Heath win.
At The Field Almondsbury took on one of the form sides Henbury and Rockleaze. H&R with their first attack forced a corner and from it Almondsbury had a number of attempts to clear and from a looping ball in the box Jack Burgess unfortunately turned the ball into his own net. After 5 minutes Almonds got a corner and but Burgess headed into the side-netting. On fourteen minutes Holver went down the left and pulled back for Hughes but his strike was just wide. A few minutes later Holver did well to win a free kick on the left and Hughes stepped up and whipped the ball into the top left corner for 1-1. On 24 minutes a quick H&R break, and from an unfortunate bobble the ball fell to Drew Sawdon to finish well past Sam Burgess for H&R to lead 2-1. Hughes had a vicious strike which Dunning did well to push behind for a corner and just before the break Hughes delivered a good ball which Meacham could only stretch to head over. Almonds created a few chances in the second half – on 47 minutes Pali had an effort blocked and Nicholls rebound was just over the bar. Ten minutes later Hughes
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free kick was destined for the top corner but Dunning tipped over at full stretch and on 77 minutes Mannings free kick was knocked on by Lancastle but Dunning made a good reactive save. Almondsbury's cause not helped by Jack Burgess being dismissed for an off the ball incident. H&R held on for a fine 2-1 win and Almonds have to now give it all on Thursday evening.
Chalford welcomed Ruardean Hill Rangers to Highfield Way and it was the home side that started the brightest. The majority of the first half was spent with a home side camped in Ruardeans half and chances came and went as Maryon, Day, Evans and Harry all threatened the Ruardean goal but without making a breakthrough . It looked as though the sides would go in level at half time however two minutes before the break the ball was worked into Maryon who saw his shot blocked but Ryan Harry was there to follow up and toe poke to give the home side a deserved lead. The second half over was a different story. Chalford struggled to get going and didn’t play the free-flowing football of first half and despite getting into good positions lacked a bit of quality in the final 3rd to add to the score, but that said Ruardean never really threatened Sam Neale in the home goal. Chalford secured the 1-0 win and move onto Monday’s home game versus Bromley Heath
In the other League matches Broadwell Amateurs drew 1-1 with Stoke Gifford SGS United and Cheltenham Civil Service drew 3-3 with Filton Athletic |
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Date for your Diary |
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By Matt Badcock
STOCK the fridges with bubbly, cue up the Queen CD and get ready to chomp through those fingernails.
The final day for clubs at Step 2-4 is suddenly here. Those dropped points back on August may seem a long time ago, but will they make all the difference this weekend?
While there are plenty of clubs throughout the National League System already in party mode and, in the National League, Barnet are just one point away from a return to the EFL, things aren’t quite so clear cut everywhere.
Especially at Step 2. In the National League North, Kidderminster Harriers, Brackley Town and Scunthorpe United will all wake up in the morning hoping they are crowned champions come 5pm.
Kiddy, who beat Hereford 5-1 on Easter Monday, will start the day in top spot on goal difference. They travel to Southport knowing a win will seal their place back in Non-League’s top flight – barring a 22-goal swing from Brackley! The Saints host already relegated Farsley Celtic so will be hoping to bank the three points and that Harriers slip.
Scunthorpe United are two points back. Their goal difference is vastly superior to Brackley’s but five behind Kiddy. Ideally they need Kiddy to lose at Southport or, should Phil Brown’s side draw, and they need to smash Hereford, who are trying to secure their own play-off place too. That, along with Brackley making an unlikely mess of things at Farsley with a draw or defeat, will put Scunny on top. |
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That’s all relatively straightforward compared to the National League South where SIX teams are in with a shout!
Truro City begin the day top on goal difference, narrowly ahead of Torquay United.
Eastbourne Borough and Worthing sit a point back from those two, with Boreham Wood and Dorking another two points behind and only able to finish first on goal difference. Crucially, however, both have a better goal difference than both Truro and Torquay. Talk about exciting.
You’d argue all six have games they would be expected to win. Football tends to show us it’s unlikely they all will.
Truro host a St Albans City side who are in the final relegation spot and need to better Salisbury’s result. Torquay are at Hemel, Eastbourne host Weston-super-Mare – who are now out of the play-off running – while Worthing travel to Enfield Town, who can almost taste survival but still aren’t quite there and could end up dropping if both Salisbury and St Albans pick up victories.
Dorking host Chesham and Boreham Wood are at Tonbridge Angels. The play-offs will be quite something regardless who is in them.
The drama continues further down too with a three-way fight between Billericay Town, Horsham and Dartford in the Isthmian Premier.
The trio are split by goal difference – it’s just one between Billericay and Horsham – and all are at home to teams with nothing to play for.
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Bedford Town are a point away from glory in the Southern Premier Central as they sit three points ahead of Kettering Town. However, the Poppies’ goal difference means things would change if they lose at home to Stourbridge and Kettering beat Banbury at home.
It’s a similar story in NPL Division One West where Widnes start the day three points ahead of Hednesford Town but if they lose and the Pitmen win, they could be pipped on goal difference.
And Yate Town are three points in front of Evesham United in Southern League Division One Central with a plus two goal difference as it stands.
Where the bubbly will be sprayed at full-time remains to be seen. For those who miss out it will have to go back in the fridge. There’s always the play-offs |
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