Triumphant Onions on course for title
MR Onions are beginning to look like champions-elect after a convincing 3-0 victory over current title holders Robin Hood at the weekend.
Both teams started well but a defensive error by Hood gave Onions a chink of light. A break down the middle was defended well with the ball being forced wide left. Gary Fyfe crossed but it was handled by a Hood defender and Mike Neville converted the penalty.
Half-time saw Colin Keane replace Nick Briggs who was caught by a late Hood tackle just before the end of the first half. Keane's pace started to cause problems for the Hood defence and eventually he scored the second. Neat inter-play with Eoghan O'Dwyer saw Keane collect a through ball, outpace the Hood back four and calmly finish past the 'keeper.
O'Dwyer scored the third after good work down the left by Neville and Keane ended in a cross which 0'Dwyer controlled, turned and finished with his weaker left foot.
Lobster Pot move into second after a 6-3 win over BAA. Pot striker Dave Allison bagged two penalties, Jameel Effendy headed home from close range while Joe Carolo pounced in a goalmouth scramble. Sub Jean-Paul Dyer scored from close range while Pot player manager Troy Berkley got an individual effort from just inside the box. BAA replied with two from Gary Stewart and one from Martin Jones.
North Village are third after beating relegation-bound Devonshire Lions 4-2 through goals by Stephen Coddington, Kevin Grant, Cal Dill and Alan Smith. Lions scored via Maxwell Dill and Philip Clarke.
PHC Raiders slipped back after only managing a 1-1 draw against Valley.
Raiders took an early lead from the boot of Keith Bell against the run of play minutes into the game. Bell took the ball just outside 18 yards and sent home a cracker which left the Valley keeper stranded.
Raiders then dominated play and should have cashed in but without strikers Kyle Lightbourne, Kenny Burt and goal-a-game man Mark Wade, lacked the finishing touch.
In the second half Valley piled on the pressure and, after a scramble inside the box, striker Sinclair Vickers poked the ball past Raiders 'keeper Ty Williams who was unsighted.
Williams then made some key saves to hold Valley out as they pressed for a winner and hit the crossbar in the dying seconds.
Tuff Dogs notched a 2-1 victory over Somerset Bridge Peskies via Jeff Franklin and Jamel Lovell strikes while Ruffins Hill replied for the home side.
In B Division action, promotion-bound Dandy Town Roots beat Prison Officers 3-1 but found things much harder going than the 19-0 thrashing they handed out earlier in the season.
Officers took the game to Roots and scored first as Ryan Belboda finished off a smart move by sliding the ball under the outstretched arms of the Roots goalkeeper Antoine (Heads) Tuzo early in the first half.
Roots took a while to strike back and eventually found the net just before half-time through Darron Simons.
Officers started the second period strongly, limiting Roots' chances.
Roots then went with three at the back and the move nearly backfired as Tuzo was forced to make several saves including a point blank effort from Denton Leader and go full length to tip an effort around the post when both teams thought the ball was going to end up in the back of the net.
Leader was tormenting the Roots defence with his speed and strength. However, just when it looked like Officers were going to come away with a well deserved point, Roots' joint leading goalscorer Walter Musson finished off a smooth move down the left. Wayne Campbell added a third with an unstoppable 25-yard drive that ended any thoughts of an Officers' comeback.
The rest of the table remained virtually unchanged with St. George's again getting maximum points ? this time with a 6-1 victory over Devonshire All-Stars.
Lionel (Tit) Cann got a hat-trick in the first 20 minutes and Shea Pitcher added a fourth with a right foot volley on the stroke of half-time. Stevie Dickerson scored the fifth while Jeff Richardson replied for Devonshire. Cann got the last goal, taking his season's tally to 30.
Vasco Mariners are still third after a 6-2 win over Dockyard Falcons. However, Dockyard hit the bar and went close on a couple of occasions in the opening minutes before Vasco settled. Michael Bean got two, Joe Cunha, Paul Frias and Mark DeMoura one each while Falcons also put through their own net. Charles Card and Gary Toy scored for Falcons.
Wolves paid the price for showing up with only eight men at spacious White Hill field for their game with Pest Control. However, Pest Control only managed one goal in the first half, thanks to a defensive error and determination on the part of scorer Aaron Jackson.
Playing against the wind in the second half, Wolves tired but remained organised, again holding Pest Control to one further goal. Jamie Matthews fired in a bullet of a shot from 18 yards to complete Pest Control's 2-0 victory.
Hamilton Parish's match against Boulevard and Somerset Extros' game against Prospect/Fire were postponed. Extros take on the Police side at Somerset Cricket Club tonight at 7.30 p.m.
