22nd February 2026 - Sharpness extend lead as Chalford stun Tewkesbury
Mark Simpson
Sharpness maintained their push for the title with a good win at Broadwell whilst Tewkesbury fell off the pace a little with their first defeat since mid-September. At the bottom Hanham fell to Filton, who helped their position in the top three and Totterdown gave themselves a boost at the bottom with a win over Henbury and Rockleaze. In the first Les James League Cup semi-final Frampton United eased into the final against Ruardean Hill.
Tricky pitch conditions at the Hawthorns where Broadwell Amateurs took on League leaders Sharpness with Broadwell finding their feet first with a bright opening ten minutes and the first goal following a low whipped free kick from Dan Brain and Kristian Burnard getting the slightest of touches to flick home for 1-0. Sharpness grew into the game and had a goal disallowed for a foul on keeper Jack Watkins, but they equalised shortly after a low diagonal cross, a flick through bodies and tucked away by Bryant for 1-1. Sharpness finished the half the stronger of the two and should have took the lead when Watkins was rounded and with the goal open Creighton got back and cleared to safety. The Sharks took the lead early in the second half after along throw headed home by Bennett. Broadwell’s equaliser came twenty minutes from time when Kian Skidmore’s low driven shot was fumbled in by keeper Dykes. Sharpness found their third and the winner when low driven shot from Bennett took a wicked bobble off the pitch and lifted over the diving Watkins for a valuable three points for the visitors.
With title chasing Tewkesbury Town arriving at Highfield Way in a confident mood Chalford delivered a composed and clinical performance to secure a superb 2-0 victory. From the first whistle Chalford showed their intent forcing the first corner of the afternoon and setting the tone early on. In the 6th minute that pressure told, with Keylock scoring directly from a corner. Tewkesbury looked to respond earning corners in quick succession but Chalford were well organised at the back and indeed broke from one of the corners and Cooke was unlucky not to double their advantage. Chalford continued to press with Fletcher just wide on 25 minutes and Tewkesbury also going close on two occasions. The second half almost began perfectly for Chalford, with Cooke finding space but firing just wide. Tewkesbury started to press more earning a succession of corners but were not able to truly trouble the Chalford back line. Williams delivered a delightful free kick only for Maryon to lose his footing at the crucial moment and minutes later he was involved again narrowly heading wide from a corner. Tewkesbury also had their moments with a shot crashing off the crossbar and shortly after Jordan’s free header was saved by the Chalford keeper. Chalford continued to threaten on the break with Cooke just wide on the hour and a tremendous strike By Newell forced an excellent save. Tewkesbury pushed harder but Chalford remained resolute and the decisive moment came in the 76th minute when a mistake in the Tewkesbury defence was ruthlessly punished by Cam Kerr whose calm finish made it 2-0. Two minutes later Kerr was through again but was brought down, with Newell’s free kick striking the wall, and Maryon almost added a third on 84 minutes firing just over. So, a clinical performance from the hosts and a well-earned 2-0 victory.
At Vicarage Road Hanham Athletic took on title chasing Filton Athletic and both teams started well and had chances in the first few minutes. Liam Jenkins shot for Hanham was well saved by Tom Evans before Taylor Anderson shot wide for Filton when clean through. It was Hanham who took the lead on 13 minutes when, after good work by Abraham and Plummer, Mickey Golding nipped in to score. It was almost two on twenty minutes but Nathan Hall’s brilliant shot across the keeper cannoned off the post and out of danger. It didn’t take long for Filton to equalise in the second half when a minute in David Quick beat Taylor from the edge of the area. But, Hanham regained the lead on the hour when a corner was knocked down and Lewis Williams smashed the ball home. Filton equalised again on 75 minutes when Trey Merrett struck a fine free kick past Taylor and Keiron Cooper made it 3-2 to Filton on 80 minutes when a mistake by Harley Boyce allowed him to shoot past Taylor. A good win for Filton against a struggling Hanham, but they all count.
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow) - Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
Quedgeley Wanderers (Red) v Bromley Heath United (Yellow), Images courtesy Peter Langley
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At Waterwells Quedgeley Wanderers hosted Bromley Heath United and the opening exchanges were evenly contested, although Quedgeley enjoyed early territory. Luke Horrocks saw plenty of the ball down the line and efforts from wide areas showed early intent. Bromley’s first shot of the game forced Tony Hawkins into a good save. QW’s breakthrough came midway through the half when Ollie Barnett delivered a free kick that Fin Jenner met with a header, and with Ferguson misjudging the flight the ball ended up in the back of the net. Chances continued to fall for QW, a header drifted wide, Billy Osabuohien was narrowly off target when played through and Jenner tested the away defence with a shot just wide. Quedgeley doubled their lead on 40 minutes, a free kick from distance by Riley Stokes was struck with precision by Luca Horrocks for 2-0 at the interval. Bromley Heath responded after the break and an early free kick was headed wide before a shot from distance tested Hawkins. Bromley came back into the mix when Jack Waldron capitalised on a mistake by Hawkins to make it 2-1. The game opened up and Bromley had one disallowed for offside and both sides traded chances. Free kicks from wide areas caused problems and Osabuohien’s clever flick went untouched as it flashed across goal. Substitutions followed as the intensity increased and QW forced Ferguson into action from another set piece, and sustained pressure led to a scramble in which Seb Keith’s effort was dramatically cleared off the line. Despite Quedgeley’s pressure Bromley Heath carried a threat on the break with one effort rattling the bar after a quick counter and with just minutes remaining the decisive moment arrived, a failure to clear allowed Ollie Hanham to pounce and fire home turning the game on its head at 2-2.
A welcome gap in the weather saw football back at Oldbury Lane where Wick and Stoke Gifford SGS United met looking to elevate their mid table positions. Stoke Gifford started brightly creating three opportunities within the first few minutes, which Mason Hawkins in the Wick goal had to deal with to prevent an early goal. Wick came into things in the 6th minute when Gifford’s defence failed to effectively clear a Wick attack but the chance went begging. Two minutes later Wick did open their account when Jaye Rudge put George Lloyd through and he made no mistake giving Taylor Smith between the sticks no chance. On 15 minutes Gifford drew level with Wick falling asleep at a corner, allowing a short corner, and a pin-point cross for Daniel Twomey to head past Hawkins. In a fast-paced game Wick should have retaken the lead after Rudge’s shot cannoned off the bar and the in-rushing Lloyd ballooned his shot over. With their tails up Wick thought they had scored on 22 minutes when Lloyd’s goal-bound effort was brilliantly cleared off the line. Wick started the second half on the front foot but without troubling SGS keeper Smith. That changed however, on the hour, when Cory Langdon crashed his shot into the roof of the net after Smith could only parry a fierce shot. With the game now end-to-end both sides were looking to create scoring opportunities and on 75 minutes a great run by Wick’s Louis Short down the right cutting inside to shoot and bringing a great save by Smith. Ten minutes later the game was effectively put to bed when Langdon notched the third finding the bottom corner of the net from the edge of the area. An entertaining game with Wick taking the three points after a 3-1 win.
Les James League Cup holders Frampton United took on Ruardean Hill Rangers in this years semi-final at the Bellfield and came out comfortable winners. Frampton’s Dom Brown had a good chance to open the scoring after twelve minutes but Underwood did well to get down and palm his header away. Five minutes later Frampton scored when a Billy Curtis cross was missed by a defender and Manolo Marquez headed in for 1-0. Five minutes into the second half Marquez scored again when he squeezed the ball past Underwood. Ruardean’s Oli Mason had a good chance to pull a goal back when he ran clear but Tom Kaye was on hand to save his effort. Theo Browne made it 3-0 when he headed in a Joe Rowsell cross and Ruardean pulled one back when a cross by Mason was deflected in by a Frampton defender. Theo Browne scored his second when he cut inside a defender and slotted home and Frampton’s fifth came from a Ruardean own-goal. So, a disappointing performance from Ruardean who have shown good League form of late, and to another final for Frampton.
The conditions were nice at Norton Lane at kick off, the pitch in good condition with the grass having a bit of zip in it for Totterdown United against Henbury & Rockleaze. Totterdown began up the slight slope and came bustling forward straight from kick-off putting H&R under early pressure. The first chance fell to Lovell who shot just wide after a good passage of play and Saunders was proving to be a real handful for the H&R defence, holding off defenders, running channels and bringing Totterdown’s other attackers into play. On 20 minutes a Sylvester pass was pounced on by Lovell who got between a defender and keeper, and rounding Dunning to slot home. Totterdown continued to dominate but H&R saw a ball over the top latched onto but went wide. More pressure from Totts with plenty of crosses and Tobin and Makers making driving runs from midfield. Finally, a second goal for Totterdown came when a smart turn and cross was nodded home by Saunders. Both teams came out to the rain in the second half with H&R making a change in personnel and shape. The game was much more even now with H&R stringing some passes together, but other than a few corners Ashley Martin wasn’t really tested. However, it was Totts who came closest after Maker’s surging run beating three defenders and cutting back for Lovell only for the ball to be taken off his toes. In the 75th minute H&R pulled one back, a free kick out wide came in and Webb got up well and with Martin caught out his header looped into the middle of the goal. More pressure came from H&R with a dangerous ball flashed across Totts box and another cross dropped for H&R to score but Martin made a great point-blank save. The last ten minutes were fairly comfortable for Totterdown with a few changes being made and with Sulyman settling them down they saw the game out with a deserved 2-1 victory.
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