29th March 2026 - Hanham win big at Stoke Gifford
Mark Simpson
Sharpness maintained top spot with a win over Bishops Cleeve but Filton’s 12 match winning run was ended with a stalemate at Frampton and two points dropped. Hanham, Tytherington and Totterdown all won at the bottom but Tytherington have games in hand and Hanham are still 5 points adrift of safety.
Stoke Gifford SGS United took on Hanham Athletic on a dry sunny and windy afternoon. Playing with a strong wind behind them Hanham edged the opening exchanges and took the lead after 30 minutes, a soft free kick was conceded by Gifford and Liam Maggs stepped up to hit a screamer into the top corner from 30 yards. Gifford rallied but were unable to create any threat to the Hanham goal. Hanham almost went two up on the stroke of half time when Jay Vile’s 40-yard effort was tipped onto the bar by Taylor Smith and out for a corner. Within minutes of the restart Maggs bagged his and Hanham’s second firing home unchallenged from the edge of the box. On the hour Maggs completed his hat-trick calmly slotting home from inside the box after Gifford failed to clear their lines and the game was put well out of Gifford’s reach on 80 minutes when Jordan Rickman poked home following a scramble in the box. And, a somewhat unexpected 4-0 win for Hanham.
On a bright and blustery day at Arnall Drive those present witnessed a real game of two halves between Henbury & Rockleaze and Ruardean Hill Rangers. The visitors were two up in three minutes after two uncharacteristic mistakes by Harry Trett in the H&R goal. Firstly after just 70 seconds Ruardean had a free kick fully 45 yards out and with Trett anticipating a long cross, he was out of position allowing Charley Mason to hit the free kick down the middle of the goal with the stranded keeper unable to get back in time, and then on three minutes a 20 yard effort by Oli Mason was allowed to squirm under the body of the H&R custodian for what was a dream start for Ruardean. Both sides settled into the game although the wind was affecting how both sides could play, on 32 minutes a Mitch Griffiths free kick was well gathered by Trett and H&R went up the other end to force a number of corners with this pressure eventually paying off with Jordan Buckett scoring a thunderbolt header from Marcus Williams corner 5 minutes before the break. The second half was dominated by H&R without them creating too many clear chances until the final twenty minutes. They equalised on 73 minutes when Drew Sawdon headed in at the back post from Nick Jones cross. In time added on Joe Hodon struck a dipping 20 yard shot which Chovanec in the Ruardean goal did well to tip over. From the resulting corner Sawdon struck the crossbar after an almighty melee in the box with Ruardean managing to clear just as the full-time whistle went. An entertaining 2-2 draw a fair outcome even if it was spoiled by the breezy conditions.
At Northway, Tewkesbury Town hosted a Quedgeley Wanderers side looking for revenge after a one-side result earlier in the season. Town started brightly and it was somewhat against the run of play that QW took the lead when a home throw-in was turned over well into the QW half and a simple forward ball played into space allowed Stokes to score with a easy finish. To Tewkesbury’s credit they made a steady stream of attacks without really troubling Sparrow in the visitor’s goal, and the equaliser eventually came when from a corner Scott Nicholls scored on the swivel. A few half chances were created before the break when Nathan Newland-Galloway maybe should have done better with a header for Town and QW missing a chance from 6 yards. After the break the wind picked up and both teams struggled to control play and home keeper James Holder made two crucial saves to keep the scores level. With a number of fouls being committed by the home team it inevitably meant more chances for QW and the winning goal was easily avoidable for Town, as a throw in was once more dispossessed and Quedgeley reacted quicker leaving Miles to make a tidy finish into the bottom corner with less than five minutes remaining. A tough defeat for Tewkesbury whose good recent form seems to have temporarily deserted them but it was a good 2-1 win for Quedgeley.
Tewkesbury Town (Yellow) v Quedgeley Wanderers (Grey), Images courtesy Tewkesbury Town
Tewkesbury Town (Yellow) v Quedgeley Wanderers (Grey), Images courtesy Tewkesbury Town
Tewkesbury Town (Yellow) v Quedgeley Wanderers (Grey), Images courtesy Tewkesbury Town
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Sharpness knew they would be in for a tough encounter against Bishops Cleeve Development at Hamfields and it was Cleeve who made the better start and were awarded a free kick 30 yards out but Moss’s effort was saved by Dykes. Cleeve then had a corner on 20 minutes but Ellerton couldn’t direct his header on target. Sharpness came more into the game midway through the half; a Palmer free kick was met by the head of Bryant but Sunter made a great save. The Sharks broke the deadlock on 32 minutes Devon Morgan doing well on the left and crossing into the box, but Cleeve only half cleared and Hemmings was able to poke the loose ball home. Cleeve created another chance when Debonis robbed Thomas and sent Ellerton through who in turn found Cuzner who blazed over. Cleeve scored just before the break when a free kick wide out was only cleared to the edge of the box and Gardiner hit an effort which struck the post with Long on hand to knock the ball into an empty net. The Sharks however responded brilliantly and retook the lead right on the stroke of half time when Priday’s long throw in was flicked on by Bryant and Bennett reacted quickest to flick the ball in off the post. Sharpness grabbed a third early in the second half when a free kick from deep was met by a melee of players from both teams including Sunter with the ball looping back towards goal and Brad Gibbs was able to nod into an unguarded goal. The game became rather scrappy as the half went on and Cleeve created a couple of opportunities with long range efforts but Smith and Dante-Welch were both denied by Dykes. Sharpness had to dig deep late on with the dismissal of Palmer but they held on for a hard fought 3-1 victory.
At a windy Bellfield Frampton United hosted an in-form Filton Athletic in what could be described as a good game for the neutrals as it was end to end right from the start, but neither side finding a clear-cut chance to win the game. Frampton’s first effort came after good interplay, with Harry Churchley’s cross met by Will Hawes but his volley went wide. Trey Merrett had a couple of chances but was thwarted by Tom Kaye who made a good save blocking a shot and just after half time Merrett turned a defender and tried to lob Kaye but he just managed to get a hand to it. Filton’s Freddie Fraser was unlucky after a bit of a goalmouth scramble, his shot coming back off Kaye and over the bar. Finally, a Henry Driver-Dickerson shot from the edge of the box was well saved by Tom Bradley to finish the game 0-0 in an even contest.
At Pomphrey Hill Bromley Heath United played Totterdown United in a contest that both teams started well, but it was Bromley who created an early chance to take the lead when imposing centre half Ben O’Brien hit the Totterdown crossbar from a set-piece routine. Totterdown started to take control of the midfield with Frank Tobin and Aaron Price looking particularly good in possession and they started to create chances and the lively Ollie Lovell was unlucky not to score when his well hit shot went just wide. A few minutes later Jack Waldron did the same for Bromley after a brilliant turn. The half finished with another good Lovell chance saved by Ferguson. Straight from the second half kick-off Ollie Hanham crossed the ball from the left-hand touchline and saw it loop over Tom Hand and into the net for 1-0. Bromley’s lead did not last long and on the hour, it was the dangerous Ollie Lovell who cut inside Bromley’s full back to equalise with a shot from a tight angle. This seemed to spur Totterdown to look for a winner with George Saunders going close on a couple of occasions and it was a defensive mistake that gifted them a goal in the end, with Tobin putting them ahead. Bromley tried to respond but couldn’t wrestle back control and Totterdown went further ahead a minute from time again, Bromley gifting them a chance by losing the ball on the edge of the area allowing Saunders to rifle home and complete a very good 3-1 win.
At Hardwicke, Tytherington Rocks were looking to build on their midweek win and were up against Wick, who hadn’t won in their last three outings and were hoping for a change in fortune. The strong wind blowing across the pitch made for an untidy game where pragmatism and the playing conditions were the order of the day. The first half saw chances for both teams but neither keeper was troubled and it remained goalless. The game opened up slightly in the second half and it was The Rocks who created the majority of the pressure, eventually breaking the deadlock on 75 minutes when Matt Hughes pounced on a loose ball to drive into the net past Mason Hawkins’. Wick pushed for an equaliser for the remainder of the match and hit a post from a header after a counter attack with 10 minutes left but The Rocks held out for a 1-0 win and secured their second win and second clean sheet on the bounce.
A bright, sunny afternoon at Highfield Way set the stage for a crucial clash between Chalford and Broadwell Amateurs, with the visitors sitting just one place above in the league table. Chalford knew the importance of the occasion and started with real intent. Chalford’s early pressure paid off in the 18th minute when Andrew Maryon found the breakthrough, finishing confidently to give the hosts a deserved 1–0 lead. The remainder of the half was a scrappy affair. Both sides carved out chances, but neither managed to take control of the game. It wasn’t the prettiest football, yet Chalford held their advantage heading into the break. Broadwell came out firing after the restart, putting Chalford under sustained pressure. Eventually, that pressure told when Creed levelled the score, making it 1–1 and setting up a tense final half-hour. Chances became scarce as both teams battled hard in midfield, but Chalford gradually regained momentum. Their persistence was rewarded when Cam Kerr struck to restore the lead, sparking celebrations around Highfield Way. With Broadwell pushing bodies forward in search of another equaliser, space opened up for Chalford on the counter. In the final five minutes, Cross broke away after a sweeping move and found himself clean through, only to drag his effort narrowly past the post. Despite that missed opportunity, Chalford saw out the remaining moments with composure. The whistle blew on a hard earned and fully deserved 2–1 victory,
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