Holders Colerne face tricky trip

From the Wiltshire Times, first published Friday 14th Dec 2007.

After losing all but two matches last weekend, teams from the Robson Taylor, Chippenham Sunday League will be hoping for some early festive cheer this Sunday.

Weather permitting, cup fever hits the fixture programme for a second successive week and unlike last Sunday - when just one match from the third round of the presstoprint sponsored Knockout Cup was completed - it is hoped that the second round of the Westernsport Trophies-sponsored WG Parr Trophy will see more matches concluded otherwise, as happened last season, the cup competitions will fall a round behind.

Foresters v FC Colerne

FIRST Division Foresters Arms host cup holders FC Colerne, at Awdry Avenue, Melksham, and Pat Johnson's Foresters side, who are still in the Knockout Cup, have a very good chance of ending Colerne's hopes of becoming the first ever side to lift the WG Parr Trophy in successive seasons.

Colerne are no strangers to WG Parr Trophy glory. They beat Hullavington in 2002 and won the competition again last term, thanks to a 2-1 success over Pig and Whistle United.

Colerne will start the match as favourites to progress but the top-flight side will have to guard against complacency as Foresters are starting to get their act together.

Colerne reached this stage with a penalty shoot-out victory over Second Division The Crown, who they beat 5-3 on penalties after the 120 minutes had ended 3-3.

Foresters set up the meeting against the holders by beating local rivals Pig and Whistle United 3-2.

Colerne beat Foresters 8-0 and 6-1 last term and are rightly tipped to win this meeting of the sides, but they might need extra-time before booking their place in the final eight.

AFC Calne v Audley FC

FIRST Division AFC Calne entertain Second Division Audley FC, who are 11 places below them in the league standings.

Neither team have been at their best this season, due mainly to injuries to key players, but with a few of them returning for each team the game could prove to be very interesting.

AFC Calne's progress will depend on if they have Steve Allison available. If they do then the striker will cause the Audley defence no end of problems.

But the same can be said for the Audley's pairing of Mark and Dave Nolan who are also possible match winners.

The clubs last met in the 2005/06 season with Audley winning 4-2 and AFC Calne avenging that loss with a 7-3 success.

AFC Calne are predicted to progress to the quarter-finals, but the outcome should be very close and it is unlikely to produce the goal fest that the two games produced a couple of years ago. If they are on form and have a recognised goalkeeper between the posts the Audley might just edge the game to cause a small cup upset.

Bremhill View Social Club v Rowde

THE tie of the round has to be the one at Goatacre, where Second Division Bremhill View Social Club entertain First Division leaders Rowde.

Bremhill View, then known as the Wheatsheaf, finished as losing finalists in 2006 when they lost out to North Star A after extra-time.

Martin Belcher's Calne based Bremhill View outfit overcame Sutton Benger in the preliminary round and then saw off Third Division leaders Biddestone White Horse 3-2 in the first round, thanks to goals from Mark Smith (2) and Dale Smith.

Bremhill's opponents skipped the preliminary round before crushing the Horse and Groom 7-2, with Jamie Mullings scoring four of the goals.

The match has classic written all over it and it could come down to a shoot-out between the forward lines and one would have to say that Rowde might just hold the trump cards in that department, with Mullings and Marcus Wallen being in fine form. But if Mullings were to miss the game for Rowde them Bremhill View would have a realistic chance of upsetting the odds and their own big guns, Dale and Mark Smith and even new signing Neurin Jones, could cause the visitors a few problems.

Unless Rowde are watertight at the back they could find themselves victims of a cup upset.

Coyote v North Bradley

THE all-First Division affair between Coyote and North Bradley should be another keenly contested match between two fiercely competitive sides.

They clashed in the league a month ago and on that occasion, Bradley were just too good for their Trowbridge-based rivals and coasted to a 6-2 victory with Matty Coles (3), Chris Fardell (2) and James Dowd scoring for the winners.

Now Chris Carr's Coyote side will be out to avenge what would have been seen as a humiliating loss at the hands of their bitter rivals.

Bradley overcame a potential banana skin in round one when they saw off the challenge of Fourth Division Corsham United with an 8-2 scoreline. Stuart Powell scored four of the eight goals, Gareth Colebrook added three and Tim Benjamin grabbed a single.

Coyote hit Old Road Tavern for five to set up the showdown with Bradley as Stuart Greener, Dave Sykes, Mark Gerrish and Ali Jaffari plus an own goal eased Coyote home.

Coyote are to likely to have prolific scorer Scott Askew available for the battle and Stuart Greener is available after suspension. Recent signing Sam McQueen is hopeful of starting and with Ross Pike back and ready for action and defender Steve Fox probably fit to start his first match for a while, Coyote's bite could be back and Bradley might feel the full force of it.

Bradley are one of three teams left in the competition who have tasted cup success in the past, but that was way back in 1991, when they beat Avon News 3-0. Since then they have been beaten finalists in 1998, when Winsley defeated them 5-2 after extra-time, and although this is a new look Bradley side if they can get past Coyote and the draw is kind to them there is no reason why they can't make the final four.

But they will have to be on top form again otherwise Coyote might just sneak a win.

Pheasant FC v Chippenham Sports and Social Club

CHIPPENHAM Sports and Social Club might be in Division One but they will start their match against Third Division Pheasant FC as the underdogs.

Pheasant, who are due to host the match at Yatton Keynell, have yet to play a match in the competition. They received a walk-over to this stage of proceedings following the withdrawal of Southwick Sports from the league.

Chippenham Sports have Mark Clarke and Karl Sharratt to thank for their appearance in round two as they scored a goal apiece in their 2-0 victory over Division Four side North Star B in the previous round.

With that victory being the Sports' only win in all competitions to date, it is hard to see anything other than a win for the Pheasant who, as the Little George, reached the semi-finals last term before getting knocked out by Pig and Whistle United. Pheasant have the players capable of taking them further this time and it would need a miracle of biblical proportions to deny them a place in the draw for the next round.

Potterne v FC Bradford

THE match at the Northbrook, Market Lavington, should go the way of the hosts Potterne who shouldn't really be troubled by their Second Division opponents, FC Bradford.

Potterne are third in Division One and having lost out in the Knockout Cup they will see this season as the one which could bring them at least one piece of silverware. Although they are in a handy position in the league at the moment, their best chance glory could come in the WG Parr Trophy.

With the likes of Myles Hickton, Steven House, Jamie Bayes and Lee Sanders, Potterne should be too strong for their guests, who will be making their first outing in the competition after they received a walk-over in the previous round after opponents Churchill Arms were unable to raise a team.

Potterne beat local rivals The Crown Devizes 6-0 in the last round and could better that scoreline against the visitors who have yet to hit any sort of form this season.

White Hart Combe v Pack Horse Rangers

SECOND Division White Hart Combe welcome Third Division Pack Horse Rangers to Stanley Park, Chippenham, but it will be like a home match for Rangers who also use the complex for their home matches.

White Hart Combe had the slight edge over Pack Horse from their two meetings last term, winning one 3-1 and drawing the other 4-4.

This time last season Sean Rushmore was a Pack Horse player and he scored two goals for them in the 4-4 stalemate. But now at Combe he will come up against his former team-mates for the first time since his departure in the close season and it could possibly be Rushmore who does the damage which will sent his previous club out of this term's WG Parr Trophy.

On paper the White Hart look certainties to advance to the final eight, but Pack Horse have the knack of beating the better sides. This is one of those occasions when Pack Horse are predicted to lose, but could produce a shock result to claim a cup upset.

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