Weekend : 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9

PARSONAGE ON TARGET FOR CHELTENHAM

Four goals by international Alex Parsonage helped Cheltenham to a fairly comfortable 9-6 victory over Bristol Central in the Division One fixture played at Millfield School on 16 September.

2007 Season PLD W D L F A PTS GD
Cheltenham 4 3 1 0 50 40 7 10
Rotherham 3 3 0 0 51 29 6 22
Bristol 4 3 0 1 45 26 6 19
Lancaster 3 2 1 0 37 22 5 15
Manchester 3 1 0 2 24 27 2 -3
Penguin 3 0 2 1 27 36 2 -9
Polytechnic 3 1 0 2 24 33 2 -9
Welsh Wanderers 3 0 1 2 29 36 1 -7
Portobello 3 0 0 3 30 42 0 -12
Otter 3 0 1 2 28 54 -5 -26

Bristol went into the game without their current internationals, Craig Figes and Matt Thresher, who were both serving automatic suspensions following the opening weekend of competition. In the circumstances, Bristol competed well, drawing level at 4-4 towards the end of the second quarter but losing momentum in the third, when Cheltenham netted three times without reply.

Other scorers for Cheltenham were Mark Banwell (2), Mike Thomas, Dave Edwards and Rob Parker. Andy Crawford made a number of fine saves in goal for Bristol, whose goals went to John Sissons (2), Jon Hutchings (2), Danny Williams and Adie Bennett. Cheltenham’s success puts them in top spot prior to facing Penguin, undefeated Rotherham and Manchester during the Manchester weekend on 22/23 September.

LAST-GASP CHELTENHAM GRAB A POINT

Twenty-two goals, 34 exclusion or penalty offences, five players dismissed for misconduct, a dramatic last-ditch fight-back . . . the National League season began in spectacular fashion as champions Lancaster and last season’s runners-up Cheltenham fought out an 11-11 draw at Ponds Forge, Sheffield.

2007 Season PLD W D L F A PTS GD
Rotherham 3 3 0 0 51 29 6 22
Bristol 3 3 0 0 39 17 6 22
Lancaster 3 2 1 0 37 22 5 15
Cheltenham 3 2 1 0 41 34 5 7
Manchester 3 1 0 2 24 27 2 -3
Penguin 3 0 2 1 27 36 2 -9
Polytechnic 3 1 0 2 24 33 2 -9
Welsh Wanderers 3 0 1 2 29 36 1 -7
Portobello 3 0 0 3 30 42 0 -12
Otter 3 0 1 2 28 54 -5 -26

Lancaster, boosted by five goals from Scott Carpenter, seemed to have control of the game as they led 4-1 at the end of the first period and 9-6 after three. Then, in a spectacular rally, Cheltenham scored three times in 90 seconds through Alex Parsonage (2) and Alex Garazimov to recover from 11-8 down and snatch a point.

After that, the rest of the weekend was comparatively straightforward for both teams.

Lancaster defeated Polytechnic 14-6 and Manchester 13-5. Cheltenham struggled to contain seven-goal Fraser Rutherford before edging a 12-11 victory over Portobello; then they outplayed Welsh Wanderers 18-12, with Mark Banwell and Parsonage each netting five.

Bristol Central and Rotherham Metro both won their three Ponds Forge matches to finish the opening weekend as the only teams with 100 per cent records.

For Bristol, there were few problems – they beat Manchester 8-3, promoted Otter 20-7 (including seven goals by Matt Thresher) and Polytechnic 11-7. Rotherham waited until 24 seconds from the end to claim the winner in an 8-7 defeat of Welsh Wanderers, but comfortably defeated Portobello (19-11) and Otter (24-11).

It was drama all the way for Penguin on the opening day. They drew 10-10 with London rivals Otter, conceding a final equaliser with 50 seconds remaining, and then got stuck into another nail-biting 10-10 draw with Welsh Wanderers.

Penguin were 4-1 up early on but found themselves pegged back to 9-9 by Wanderers with three minutes to go. There were time-outs and exclusions galore after that until Bruce Elder scored for Penguin with a fine shot from distance with just four seconds remaining.

Wanderers promptly claimed another time-out – and a high ball into a crowded goal area resulted in Dan Laxton deflecting into the opposition net for the equaliser.

The next full Division One programme is at Manchester on 22/23 September, although Bristol and Cheltenham meet in a West Country derby at Millfield School next Sunday, 16 September (4.30pm).