LOCAL football round up Division 2B THE Vine did their promotion hopes no harm with a well-earned 2-1 win against third placed Huntingdon United RGE. A cagey first half saw Huntingdon take the lead which they held on to until half-time. The Vine respond

LOCAL football round up

Division 2B

THE Vine did their promotion hopes no harm with a well-earned 2-1 win against third placed Huntingdon United RGE. A cagey first half saw Huntingdon take the lead which they held on to until half-time. The Vine responded well in the second half with in-form Kinder Mann scoring after great work from Grant Spencer. The Vine now had the momentum and began to dominate proceedings. Then, after a slick passing move involving Spencer and Mann, Jon Cutter volleyed home the winning goal at the back post to really put the pressure on the teams above them in the league.

Witchford '96 bagged six points and eight goals as they romped to victories against Milton Reserves 4-0 and March Rangers 4-2. Michael Ward scored twice in midweek against Milton with Richard Martin and Ben Barnwell also on the scoresheet. On the Saturday, it was Ward who struck a superb hatrick against Rangers to help '96 to a narrow victory. Adam Richards also notched when the match was deadlocked at two each to give Witchford sight of three points before the section's top scorer Ward nipped in again to make sure.

Pymoor had mixed fortunes this week as they fell to League Leaders Tuddenham Rovers by three goals to one where Pymoor's Steve Tuck enjoyed a goal and then two yellow cards as he was dismissed in a hard-fought encounter. Pymoor then salvaged a point during their away game against Burwell as they drew 2-2.

Kershaw Premier

LITTLEPORT Town's bad week got worse as they lost 3-0 at Hundon at the weekend. This followed their narrow Cliff Bullen Cup Final defeat in midweek that capped off seven days to forget for Port.

Ely City Reserves also have reason to banish all memories of their visit to Lakenheath on Saturday as they were humbled 9-3 in an entertaining match where they also struck the woodwork three times. The Robins' Reserves made a disastrous start with a much-changed team as they went four goals down after just 15 minutes. They fought back valiantly through Simon Farrow and Dean Salmons before the last kick of the first half went in for Heath meaning that at half-time they were 5-2 down. City then imploded in the second half as Lakenheath made it 9-2 after 70 minutes with Adam Clements claiming Ely's final consolation goal 10 minutes later.

On an appalling day for the local sides in this section, Fordham also succumbed 4-2 to Over Sports. Over took the lead before hot shot and Peter Crouch doppelganger Mark Mepham grabbed a brace to make it six goals in two games for him and put his side 2-1 up at the break. Over were handed a penalty almost immediately in the second half and converted to bring them on level terms. Sports then ran away with it and scored twice more before the final whistle blew to further decrease Fordham's hopes of staying in this division next season.

Senior B

PROMOTION hopefuls Soham United, endured the highs and lows that football so often provides as they humiliated top of the table side Linton Granta 4-1 in midweek before falling to a last minute winner on the Saturday to West Row Gunners.

Jonathan Brown with a brace, Liam Eley and Lee Moll were the scorers as Soham achieved their memorable win at Linton and struck the bar on two further occasions as they ran riot against this section's long-time leaders. This was soured though by the next result against West Row as even though Eley struck first for United with a shot from the edge of the box, a dubious penalty for the Gunners made it one each. Cruelly for Soham this was not the last bit of bad luck to come their way as West Row struck with seconds remaining to take away all three points and dent United's hopes of going up this season.

Haddenham Rovers also had mixed results this week as they lost their midweek clash with Comberton United 5-2 at home before gaining a point at home to Fowlmere at the weekend in 2-2 draw. Will Ludbrooke notched twice against Comberton in a losing display and it was the same player's 85th minute equaliser that salvaged a point against Fowlmere. Earlier, Rovers' Phil Harle had scored the opener for Rovers with a fine effort from 20 yards.

Division 1B

BOTTOM club Sutton United suffered two more hammer blows to their hopes of remaining in this division next season as they lost twice in the week at home to Eaton Socon Reserves and Waterbeach Reserves 3-1 and 2-1 respectively. Wayne Newman was the lone Sutton goalscorer on both days as United's relegation struggle continues.

Littleport Town Reserves missed a penalty, hit the crossbar and post three times each and even managed a goal as they disappointingly drew 1-1 at second bottom strugglers Bottisham Sports. Goal-machine Scott Dews was the only man on target for Port with a drive from the edge of the penalty area as they fought back from Bottisham's shock opener that came from their only shot on goal in the whole match.

Division 3B

ARRON Hodson almost single-handedly hauled Little Downham Swifts back into the promotion picture as he scored three times in two games as Swifts drew 2-2 at home to league leaders Earith United and beat Brampton Reserves 2-1 away.

Hodson scored one with his head in midweek as well as Swifts' second, as Earith could not find a winner in a tight stalemate and then the same man opened the scoring against Brampton as he walked the ball past a stunned keeper. Sam Males got the winner as Downham got their season back on track.

Fordham Reserves won the vital relegation six-pointer at Exning United in the week as an own goal from Exning's centre back began the scoring before United pegged them back with a penalty. Thomas Wilson scored with his head from a corner to give desperate Fordham a great win. This was tempered by a 3-1 defeat at Isleham United as Marco Prates's strike equalised Isleham's first goal that came direct from a corner.

Isleham also gained two more points in the week as they drew 1-1 at Estover Park and by the same scoreline at home to Ely Crusaders.

Mepal Sports grabbed a creditable 1-1 draw at home to high-flying Chatteris Town Reserves despite being a goal down at the half. Left back Tristan Frear made his mark by equalising with a fine finish from the edge of the area.

Ely Crusaders had more games on a packed week where they played four times in seven days as they drew at home to Hemingfords United 'A' one goal each and ended up the week by losing 5-3 to Stretham Hotspurs with Hotspurs' Sam Ashman getting three, Michael Beeby and Oliver Lepage-Dean adding the extras.

Division 4B

HADDENHAM Rovers Reserves won one and lost one this week as Marcin Skowryski was their only scorer in a 3-1 defeat to West Row Gunners Reserves but they made up for this with a cracking 4-2 home victory against Chatteris Town 'A'. Richard Conway scored twice with Ally Gilbert and Sam Barber adding the others.

Wicken Amateurs secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Gransden Chequers and Soham United Reserves kept their fine run going by drawing 1-1 with Tydd United. United took the lead when Matt Cook delivered a great cross to the back post for Matty Waters to head home. Barnfather then stopped a penalty before Tydd rifled one home to leave both teams with one point each.

Division 5C

UNBEATEN league leaders Bar Hill Sports and Social arrived at Little Downham Swifts Reserves with an army of supporters hoping to acclaim their side's promotion that they needed with a win, but went away with their tails between their legs having been humbled by the in-form Swifts.

Jordan Alexander, Dan Hines and Gareth Draper scored for Downham as they won 3-1. Bar Hill missed two penalties as well on a bad day for the Champions-elect. Conversely, Swifts lost away to bottom club Sutton United in midweek by the same 3-1 scoreline as Richard Rowe, Matthew Lewin and Mark Foster struck for United with only Draper able to reply for Swifts.

Mepal Sports Reserves promotion push took a dent as they lost at home to Longstanton Reserves 8-1 in midweek and then went down to Girton United 'A' 5-2 on the Saturday. Top scorer Mark Finbow notched in both games and Gavin Morgan also scored against Girton for Mepal.

Witchford '96 Reserves were swept aside away to Elsworth Sports Reserves 4-0 in the only other game in this section.