Avon keep on track for treble

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Tuesday, March 03, 2009
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This is Bristol

Avon Youth League Cups: Avon Athletic A stayed on course for a treble trophy triumph as they reached the Avon Youth League Under-13 Cup final with a 6-2 semi-final win over Avon Athletic B at Hallen.

The B side shocked the reigning league champions by taking an early lead through Dan Davison.

But the Division I table-toppers hit back to lead 2-1 at half-time thanks to goals from Jordan Ricketts and Luke Pullen.

Reece Purnell extended the advantage from long-range after the break before Jake Britton, Jamie Matthews and Louis Rogers added further goals.

Rory Langdon netted a consolation for Avon B but, with a GFA semi-final to come, Avon A are closing in on a remarkable achievement.

Mitch Smitheram's penalty ensured St Aldhelms Under-12s pipped league leaders Yate United 1-0 to reach a final for the first time in their history.

With their midfield trio of Smitheram, Callum Wheeler and Jamie Roberts controlling the game, Saints created several chances in the first half but failed to take them.

The breakthrough came when centre-forward Ryan Spillane was brought down following a fine solo run and Smitheram converted emphatically from the spot. Further chances were missed by both teams, which made for an exciting finish, but Saints held on.

Their opponents in the final will be Keynsham Town Juniors A, who recorded a superb 3-2 victory at home to previously-unbeaten Warmley Rangers.

Dan Colquhoun fired home from 10 yards following a Kieran Thomas cross to put Keynsham in front.

Harry Neil doubled the lead, poking home Sam Jarman's through ball, and when Callum Fry punished a defensive mistake early in the second half it looked like game over at 3-0.

However Warmley staged a stunning fightback, scoring twice within five minutes to set up a tense finish.

The Keynsham defence of keeper Rory Coles, who pulled off two top-class saves, Jack Dancey, Jamie Gregory, Ollie Richards and star man Charlie Brain, held firm, while good performances by Sam Black, Luke Wilson and Mike Ollis helped see Keynsham through to a second cup final appearance in four years.

Bristol Rovers SC beat DRG Stapleton 4-3 in a classic cup tie to book their place in the Under-15 Cup final.

Their prospects looked bleak when they fell 2-0 down, but Dom Haugh- Stewart scored Rovers' first goal, direct from a free-kick, and the same player got on the end of Billy Bond's free-kick to pull them level on 25 minutes.

Both sides created chances after that but neither was able to stop the game going into extra-time.

Rovers finally edged in front in the final period of the additional minutes when Aidan Crowley headed the ball back across the box for Tom Shopland to head in from close range. DRG pushed for an equaliser and a great ball through ball picked out their striker, who finished well from 18 yards.

But the drama wasn't over as, with one minute left, Bond's corner found Crowley in space to force home the winner and book a final against AEK Boco A, 1-0 winners over Henbury Colts in the other semi-final.

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