Southwell City have finally overtaken Keyworth United at the top of the Euro Soccer Nottinghamshire Senior League Premier Division, following a weekend of results which also saw Stapleford Town slip up in their pursuit of championship glory.
Both playing at home, the new leaders, Southwell, would ease to a 4-0 win over visiting, mid-table outfit, FC Sez, Liam Moran notching a hat-trick late on to add to Matthew Newton’s opener; Moran’s treble, coming in the final, twenty-eight minutes, pushed his tally for the season onto seven goals, in seven games.
Meanwhile, at Stapleford, their 4-2 loss at home to Asworth Villa, sees them remain level with Keyworth, Matthew Antcliff bagging a brace for a Villa side currently sitting in sixth place, and slim hopes still of a top five finish.
Clifton All Whites also scored four at the weekend, they collecting a 4-0 win of their own, when away to FC Cavaliers, Lewis Williams at the double, whilst on the Friday night Attenborough won 3-1 at Ravenshead, and the game between Dunkirk and Cotgrave finished in a 2-2 draw, Ashley Kelly and Dam Brakewell with doubles for their respective sides.
Keyworth United withstanding, three of the remaining four sides in the top five can still take the Premier Division title with Southwell (62 pts, three remaining), Stapleford (59 pts, two remaining), and Woodthorpe Park Rangers (55 pts, three remaining) – the other side in the top five, Sandiacre Town (55 pts, two remaining), are now out of the running for the title, but can still finish runners-up.
Watch full game action of Southwell City verses FC Sez via Grassroot T.V
The Division One title is still far from being won, although it has been a two-horse race for some time now, between leaders West Bridgford, and second place Radcliffe Olympic, the latter winning 2-0 away to Ruddington Village, Ed Smyth with a brace, to keep up the pressure, and have two games in hand, with the gap at three points.
Beneath the top two, Top Valley kept their still slim hopes of lifting the title alive, with a comfortable, 4-1 win, at home to Kirton Brickworks, Callum McBride scoring twice to keep up the pressure.
Elsewhere, there was to be away wins for Radford Reserves (4-2 at Stapleford Reserves), FC Geordie (4-1 at Southwell Reserves), and sixth place Beeston OBA, who won 5-1 at Gedling Southbank, Shaun Smith with two there.
Beeston also kept hopes of a top six finish, comfortably seeing off bottom club Calverton Miners Welfare, Gregory Halford with a five-goal salvo in a 7-0 win.
Division Two North champions, Bestwood Colliery, suffered only their second defeat of the season, a horror show away to mid-table AFC Cresswell, for whom Stephen King scored four in a 5-2 win for his side, and Shirebrook Soldiers finished runners-up with a comfortable, 4-0 win, at home to Blidworth Welfare Reds, Ben Charlesworth with a brace.
As for Division Two South, Bingham Town Reserves will finish in third place after their 1-1 draw at home to Keyworth Reserves, Cotgrave Reserves won 3-2 at home to The Rossoneri as Patrick Ferguson hit two, and their spoils were shared at Beeston Reserves, they drawing 2-2 with West Bridgford Reserves.
Applications for the NSL 2022-23 season are now being taken, clubs are being invited to fill in the form on the NSL website here and return to secretary, Zoe Murr, via details on form ASAP.
*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).
*Main image @Grassroot_TV overhead action between Southwell and FC Sez on Saturday.
