Football: Promoted Sheffield League teams win on their debuts in top flight

Last season’s Division One champions, Royal Earl, made the biggest impact with a 6-1 victory at Handsworth Pub. Most of the damage was done by Mike Towey and Alex Rippon with two goals each, with their others coming from Steve Brammer and Sam Smith. An understrength Handsworth battled away and netted through Ben Shackshaft, but they had their keeper to thank for keeping the score down.

Crookes also won on their CBC Premier start, but they had to come from two down at Woodseats Club before securing a 5-3 victory. Two Lewis Whitaker goals in the first 20 minutes gave Woodseats their lead, but Matt Cowen finished off a cross from Danny Flynn and Joe Jerrison did the same to a Pete Smith cross to bring Crookes level.

A quick breakaway saw Smith then head down for Joel Purkiss to produce a cute finish to put Crookes ahead, but Whitaker completed his hat trick with a low finish before half-time to send the teams in level at the break.

Straight after the break, Cowen headed home his second and just two minutes later a poor throw by the keeper saw Cowen complete his hat-trick and the scoring.

Cotts also took maximum points from their first ever top flight game, winning a real thriller 4-3 at home to Oughtibridge WM. Cotts opened the scoring when Jon Dolan finished off a move of five one touch passes, but Tom Galloway headed the visitors level. Dolan headed his second to put Cotts back in front and soon after, Oughtibridge wasted a great chance to level when Olly Black missed a penalty.

They did level on the stroke of half time though with an Adam Thomas volley, but they fell behind again in the second half when Mike Blythen got in front of his defender to volley home. Blythen then netted his second with a flick over the keeper and although Callum Chambers pulled one back near the end, Cotts held on.

Champions Wadsley Bridge Pheasant was another team to come from two down before winning 3-2 at Wickersley Youth.

It was slightly against the run of play when nice work by Jordan Thomas in the corner gave Ross Johnson the chance to beat the keeper from the edge of the area and put Wickersley ahead. The second half started much the same with Kris Lee-Green hitting a rocket from 30 yards to double Wickersley’s lead, but, within 30 seconds, man of the match Adam Todd pulled one back on his debut. Kane Doughty then levelled, but only the woodwork stops Pheasant going behind again. Pheasant completed the turn round when Jordan Livett turned on the edge of area before finding the bottom corner.

Last season’s runners-up Redmires will be hoping to go one better this time and a 2-1 win at Norton Sportsman was a good start.

Leading scorer Tom Whiting gave Redmires the lead, and although Brad Bowland scored from the penalty spot when Connor Pryde was brought down in the area to bring Sportsman level, Whiting struck again just before half time with what turned out to be the winner.

There was a mixed bag of results for the newly promoted sides in Division One with two wins and two defeats. Last season's Division Two champions Boynton Sports came a cropper, 2-0 at a Chapeltown RBL rebuilding after relegation from the CBC Premier.

RBL took the lead from the penalty spot when the on rushing keeper wiped out Ben Stringer and Elliott Rogan confidently stroked the penalty home. Boynton then had a penalty of their own, but RBL player/manager Joe Hindmarch made a fantastic save to his right to push the ball over the bar. Early in the second half RBL scored their second and decisive goal when a cross cum shot was turned in by the alert Lewis Fletcher, and although Boynton turned the screw, the RBL defence held firm.

The team that was runners-up to Boynton, Sheffield Sixs also drew a blank, losing 3-0 to the team that was promoted in third place, Mosborough Whites. After Sixs had a goal disallowed, Whites took the points with strikes from Luke Walker, Jordan Meadows and Chris Howard.

The other promoted club to win was Colley as they came from behind with two late goals to beat local rivals Civil Sports 4-3. It was against the run of play when Colley took the lead through Christopher Onjia and they doubled their lead when Matt Jebson nicked another before half time. Civil came out of the blocks quickly after the break and pulled one back when Wes Bamford lobbed the keeper, before Tom Bamford levelled from the penalty spot.

Shane McKay then put Civil ahead, but they then seemed to sit back and allow Colley back into the game, so it was no surprise when Ian Sharland planted a free kick into the bottom corner to bring Colley level.

Deep into injury time the Civil keeper rolled the ball out to Colley’s Ildephonse Hussain who stroked the ball into an empty net to spark mass celebrations for the home side.

Another relegated club to get off to a good start was Intake Old Boys as two Mark West goals helped them to a 3-1 victory at Norton Oaks. After Lewis Trevett had headed Oaks in front, a mistake allowed West to fire home the equaliser. West netted his second ten minutes into the second half, before an own goal sealed the points for Intake.

Not much has changed at Ranch - after all their home games last season produced 7 goals per game, their first this season saw eight goals, but it was visitors Cobden View that won 5-3 to go home with the points.

Two Ben Bell goals put Cobden in charge and even though Jay Lindsay pulled one back for Ranch, Sam Porter restored Cobden’s two goal lead before the break. Alex Pursehouse and Tim Pitt added two more for Cobden before Matt Jacobs and Tom Burns made the scoreline more respectable for Ranch.

Two of the clubs new to the League got off to good starts in Division Two. A Joel Cousins hat-trick helped an impressive Eckington Boys to a 6-1 victory at Prince of Wales. Eckington’s others came from Ben Beever, Tom Pickering and an own goal, whilst Prince’s consolation came from Tom Furniss.

The other new club off to a winning start was Killamarsh Juniors who beat Mosborough Reds 3-2.

A David Singh free kick put Killamarsh ahead and a quick break by Adam Tunnard saw him lob the keeper to double their lead. Jake Leonard’s free kick beat everyone to pull one back for Reds, but a mistake by the Reds keeper allowed Alex Platton to restore Killamarsh’s two goal lead.

A second Leonard free kick found the net with the help of a deflection by a defender to pull Reds back into it again and they should have levelled before the break, but missed an open goal. Reds pressed for an equaliser in the second half, but missed chance after chance and had one ruled out for offside.

Shakey were anything but that as a Cory Mann double and Steven Dickinson and Lewis Armstrong strikes helped them get off to a winning start 4-1 at Cadbury. Josh Grant pulled one back for Cadbury, and they had a better second half, but the Shakey defence held firm.

Two clubs new to the League met in Round 1 of the League Twentytwo Cup and, with the help of a Tom Davis double it was Nether Green that went through, 5-1 at New Bohemians. Jack Hollis-Smith, Brad Smith and Luke Baldrey netted Green’s others with Tom Burbeary scoring for Bohemians with a bullet header.

Jordan Beardsley also scored twice as another new team, Darfield United, went through with a 3-1 home win over Brinsworth Phoenix. Elliott Phelan scored in between Beardley’s two to put Darfield three up and Phoenix missed a chance to get back into the game when they missed from the penalty spot just before half time. Phoenix did pull one back through Mark Thornton in the second half, but never really threatened to get back into it.

The other Twentytwo Cup tie saw Wadsley Jack Athletic go through 4-1 at Beighton Magpies. Lewis Smith with two, Kurtis Westerman and Jacob Walkland with one each netted for Wadsley, whilst Lewis Hunt scored for Beighton.

FIXTURES

15-Sep SUN SEN CUP Norton Sportsman v Royal Earl; Terminus Tavern v Crookes; Wickersley Youth OV v Oughtibridge WM; Woodseats Club v WB Pheasant.

CBC PREMIER Stannington Village v Handsworth Pub.

DIVISION 1 Boynton Sports v Civil Sports; Cobden View v Colley; Intake Old Boys v Mosborough Whites; Southey Social v Chapeltown RBL; Woodhouse JFC v Ranch.

DIVISION 2 Brinsworth Phoenix v Beighton Magpies; Cadbury v Prince of Wales; Eckington BFC v Killamarsh Juniors; Mosborough Reds v Darfield United; Nether Green v Shakey; Wadsley Jack Ath v New Bohemians.