Bracknell Earn Crucial Win Against League Leaders

There were four matches in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South on Tuesday night and three of them saw wins for the away team.

And one of those, crucially, were third-placed Bracknell Town, who travelled across to the Optima Stadium and beat league leaders Weston-super-Mare 3-1 to move to within ten points of the Seagulls with two games in hand.

In front of a crowd of 793, it was the visiting Robins who took a 16th minute lead when Ben Harris fired a cross-shot past Luke Purnell in the Weston goal.

And on 28 minutes, Bracknell stunned the majority in the crowd when he doubled the visitors` lead with a header from a Garry Abisogun cross.

But the hosts were back in the game 5 minutes later when a loose ball in the box fell kindly for Olly Mehew to steer home.

In first half injury-time though, Bracknell restored their two-goal cushion when another Abisogun cross was fired first-time past Purnell.

The second half saw Robins` keeper Michael Eacott forced into a couple of decent saves, but in the main, the hosts were kept at arms-length, limited to long-range efforts or free-kicks.

And Bracknell held firm for what could turn out to be a massive win.

Firth-placed Poole Town moved six points clear of sixth-placed Swindon Supermarine, who play this evening, after beating in-form Merthyr Town 2-0 at the BlackGold Stadium.

Wes Fogden, fresh from signing a new deal as player-coach, gave the Dolphins a 28th minute lead when he forced his way into the Martyrs` box and fired past `keeper Will Fuller.

But Poole were reduced to ten-men around the hour-mark when they had Declan Rose shown a straight red card following a hefty challenge on Callum Ryan-Phillips.

However, the ten-men sealed victory in the 6th minute of stoppage time when Jake Andrews converted a far post cross from fellow substitute Luke Holmes.

Defeat ended a run of three successive 2-1 wins for Merthyr.

Metropolitan Police returned to seventh spot, a point behind `Marine, after winning 1-0 at Bolitho Park against a Plymouth Parkway side who had won their last two matches to lift them up to 11th in the table.

But it was far from easy for Gavin Macpherson’s side.

Met keeper Liam Beach was called into early action to deny Ben Seymour and then Jack Crago’s effort bounced back off a post – all this in the opening 10 minutes.

At the other end, the returning Liam Ferdinand was prevented from giving the Met the lead by Parkway keeper Jack Arthur and the half somehow finished goalless.

But, just seconds after the restart the visitors broke the deadlock when, after Arthur had pulled off a fine save from Herson Alves, Ferdinand was on hand to steer home the rebound.

On the hour-mark, Parkway skipper Ryan Hall saw his 25-yard drive superbly saved by Beach.

And the Met held on, despite a lot of pressure from the Devonians.

Beaconsfield Town are enjoying a decent season to date and they are tenth, four points above Parkway now after winning 2-0 at The Avenue Stadium against an out-of-form Dorchester Town side, who have now gone six games without a win.

The Rams took a 28th minute lead when Elliott Buchanan netted from close range after a neat move.

And they confirmed victory just as the clock ticked into added on time when Sam Granville beat Ryan Hall in the Magpies goal after a quick breakaway.