Southampton Sunday League round-up
FORMER England goalkeeper David James showed his talents with his feet by notching AFC Hutwood’s winner against Madeinheath United to keep them in the Division One title race, but he could be denied his first ever goal on a technicality!
The 53-year-old who made 572 Premier League appearances played a one-off game for Hutwood after the club filled a donation box full of boots.
He played the first half between the sticks but was sent out on to the field in the second where the move paid dividends with his late winner, a free-kick which bounced back off the post and rebounded back into the net off the Madeinheath keeper.
James told BBC Radio Solent; “I kept asking the manager to take me off, fortunately he didn’t as we got a free-kick which I smashed goalbound. It hit the post, then hit the goalkeeper and went in.”
But with Madeinheath’s keeper unlikely to want an own goal against his name, James’s claim to the goal is unlikely to be disputed.
Huy Neyroud scored Hutwood’s opener to keep them in a three-way tie at the top of the table with Chamberlayne and Taurus, although Butlocks Heath look favourites with games in hand.
Wyvern Youth Reds moved into pole position in the Division Three title race with a 4-2 win over leaders Woolston T&L.
Goals from Owen Hurst (2), Mark Sampson and Lewis Nagle moved Wyvern to within two points of Woolston (Shea O’Loughlin,Mitchell Symonds) with four games in hand.
Cottage are still nailed to the bottom of the table after a 6-1 thumping by London Airways who put daylight between themselves and the cellar dwellers.
Chris Brown, James Moriarty, Kevin Bray and Tom Brooker were among Airways scorers, with Tony Holloway providing some scant consolation for Cottage.
Pavilion Panthers won the mid-table Division Five clash with Unathletic Athletic 5-3, thanks to goals from Brad Elkins (2), Josh Ellmore, Mike MacDonald and Max Pitman. Shaun Jones and Billy Taylor replied for Athletic.
AFC Southside clinched edged to a 4-3 win over M&T Sunday with Liam Sinckler, Jack Sheppard a d Lloyd Marande on the money for Southside and Chris Walcroft, Lee Humphrey and Bradley Turner coming with a whisker of earning M&T a point.
