CREWKERNE Town took a major stride towards retaining their Premier Division title by beating league leaders Perry Street 2-1.

As a result of the surface of their pitch being in a very bad state, Crewkerne switched the fixture to their opponents’ ground, but the lack of home advantage seemed to make no difference to the so far unbeaten Town side as they took the lead within two minutes of the start with a strike by Adam Dawe.

However, the youthful Street side battled hard and made it difficult for their opponents in an evenly contested first half.

And they fully deserved their equaliser which came ten minutes before the break when they were awarded a penalty that was tucked away by Dan O’Connor.

Crewkerne’s victory was assured on the hour when Jamie Spurdle found the top corner of the net with a superb 20-yard free-kick.

This was the winners’ third triumph over their opponents this season and they now lie a point behind with five games in hand.

At the start of December, West & Middle Chinnock were on target for a top three finish but Saturday’s 4-4 draw at home to Combe St Nicholas reserves brought them their first point in three outings.

Combe started brightly and took a two-goal lead in the opening 20 minutes through Mark Biss and Stuart Bicknell. Simon Loader made it 3-0 with a header following a corner ten minutes later and the Chinnock’s looked dead and buried.

But a Liam Bennett strike and a Mark Cawley double brought the scores level at the break.

When Liam Samways scored early in the second half the home side must have thought they had done enough to claim all three points.

They held on to the lead until an injury time goal by Darren Spurdle brought Combe a share of the spoils.

In the remaining seconds Combe came close to regaining the lead as Ollie Hine volleyed over the bar when in a good position and Jordan Allan was guilty of shooting straight at the keeper with the goal at his mercy.

Misterton beat Ilminster Town Colts 3-2 for the second time this season to widen the gap between themselves and their opponents at the foot of the table.

Dylan Beer and Lee Aspland were on target for the losers, while Sam Tabner, Harvey Saunders and Joe Djeebet hit a goal each for Missy.

Division One Anyone who watched the game at Barrington on Saturday would understand why the home side are favourites to finish top of the division after they outclassed Forton Rangers to stroll to a 9-1 victory.

Andy Whitefield put Barrington ahead in the fifth minute when he received a cross from Tom Perry on the right flank before smashing an unstoppable shot past visiting keeper Adam Smith.

It was the same combination that brought about a second goal four minutes later and before Forton could regroup, Guy Dare ran on to a long ball over the defence to make it 3-0.

The visitors tried to get back into the game and came close to reducing the arrears on a number of occasions as Ethan Jefferson fired wide of the post before Andy Stevenson headed over the bar.

It was Stevenson who produced Forton’s best effort of the half when his shot from the edge of the box appeared to be going into the net at the base of the post, but somehow Barrington gloveman Mark Cullen got down to turn the shot around for a corner.

As the flag kick was cleared down field, the fleet footed Perry took the ball down the right wing before putting in a cross that looked harmless enough until Dave Fowler’s attempted clearance ended up in the back of his own net.

Forton pulled a goal back six minutes after the interval when Lee Richardson’s shot was deflected over Cullen into the roof of the net, but the visitors joy was short-lived as Whitefield completed his hat-trick before Perry netted twice in two minutes to give the home side a six goal lead.

In the final five minutes Whitefield bagged his fourth goal of the afternoon to take his season’s tally to 27 and the scoring was completed when his brother Mike added his name to the scoresheet.

Following a run of seven victories, Netherbury recently suffered defeats in both league and cup against Barrington, but they got back to winning ways with a 3-0 success at Winsham United.

The visitors took the lead after only ten minutes, when a through ball over the top of the defence found Ryan Gall who slotted it into the bottom left of the goal. Netherbury were denied another chance after a close range effort was pushed onto the cross bar and away by keeper Pat Adams and on the stroke of half time a cross was whipped in from the far right for Mark Cuff to head home from close-range.

Netherbury found the back of the net again two minutes into the second half, after the ball bobbled past a Winsham defender, allowing Gall to take advantage and prod it past the keeper.

Ben Smith and Shane Partridge went close for Winsham who had five players missing through unavailability.

Division Two Drimpton extended their lead to eight points by completing the double over visitors Crewkerne Rangers with an 8-2 win.

Murray Legg led the home sides scoring spree with a hat-trick and he was ably assisted by Craig Lodge, Chris Rowswell, Paul Richards and Mark Pearce who contributed a goal each with the total being completed by an own goal.

Crewkerne’s consolation goals came from Steve Dunkerton and Andy Loveless.

Thorncombe move up to second following a 9-3 triumph at Beaminster reserves where Owen Ward, Gary Corey and Joe Hawkins scored for the hosts.

Warren Gabbidon hit three goals for the winners who also had Lee Fisher and Bryan Garrett adding a brace apiece. A John Allen single and an own goal completed the winners scoring.

Mike Blair netted on his debut for Ilminster Town A, but he couldn’t save his new side from a 4-1 home defeat against Combe A. Ross Bicknell (2), Dale Hutter and Andy Foote were the Combe marksmen. Division Three Millwey Rise reserves had suffered defeat twice earlier in the season by Shepton Beauchamp reserves, but the Devonians gained revenge and some much needed points in their bid to stave off relegation with a narrow 1-0 win. Matt Beechey netted the only goal of the game.

The future is beginning to look much brighter for the winners, as their youth set-up is beginning to pay dividends by producing players who will soon make the move in to adult football.

Division Four Four goals from Josh Thomason put pace-setters Merriott Rovers on the way to a 7-2 defeat of visitors Crewkerne Rangers reserves.

Rob Doble and Nick Bacharach were on target for the losers while Rovers total was completed with strikes by Ash Cooper (2) and Gavin Charles.

Andrew Griffin and Matt Gaylard were Chard Rangers reserves’ scorers in a 2-1 win against their counterparts from Farway United.

Bill Bailey Cup Since being promoted together at the end of the last season, the two clubs of Kingsbury and Merriott Dynamos have had contrasting results with Kingsbury holding a top three position and Dynamos looking as if they could get an immediate return to the lower tier of the league.

But in Saturday’s meeting of the two clubs in the first round of the Bill Bailey Cup, it was the Merriott outfit who belied their lowly position in winning by the odd goal in three.

Ross Weatherall and Luke Carver were on target for the winners with Ben Norman replying for the Kings.

Hawkchurch have been steadily climbing the table in recent weeks having suffered just one defeat in their last nine fixtures.

And that good form continued in the cup as they won 3-1 at home to top team Chard United reserves.

It was the visitors who held the upper hand at the interval as they led with a goal from Jamie Brown.

However the Hawks upped their game in the second half and ran out convincing winners with goals from Jack Larcombe (2) and Andy Dymond.

Also through to the next round are Chard Rangers who had to thank Kev Bird, John Duffy, Tomas Frystacky and Tom Warren for the goals that brought a 4-2 victory at Dowlish & Donyatt who replied through John Bartlett and Dan Rogers.

Kenny Hodges Cup The recent revival of Hinton St George continued as they reached the quarter-finals by defeating Drimpton reserves 4-1.

Kenny Forbes moved in to double figures for the winners as he and player/manager Ross Jewell netted two goals each. Adam Tanner was the losers’ lone scorer.

Niall Waterhouse, Craig Coles and Adam Whitehouse netted a goal apiece for Uplyme reserves in a 6-3 defeat at Combe B.

Matt Corrick struck twice for the Slades Cross side whose total was completed with goals by Mike Usher, Graham Cleal, Neil Reed and Chris Denning.

The next round matches, to be played on February 28, are: Chard United All Stars v Merriott Rovers, Combe B v Chard Rangers reserves, Crewkerne Rangers reserves v Farway United reserves, and Hinton St George v Winsham United reserves.

n Leading scorers: Premier Division – 23 Josh Hunter (Beaminster) & Dan Smith (Shepton Beauchamp), 18 Jamie Spurdle (Crewkerne Town), 16 Mark Cawley (West & Middle Chinnock), 15 Richard Hebditch (South Petherton) & Dan Peach (Shepton Beauchamp), 14 Adam Dawe (Crewkerne Town).

Division One – 27 Andy Whitefield (Barrington), 16 Sam Dibling (Millwey Rise), 14 Shane Partridge & Tom Stead (Both Winsham United), 13 Stuart Packer (Chard United) & Andy Stevenson (Forton Rangers).

Division Two – 21 Terry Farrell (Drimpton), 19 Bryan Garrett (Thorncombe), 14 Paul Gold (Crewkerne Town Reserves), 13 Simon Denslow (Crewkerne Rangers), Lee Fisher (Thorncombe), Warren Gabbidon (Thorncombe) & Jon Legg (Waytown Hounds).

Division Three – 20 Liam Male (Chard United Reserves), 16 Andy Dymond (Hawkchurch), 13 Jamie Brown (Chard United Reserves) & Jake Russell (Kingsbury), 12 Jimmy Rees (South Petherton Reserves).

Division Four – 26 Ashley Cooper (Merriott Rovers), 15 Graham Cleale (Combe B), 13 Niall Waterhouse (Uplyme Reserves), 12 Aaron Hole (Crewkerne Rangers Reserves) & Ross Jewell (Hinton St George).