Somerset Premier

Clutton 2 Bishops Lydeard 7

BISHOPS Lydeard head into the final two games of the season knowing four points will be enough to seal the league title, after victories over Clutton and Shirehampton ensured their fate remained in their own hands.

Goals from Charlie Wilson, Joe Chamberlain, Mark Clunie and Ryan Andrews fired Lydeard to an impressive 4-2 victory over reigning champions Shirehampton on Saturday - before further goals from Wilson and Clunie, together with strikes from Jack Adams, Pat Sherwood (2), Jack Kelly and Andy Butler, saw them come from behind to beat Clutton 7-2 on Tuesday night.

The Clutton match proved to be a tricky encounter and the home side opened the scoring on ten minutes from a well taken free-kick.

This spurred Lydeard into action, and after a period of intense pressure a penalty was awarded when Joe Chamberlain was brought down in the box. Jack Adams strode up and confidently scored.

Pat Sherwood put the Bishops ahead 30 seconds after the break, but once again the hosts levelled the score within ten minutes from another set piece.

There then followed a period of play where Lydeard did everything but score, and with 20 minutes to go the score was locked at two each, and it looked like a draw was on the cards, but once again that man Clunie was influential in driving Lydeard forward, and the flood gates soon opened.

Charlie Wilson got on the end of a cross by Chamberlain to make it 3-2, man of the match Clunie broke clear of the defence and blasted in the fourth, Pat Sherwood capped a fine performance with a well taken shot from 20 yards, and Jack Kelly got in on the act with a goal from close range.

Finally, Andy Butler headed home after a well taken free-kick from Clunie and 7-2 was the final score.

Shirehampton were the visitors on Saturday and man of the match Mark Clunie opened the scoring with a 30-yard pile driver on five minutes.

At 1-0 at half-time it was always going to be a tight nervy encounter, but Ben Hebditch made it 2-0 on 60 minutes with a smartly taken goal from close range.

Shire pegged it back to two each soon after with two quick fire goals from their prolific strikers, who have been terrorising county league defences all season, and the game, at this point, could have gone either way.

With Shire looking favourites to take all three points, Charlie Wilson had other ideas and he cut in from the right and rifled in an unstoppable shot from 25 yards.

With the game drawing to a close, Joe Chamberlain scored his 24th goal of the season after good work from the classy Clunie.

Tonight (Thursday) Cutters Friday are the penultimate visitors, and if Lydeard take all three points, then a point against Nailsea and Tickenham on Saturday would see them crowned County Premier division champions.