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1^st XI: The first team could well have established a sizable lead in the opening quarter against Banbury in the trophy. Dave Harris's pace was causing trouble and Paul Mason was in control of a lot of the attacks. James Frost struck a brilliant reverse stick goal, but Westbury could not build on this early advantage. Banbury were quick on the break and Slider covered 50 metres in double quick time to block a Banbury forward as he shaped to shoot into an empty goal having gone past Neil King. However, they did get an equaliser from a drag flick short corner. Westbury in contrast had not been able to turn their shorts into a goal. The second half was a mirror of the first. Dave Harris was the architect of some good attacks, but it was the visitors who repeated their short corner routine to go 2-1 ahead. Neil Richardson was a driving force in the midfield as Westbury swung the ball round with good control. Neil King made several great stops as he and his defence got to grips with Banbury's short corners. James Frost had back to back chances to score, first with the reverse then from the open side, but shot straight at the keeper. Dave Harris had a surging run, the cross was met with a powerful flick (not sure by whom) it looked bound for the top corner, you could hear the the yell for the goal, only to see the goalkeeper fly across from nowhere, to push the shot out. Banbury had to play the last 5 minutes with ten men after a yellow card, but held out to advance to the quarter final. Team King, Armsby, Haslett, Deakin, Poulsom, Mason, Richardson, Banting A, Harris, Frost, Webster, Moon, Tucker.

1^st XI: Its never easy against Whitchurch who field players on the fringe of the national league, so a 2-1 win is a job well done and 3 more points towards a place in prem 1.

2^nd XI: Snow in Bath caused a postponement.

3^rd XI: Up against 1stXI opposition, the thirds recorded an excellent 4-0 win. Alex Taylor continued his scoring run which now stands at 17 goals in 9 successive games. Steve Carter and Christian Bell added one each. The thirds have put together a 12 match unbeaten run of 9 wins and 3 draws. Next week they take on leaders Robinsons, who they beat at home earlier in the season.

Wanderers: Another 6 goal score line, this being the 6th time that the Wanderers have scored half a dozen goals in a game (plus two 8s and a 9!)

Wizards & warriors: The return match against the Warriors saw the Wizards take a commanding 4-1 lead. Mark Crofts was on target twice, Simon Andrews scored his first goal for the club and Mark Colton (who got two for the Warriors in the first game) got one. The Warriors staged a fight back pulling within one goal of the Wizards. The Warriors scorers were Mssrs Harvey, Thomas and Croker. The Wizards are still in with a chance of winning the title especially as Firebrands lost to W Glos.

Widgets: The Widgets just didn't have the tools to deal with a sharp looking OBs team who were far better than their bottom place suggests. The Widgets were unable to execute simple skills like passing. Brian Callis and Dave Holliday were the exception and worked hard to stem the tide. Will Holmes was looking very skillful, but he was badly beaten up by the home defenders. This was evident from a superb cut inside past the full back who promptly dropped his shoulder and hit him in the face. Will battled away and was checked or stick tackled at least six times and came off feeling battered, bruised and very upset. One home player said that that was the only way he was going to learn to play the game. I'm glad we don't take that attitude. I've always had a lot of respect for O Bs as a sporting club. They won the points today, but they certainly didn't make any friends, especially after Dave Holiday was deliberately tripped up then verbally abused by the guy who tripped him! On a bright note Will Holmes will be a great asset to our club as he adds pace and strength to his game. Let's just hope O Bs haven't put him off playing!

Comments: A great day for the club, as other illustrious clubs are unable to fulfil fixtures, Westbury's seven teams all recorded wins for the first time ever. The Wanderers celebrated winning their championship with a win at Yate. They never had to break into a sweat to do it, although Jimmer was pouring water over himself at half time to give the impression that he had run around. The Wizards secured promotion, the least position they can finish is runners up. The championship still beckons although Firebrands seemed to have gained another win from somewhere and one of their three defeats has dematerialised. They didn't turn up to play O Bs today which will handicap their chances.

1^st XI: The first team won a close encounter with Weston. Phil Meakin writes: For Weston away, think Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. As is becoming traditional we went a goal down but came back strongly to lead 2-1 at half time. We could have made the game safe but with the club captain doing his best to avoid buying the beers by passing off the side of the pitch, to their centre forward and anyone else in a blue shirt and James Frost kicking the ball 6 inches from the goal line, we were making things difficult for ourselves.After their equaliser, Neil Richardson focussed all his aggression (I amazed he had any left after the Robs game) and speared the ball past the keepers head before he could move.A 3-2 win keeps us right in the frame for promotion. It seems the standard for this season has been set by teams lower down the club winning promotion and we have to match it.

2^nd XI: Whitchurch were dispatched back to Wales without any points. Duncan Armsby reports: Another awesome 2nd half performance saw us home against a spirited but unimaginative Whitchurch side. A poor first half saw us play at a gentle pace and we looked ropey at times - not helped by a dire first 20mins from the skipper. As the game wore on, we began to control the play and dominate both territory and possession. Come the last 20mins, we knocked the ball around superbly with an excellent team display and perhaps should even have netted a couple more. We even coped for 10 mins with both Tom Colquhoun and James Pearce-Smith in midfield as Tucker took a well earned rest. Goals: A nice flick from Colquhoun, a stunner from the skipper and a well taken hat-trick from the Neil Moon.

3^rd XI: The third team had a strange match at home to Bristol. They were well in control but found they could not quite break through the visitor's backline. They had to be content with a fairly comfortable 3-0 lead going into the last quarter of the game. Suddenly Bristol found their way forward and scored with two short corners. With the score at 3-2 it could well have been a nail biting finish to the game. That was not to be, because three late strikes put the result out of Bristol's reach. Credit should be given to Ben Jones and Alex Taylor who have been regulars in the Wanderers and stepped up to score 3 and 2 goals respectively. Apart from the short spell when Bristol scored, the thirds showed that they were able to dictate the play. Dave Watkins caught the eye with some surging runs and was unlucky not to score with one very good shot. Andy Pound told umpire Brian Callis that he had a whistling in his ears before the ball crossed the line on one goal, but Brian decided that the goal was good even if he had blown slightly prematurely.

Wanderers: The Wanderers already confirmed as champions found them selves up against a Yate side who battled away for 20 minutes before the Westbury goal machine was able to get into action. The 11 year old home keeper made several very good stops. It took six short corners to get the ball rolling, and it was John Ludley who pulled the loose ball under control and hit it home. Matt Taylor struck a well placed drive for number two. Jimmer made it three from a long way out on another short (well about half a metre, but that is a long way for Jimmer). Steve Millman made it four by half time. The defence kept a firm grip on everything allowing their keeper just one touch of the ball in open play. Matt Taylor played well going down the right wing. The whole team played a simple passing game which enabled them to win easily. Steve Millman and Pete Farrell scored in the second half to make it 6.

Wizards: The Wizards had two goals disallowed in their important home match against N Somerset. The two goals that did count were scored by Mark Crofts. N Somerset scored once themselves. At the final whistle the Wizards were elated that they had achieved promotion as a result of their hard work in winning this match against tough, well organised opposition. With two games to go they need maximum points and trust that Firebrands will slip up to win the division.

Warriors: The Warriors shared 9 goals with Somerset Gryphons. Their 5-4 win was achieved through two goals each from Harry Newington and Pete Thomas. One wonders if Harry's shorts helped mesmorise the home defence as well as his pace and skill going forward. Mike Harvey added another to his impressive total this season.

Widgets: At long last the Warriors squad were all present and with Paul Pritchard injured he juggled his players around. Roger Montegue cleared a S Glos shot off the line before Will Bolem hit the post early on. It was some time before the accurate prompting of veteran Dave Holliday set up Martin Palmer who did really 'Bend it like Beckham' around the visiting keeper. S Glos worked hard and and looked quick on the break. They had several short corners that went wide. In the second half the post denied Westbury again. Dave Holliday then shot at a short corner, Brain Callis picked up the rebound and hammered it home from around the penalty spot. Chris Millman completed the scoring after a melee in the visiting D. This result ensures the Widgets do not have the 'Wooden Spoon' and it was achieved by the players who play regularly for the side.

1^st XI: The first team conceded an early goal at home to Robinsons and faced an uphill struggle to rescue the points. A second half goal cosigned them to a disappointing 2-0 defeat. There were some very sad faces as they came of the pitch, but that shows how much they care about winning. The only bright spot of the day was City of Bath losing.

2^nd XI: The seconds won 2-0 at UC Swansea and spent the weekend on team a bonding exercise in the Taff Valley! Slider reports: The 2nd team's long awaited weekend in Swansea did not disappoint! After the familiar dodgy start, we controlled the majority of the game through a cracking display of patient, disciplined, attacking hockey and thoroughly deserved the 2-0 win. To a man, we were excellent, coming first in every area of the pitch - solid at the back, dynamic in midfield and dangerous up front. The midfield combo of Banting and Tucker proved too much for the Uni boys and Neil Moond popped up at the right time with 2 excellent finishes for his goals in each half.

3^rd XI: The thirds maintained their challenge at the top, with victory at Yate. Carter, Nichols G and Sparks were on target. They are just 4 points behind Robs and Somerset Gryphons with a superior goal difference. Their match against Robs on the last week of the league season just 3 weeks away looks as if it can be very important.

Wanderers: The Wanderers had a titanic battle with a rampant Bristol University side that included a goalkeeper who was doubling up! The Wanderers could have claimed victory by default, but in a close encounter in which they weathered their luck, a single goal from Ian Hipwell brought the win on merit and a second successive championship with 3 games still to be played. CONGRATULATIONS to the Wanderers CHAMPIONS of Bristol & North West Somerset Division 2.

Wizards: Duncan told me this was a thoroughly professional performance from the Wizards. They prepared for the match with great confidence, warmed up in readiness for what could be a potential banana skin against a team that has looked good in matches played against Westbury this season. The Wizards hit W Glos early . Nick Evans opened the scoring, Geoff Rickard got a peach of a goal to make it 2-0, then with less that 15 minutes gone Mark Crofts made it 3. The damage was done, and W Glos could only play catch up. They did pull one goal back, but the Wizards had done an excellent job to seal the points. They now have 36 points, the same as Firebrands who made it 3 successive defeats. The championship beckons!!!

Warriors: Weston took a shock lead early lead against the Warriors who took some time to find the cohesion needed to take control of the game. Mike Harvey skillfully beat several players in the D to flick home an equaliser. Paul Croker then struck a short corner that had been slipped to him, his shot going in off the keeper and the post to the jubilation of the home team. Pete Thomas snatched a third just before the half came to an end. Without ever dominating the game, the Warriors were 3-1 up. They took control of the game giving Weston few opportunities to get back into it in the second period. Sam Parker was in the thick of the action down the right. Mike Harvey scored number 4 as Weston pressed the self destruct button by giving possession away cheaply. A Weston 16 was miss-hit to Jon Bower, who pushed the ball through for Sam Parker to thunder in number 5. With 45 seconds left on the clock, Mike Harvey beat most of the visiting defence before unleashing a scorching shot to complete (amazingly) his first ever hat trick for Westbury. In the bar afterwards he was asking Chris Millman if he could remember his last hat trick in a school match that must have taken place somewhere around 1896!

Widgets: George Banting put together an 'Academy' side to face the Widgets. Gareth Nichols led them to an astonishing first half. With just one senior player (Poker) they played some excellent hockey, with 75% of the team playing their first ever 11-a-side match. The Widgets took an early 2-0 lead as the youngsters got to grips with the large pitch and the pace of the game. Gareth Nichols pulled a goal back, then Paul Croker struck a short corner which Austin Sheppard was unable to get hold of. The ball ricocheting into the net for 2-2. The Widgets took a 3-2 lead, but the Academy struck back with a superb lofted strike from John Fox. The Academy had two proud Westbury players/parents at the match. With their Dave Ratcliffe and son Peter playing and Phil Simon watching (you should have brought your kit Phil!) and son Max playing, the next generation of Westbury were on show. At right midfield Greg Slater showed some great skill going forward and the other lads improved as the game went on. The Widgets experience saw them score 4 times, but the Academy never gave up and Greg Slater scored with a great strike. The future looks good if we can turn this production line into players for the club. All credit to the Sunday coaching. Let's face it as Firebrand shrink to seven sides, Westbury fielded EIGHT teams for the first time ever. There was even talk in the club house afterwards about the need to run an eighth side in the not too distant future. For the Widgets Jamie Cranfield played with great pace and skill, just weight the final ball Jamie and you will be devastating. With two league matches left against S Glos and O Bs, two more wins are not beyond the side. O Bs lost 18-0 to Imperial which shows how well the ten men played last week in losing by a mere 4-1. One wonders whether O Bs will play their last match against us. Last year they cried off and we were fined for it.

1^st XI: The local derby with W Glos ended with the same score as it started! The last time they had a 0-0 draw was in a cup match against Wotton-Under-Edge in January 1999.! The firsts still stay top but City of Bath are 5 points behind with two games in hand. Webster's witterings: As a veteran of 27 previous derby matches filled with guts and stick tackles they all had one thing in common, both teams were desperate to win. So the sound of West Glos cheering at the end of yesterdays dour 0-0 draw was comical if not embarrassing. Their total of not one shot at goal and one short corner tells its own story, but with all the possession, Westbury just couldn't break them down. One goal was always going to be enough and Gary Roper could only look on in frustration as a short corner was given just as he was putting the ball in the net. Heads up though lads another derby next week. Perhaps we should have abandoned the game at half time like the West Glos skipper wanted.

2^nd XI: Illness robbed the second team of too many of their squad so the game was postponed.

3^rd XI: The 3rd team top of the table match with Somerset Gryphons ended 2-2 with goals from Gary Catchpole and Gareth Nichols. With only one team going up it looks as if Gryphons have secured the top spot. The thirds can still make it as runners up as well as look forward to their league matches with the Wanderers next season. That should be interesting!

Wanderers: The Wanderers warmed up for their title decider with Bristol University with a resounding win at W Glos. Word in the bar afterwards said the team never really got into the top gear with the flowing hockey that is their usual trade mark, but never-the-less they ground out a sizable win. Alex Taylor made it 13 goals in seven successive games. Dave Watkins scored twice from midfield, Tom taylor was on target from the penalty spot and Pete Farrell completed the scoring. A win next week against the University will make it a second successive championship for the Wanderers and a chance to test themselves in home and away matches with the thirds next season!

Warriors: The Warriors came back with a comprehensive 5-0 victory from S Glos to revive their push for a top three finish. Sam Banting reported that one of the forwards missed a couple of sitters but did make amends with a goal. Mike Harvey scored twice, Pete Thomas got one, there was a rare goal from Jon Bower and Sam Parker who was accredited with an excellent performance got the fifth.

Widgets: Away to league leaders Imperial, the Widgets bare 11 became 10 when one player failed to find the ground. The Widgets played their socks off. Dave Edward, Martin Rees and Paul Pritchard worked hard in defence. Jay Lutwych gave an all action performance in several roles. Chris Millman played his first ever game at Centre mid and Jamie Cranfield caused all sorts of problems going forward. Martin Palmer was unlucky not to score from several shots and should have had a penalty stoke when the keeper hit his stick when he was a one on one with him. The umpire gave nothing! Imperial managed to score twice in each half. The Widgets made them look quite ordinary and had some good attacks themselves. A quick Palmer free hit gave John Fox the chance to score a consolation goal, which of course he took very well. This was a stirling performance from a much changed team playing one man short. Perhaps we should take a bigger squad, where are the youngsters the side was created for?