British Lion Football Club

Competition         Opponent                           Score

Friendly      A       Bromham FC                     Won 7-3

Friendly      H       The Crown Devizes             Won 5-1

League       H       Blue Circle                         Won 7-2

League       A       AFC Calne                         Lost 0-3

League       H       Sir Audley Arms                 Drew 0-0

Cup            H       Westbury Rangers A          Lost 2-4

League       A       Corsham Park Rangers       Won 7-1

League       H       Somerford                          Drew 4-4

League       A       Trowbridge Town SC           Won 5-2

League       A       North Star B                       Won 2-0

League       A       Rowde Dynamos                 Lost 1-2

League       A       Wheatsheaf                        Drew 3-3

League       H       AFC Calne                          Lost 0-2

League       A       Blue Circle                          Won 7-1

League       H      Rowde Dynamos                  Won 3-0

League       A       Pack Horse Rangers            Won 4-0

League       H       Trowbridge Town SC            Won 4-1

League       A       Somerford                           Won 4-0

League       H       Westbury Rangers B            Won 4-0

League       A       Sir Audley Arms                   Drew 3-3

League       H       North Star B                         Won 4-0

League       H       Wheatsheaf                          Won 2-0

League       A       Westbury Rangers B             Lost 2-1

League       H       Corsham Park Rangers         Won 6-0

League       H       Fascia Graphics                    Drew 1-1

Friendly      A       Pig & Whistle                        Won 5-1

League       A       Fascia Graphics                    Won 3-0

League       H       Pack Horse Rangers              Won 11-0

Corsham Park Rangers minus several of their key players hosted a Bar OC side returning to the strength of last season.

The opening exchanges indicated how open a game this was going to be.  Bar OC’s, Danny Powell heading over Mikey O’Donnell’s corner within two minutes and at the other end, Mike Blunsdon was only denied by a sharp save by Mark Stonestreet.  On 12 minutes, a corner from Corsham’s Ashley Rich found Blunsdon but his header flashed across the Bar OC box.

The reply was decisive.  Danny Powell turned Kevin Streeter and although Luke McFarlane did well to push his shot onto the post, Rob Drown gleefully tapped home the rebound to make it 1-0 to the visitors.  The game continued to flow from end to end and then exploded in six crazy minutes on the half hour. 

Bar OC extended their lead when Tom Paget bundled the ball through to Powell whose left-footed finish was sublime.  Four minutes later, Andrew Webster met Duncan Biggin’s long free kick first time and it was 3-0.  A minute later a mirror of the previous goal to make 4-0 – this time Mark Stonestreet’s long kick was clinically finished by Powell. And straight from the kick off, Warren Jones pulled a goal back when he cut inside and drilled a right foot drive past Stonestreet.

Corsham nearly grabbed another straight after when sloppy play from Bar OC resulted in Luke Wolf charging down Stonestreet’s kick and seeing the rebound roll just wide of the goal.  Bar OC should have extended their lead twice just before the break.  Firstly, Stuart Beeho did enough to deflect Webster’s shot over the ball and from the resulting Craig Watt corner, Paget inexplicably headed over from five yards.

The next goal was going to be decisive and Bar OC effectively killed the game in another six-minute burst straight after the interval.  Dave Crawford headed the ball clear, Drown flicked on and Webster shrugged off a last ditch challenge before firing home.  The Bar OC battering ram completed his hat-trick, and visitor’s sixth, from close range three minutes later when the brilliant Powell held the ball up before splitting the defence with a killer ball.  Powell got his well-deserved hat-trick three minutes with a great solo strike from the edge of the box to make it 7-1.

Corsham won a penalty on 57 minutes when O’Donnell was adjudged to have handled on the edge of the Bar OC box. Any dispute over the decision became irrelevant as Stonestreet smartly turned aside George Bentley’s spot kick.  Corsham threw bodies forward but they were always going to get caught on the counter.  John Stockman and Biggin linked well before setting Drown free from the halfway line.  His early strike comfortably gathered by McFarlane. With time running out, Powell presented Paget with a gift from three yards but he amazingly shot wide.

Rowde Dynamos 2 Bar OC 1 – 13 November 2005

The much-awaited derby between Rowde Dynamos and Bar OC took place in front of an eager crowd at Sands Lane.

It was Bar OC who started the quickest out of the blocks, and in the opening minutes, Danny Powell found Andrew Webster in space, but his shot was comfortably saved by Ashley Robinson in the Rowde goal.  Despite being on the back foot during the opening exchanges, it was Rowde who grabbed a crucial lead on 9 minutes.  Jamie Selby’s corner was only partially headed clear by Darren Brown, and Martin Robinson’s volley was turned home by Ray Clements.

Bar OC roared back and two minutes later, Ashley Robinson acrobatically turned over Webster’s 25-yard free kick.  The resulting corner from Mikey O’Donnell found Dave Crawford at the back post, but the big central defender’s header flashed wide.  Bar nearly scored on 15 minutes when midfielder Tom Paget headed a loose ball past Ashley Robinson only for the other Robinson to scramble off the line.  Powell then rounded Robinson to put the ball in the Rowde net, but this was surprisingly ruled out for offside.  Powell blasted over on 20 minutes, and it seemed it was only a matter of time before the visitors equalised.  Rowde always looked dangerous on the break, and Ashley Edwards’s 25-yard strike only just whistled wide of Mark Stonestreet’s goal.

On 34 minutes, Powell again rounded the keeper, but Craig Whitbread somehow hooked the striker’s shot off the line.  Jamie Mullens had so far been kept fairly quiet, but the Devizes Town striker showed his ability on 37 minutes when losing his marker, his 18 yard strike rattled Stonestreet’s crossbar.  Just before the break, O’Donnell’s clever set piece allowed Powell to unleash a vicious 20-yard volley – the ball striking teammate Crawford and deflecting wide.  Robinson saved Rowde again in the dying seconds of the half to prevent Duncan Biggin’s close range header.

Rowde should have extended their lead straight after the break.  Mullens found a yard of space, and Stonestreet superbly blocked his close range shot.  Bar OC deservedly equalised straight after.  Biggin’s ball found Paget who released Rob Drown in full stride and the midfielder slotted home from 12 yards.  Powell then blasted wide on 51 minutes and it looked like the visitors would claim both points.  However, Rowde dug deep and slowly clawed their way back into the game.  The tricky Mullens weaved a merry path on the hour, and when it looked certain he would score, Stonestreet stood firm and turned his shot aside.

With game looking like it would fade into a draw, there was still time for a few moments drama.  On 82 minutes, Drown set up Crawford and his rasping drive was brilliantly turned over by Ashley Robinson to the dismay of the visitors.  The save became more significant, as another lapse in the Bar OC defence two minutes later allowed Mullens to fire home a last gasp winner.

Wheatsheaf 3 Bar OC 3 - 27 November 2005

Wheatsheaf and Bar OC shared the points in a thrilling six goal encounter at Goatacre.  Bar OC started strong but it was Wheatsheaf's Andy Law who put the home side ahead when his speculative lob drifted over Mark Stonestreet.  Richard Bowden then made it two before the break and it looked like the visitors would lose their thrid game of the season.

However, a couple of switches in at half time saw Bar OC step up their perforamance in the second period and they pulled a goal back on 56 minutes when Tom Paget's long range shot trickled past Lee White in the Wheatsheaf goal.  John Stockman, now thrown up front in the second period, scored his first goal for the club as Bar OC equalised on 67 minutes.  The visitors were now totally in control and when subsititute Craig Watt scored from the penalty spot six minutes later, it looked Bar OC had completed a remarkable come back. 

It was not to be as with eight minutes left a Gavin Cox corner curled in the wind into the top corner of the Bar OC goal to give the home side a point.

Bar OC 0 AFC Calne 2 – 11 December 2005

A  foggy and frosty morning greeted the players of Bar OC and AFC Calne at Bromham.

Like most encounters between these two sides, the game started cagily and chances were few and far between.  However, Calne took the lead on 13 minutes when the livewire, Dean Fry cut inside Dave Crawford and unleashed a low drive that from 25 yards that beat Mark Stonestreet’s despairing dive.  Although missing both regular starting strikers, Bar OC seemed unphased and three minutes later, Mikey O’Donnell’s 22-yard free kick was only parried by Aaron Ward and the ball scrambled away before a green shirted player could drill home the rebound.

The influential Simon Dance tested Stonestreet on the half hour but the Bar OC goalkeeper smartly turned aside his fierce 30-yard strike.  Bar OC should have equalised on 37 minutes.  John Stockman did well to hold off Sam Parrish and teed up Rob Drown but from 15 yards and the goal at his mercy, the midfielder shot wide.  Three minutes later, the legs of goalkeeper Ward denied Stockman and Drown fired the rebound over.  With Bar OC looking like they would grab an equaliser, the half ended on 40 minutes much to the bewilderment of both sides’ managers.

Just before the hour Calne could have extended their lead when Dance’s vicious left-foot volley whistled over the bar with Stonestreet helpless.  The home side raised their game and Calne were forced to defend resolutely.  The introduction of Tom Evans to the game nearly immediately brought dividends when on 65 minutes the striker was clattered in the box.  With the home side appealing for a penalty, Stockman fired the loose ball against the bar and over. 

Bar OC were awarded a controversial penalty on 69 minutes when Evans was alleged to have been brought down by Craig Fry and resulted in a rather unpleasant melee.  However, Ward brilliantly saved Crawford’ penalty to preserve Calne’s lead.  Ward again came to the rescue on 75 minutes to deny Drown and 2 minutes later Evans narrowly hooked his shot wide.

Calne’s attacks were now becoming sporadic but Jason Matthews had a chance to seal the points with 5 minutes remaining when Aaron Clegg’s cross was palmed away by Stonestreet.  However, Calne’s player/manager clipped his shot over from close range.

In the dying seconds, Evans’ cross found Luke Hunneyball but his shot was deflected wide.  The resulting corner found Fran Fife but somehow his shot was cleared off the Calne line.  Further salt was rubbed into the wound as with virtually the last kick of the game. Gerry Thompson brought down Calne substitute Shaun Ward and the spotkick was calmly despatched by Dance to make it 2-0.

Old rivals Bar OC and Rowde Dynamos meet at a cold and overcast Jubilee Fields in a top of the table clash in Division 3.

Rowde’s star spangled side started brightly and Marcus Wallen tested Mark Stonestreet in the third minute – the keeper doing enough to brilliantly block the strikers volley and allow Mikey O’Donnell to clear the lines.  Despite a much-weakened side it was Bar OC who took the lead on 7 minutes.  Rob Drown powered into the box and his shot was charged down by Jamie Selby’s hand.  Tom Paget clinically despatched the penalty.

Former Bar OC and Crown striker and now Rowde wingback Rob Mitchell tested Stonestreet on 15 minutes but the keeper was sharp enough to turn his 20-yard shot round.  The visitors were further punished straight after when a slick Bar OC move ended up with Luke Enderby’s cross being turned into his own net by the unfortunate Martin Robinson. 

Bar OC should have extended their lead on 22 minutes when Enderby’s measured cross left strike partner John Stockman with a great chance at the back post.  The former Rowde player’s header went wide.  The lively Wallen pounced on a half chance on 28 minutes but Stonestreet comfortably saved the striker’s shot.  Rowde paid the price a minute later.  Danny Rawlings playing in an unusual right sided position powered his way through and set up Enderby who calmly slotted home to make it 3-0.

A rejuvenated Rowde started the second period and nearly scored immediately. Nathan Emm was left in space and only the bravery and skill of Stonestreet denied the Rowde striker from close range.  Two minutes later Dave Crawford came to Bar OC’s rescue with a last ditch tackle to deny Wallen.

On the counter Bar OC nearly got a fourth when midfield maestro Drown set free Rawlings.  The young defender’s shot was clawed away by Robinson.  Rowde’s midfield general Nathan Moffat fired a 20-yard strike but Stonestreet again saved comfortably.

Bar OC sat on their 3-0 lead, but still looked dangerous on set pieces. O’Donnell pinged in another free kick and Stockman’s close range shot somehow flew straight into Robinson’s hands.  Stockman still had time for glory against his old team but when set up by Crawford and Luke Hunneyball he rolled his close range shot wide.

Bar OC took the points to give retiring manager Phil Oliver a happy farewell present.

Pack Horse Rangers 0 Bar OC 4 - 15 January 2006

Bar OC visited Pack Horse Rangers at Stanley Park in Chippenham looking to continue their current good form.

With difficult playing conditions underfoot, Bar OC were on the back foot early on but seemed to cope with the home side's threat with the giant Shahram Hemmati leading the line. However, it was Bar OC who broke the deadlock mid-way through the first half through Fran Fife's neat finish.  Bar OC now took control of the game but were unable to score furthe before the interval.

The second half began with the away side continuning to dominate and they scored a second thanks to Tom Paget's sweet strike from the corner of the penalty box following an exquisite through ball from Duncan Biggin.  Paget had a great chance to net once again only a minute later as he found himself unmarked at the far post only two yards out, but incredibly he scuffed his effort rather embarrassingly to the relief of the home side.

A half fit John Stockman came off of the bench to make it 3-0 with his first touch when he calmy slotted home after being left unmarked in the Rangers penalty area.  This proved to be the final nail in the coffin for Rangers as Bar OC took complete control from here on. Darren Brown scored a 4th goal via a wicked deflection with just a few minutes left from the edge of the box.

Crawford could of notched his first goal for the club from a bullet header in the dying minutes, had it not been for fellow team-mate Paget's inexcusable deflection away from the far bottom corner of the goal.

A cold and misty morning at Bromham greeted highflying Bar OC and an improving Trowbridge Town Supporters Club.

With neither side taking a grip, the game started with a midfield tussle as both teams tried to gain supremacy.  Bar OC’s first chance came on 8 minutes when Luke Enderby’s cross was sweetly struck first time by Luke Hunneyball but flew wide of Rob Newton’s goal. Four minutes Mark Hulland was set up Danny Powell’s header but before the midfielder could shot, Ben John slid in to the rescue.  A minute later, Hulland met Enderby’s cross but Andy Pickernell did enough to deflect the shot wide. The resulting corner was header over by an unmarked Powell.

With Bar OC now taking control of the game, Newton came to Trowbridge’s rescue on several occasions.  On 23 minutes he bravely blocked Enderby’s close range effort and on the half hour acted smartly to grasp the striker’s deflected 18-yard drive.

Newton was posing a difficult obstacle to beat and with John and Dave Hyde marshalling Trowbridge’s backline, it was becoming very frustrating for the home side.  The opener came on bang on halftime.  Rob Drown missed Fran Fife’s cross first time round but he gleefully blasted home when a skewed clearance ended up back at his feet.

Enderby’s work rate was tireless and his all round game deserved a goal.  He had another chance three minutes after the break following god work from Powell and Darren Brown but shot wide.  Bar OC got their second on 65 minutes.  Enderby pulled then ball back to Mark Hulland who beat two tackles before hitting the net from edge of the box.

 Mark Hulland skips past two tackles before scoring Bar OC's second

Two minutes later, Enderby and Powell set up Drown but the midfielder’s cross shot whistled wide of Newton’s back stick.  Newton acted smartly four minutes later to grasp Powell’s 30-yard free kick when it looked like it might creep past him. Bar OC’s domination was not reflected by goals and this nearly came to haunt them.

On 77 minutes, Trowbridge were gifted a penalty when Nick Buckle fell over in the Bar OC penalty area without anyone appearing to touch him.  Steve Munday tucked away Trowbridge’s only shot of the game.  Two minutes later Newton again came to the visitor’s rescue when he tipped over Enderby’s rasping drive but could do nothing on 84 minutes as Danny Powell weaved his way through to tap in from six yards.

Trowbridge's Johnny Grogan prevents Bar OC's Duncan Biggin from getting his shot in

With time running out their was still time for centre half Dave Crawford to crack a 25 yard pile driver onto Newton’s left-hand post and for Tom Evans to bundle home Bar OC’s fourth from Luke Hunneyball’s cross.

Somerford 0 Bar OC 4 – 29 January 2006

For the first occasion in some time, Somerford were able to field a full strength side for the visit of a weakened Bar OC side.

With the wind in their favour, Bar OC dominated from the start and it wasn’t long before Paul Whittaker was called into action.  On three minutes he smartly turned aside Rob Drown’s 20-yard shot and a minute later acrobatically tipped Gerry Thompson’s volley onto the bar. 

The wind prohibited Somerford from getting forward but stand-in goalkeeper Dave Crawford did well on the quarter of an hour to block Rawlins’ close range effort.  With three strikers unavailable, Mark Hulland played up front for Bar OC and he was denied only again by Whittaker’s agility five minutes later.  The keeper superbly saving Hulland’s 15-yard strike.  Duncan Biggin then headed Mikey O’Donnell’s corner over as the away team struggled to break down Somerford’s resilient defence.

The breakthrough came on 30 minutes.  Another O’Donnell corner was headed down to Hulland, and this time the 15 yard shot was good enough to beat Whittaker.  Bar OC continued to throw bodies forward, as Somerford tried to hang until the break.  Biggin flashed another header wide of the goal from a Drown corner and right on half time Hulland rolled his shot wide after set up by Drown.

With the wind now in their favour, Somerford sensed they still were in with a chance going into the second period.  However, a halftime grilling from Phil Oliver seemed to be enough for Bar OC to step up a gear.  From the kick-off John Stockman was left with a clear run on the Somerford goal but skewed wide. Stockman and Thompson then set up Hulland but his stab went just wide. Somerford were lively going forward and Simpkins’ cross on 53 minutes was blasted over by Chris Yeo.

Bar OC got their second on the hour.  The maverick Drown teased Somerford again to set up first Thompson and then Stockman.  With no Bar OC player wanting to put the ball into the net, it was left to the unfortunate, Ben Clark to turn it into his own goal.  Stockman was now tearing his marker to shreds and Hulland could have done better when released by the midfielder on 70 minutes. A minute later Darren Brown robbed Frayling but then defended was sharp enough to deflect the midfielder’s shot wide.  Frayling saved Somerford from the resulting corner when he headed Stockman’s shot of the line.

Within a minute, Treharne rasped a 25-yard drive that Crawford was alert enough to gather.  Five minutes later, Chandler’s long freekick was sliced by O’Donnell but Crawford turned the deflection over.  It was Somerford’s last chance as ion the dying minutes, the visitors secured their win.  Although Whittaker brilliantly parried Hulland’s close range header on 84 minutes, he was helpless a minute later as Brown crashed home from 20 yards.  Hulland got a deserved second in injury time when he tapped home following Whittaker’s great save from Drown’s initial shot.