SOME poor results have seen Mangotsfield United drop into what fans know as “mid-table obscurity”: the teams at the top of the table seem as far away as the teams at the bottom.
Numerous injuries have hit the Mangos in the last few months, but that’s not an excuse for some poor recent results.
The home game against Gloucester outfit Longlevens was a fairly even affair, although you always felt that the visitors might get a goal instead of the hosts – and that is exactly what happened in the final minutes of the game, with the Mangos losing 1-0.
Up next came Slimbridge away, where the Mangos have enjoyed some good results in the past, but not this time, as a 2-1 home win lifted the Swans to the top of the Hellenic League.
Mangotsfield gave their best throughout the game, with Spike Weaver scoring their goal on 64 minutes, but by then the hosts already had two.
This was followed by an encouraging 0-0 draw away at Highworth Town, where a point is always seen as a good result, but the Wiltshire side have also had a disappointing season so far.
In a game played in challenging conditions, following all the heavy rain and wind of the previous few days, there were few chances created by either side and a point in the end was a fair result.
The Mangos took a break from league action in mid-December, with a home GFA Trophy tie against local Western League side Bristol Telephones on the 9th.
This time they got the right result, with a very good 3-0 home win against spirited opposition.
The first goal came on 35 minutes, when a good team move was finished off by Alex Lambert. Telephones created some good chances of their own, but on 72 minutes, Hillard headed home from a corner for 2-0. Lambert tucked the ball home for 3-0 with just five minutes to go, and that clinched a much-needed win for the hosts.
Ahead of their two fixtures either side of Christmas, the draw at Highworth left them 12th in the league table, eight points behind fifth-placed Worcester Raiders, who currently occupy the final play-off spot.
The Mangos need to kick-start the rest of the season with a few wins if possible, especially as there are only 18 league games left!
You never know in football, so the boys will keep on going to keep the league season alive. Hopefully, the GFA Trophy win over Bristol Telephones will instil some confidence, with a lot of tough games coming up, including a very hectic January at Cossham Street!
Upcoming fixtures:
December 20: Cirencester Town (home)
December 27: Hallen (away)
January 3: Pershore Town (A)
January 10: Droitwich Spa (H)
January 17: Fairford Town (H)
January 24: Roman Glass St George (H)
January 31: Cinderford Town (H)
Dave Smale