TOWN DOWNED AS THE GROVE WIN AWAY

Parsons was then later dismissed for a foul tackle to leave the visitors hanging on for the last few minutes but a stoic, brave display saw Jamie Hillman's side secure a second successive win and extend their recent run of good form to just one defeat in the last five matches.

The manager's plans had once again been affected by the unavailabilty of players through work and despite the impressive 5-1 Les Phillips Cup victory in midweek over Bristol Telephones, he was forced into four more changes for this game at Weymouth Street. In fact, three of the more experienced players from the Wednesday win were all missing so with no Carl Bush, Luke Crewe and Gary Shorney, the manager turned to youth by drafting in Aidan Jones, Minas Constantinou and Ellis McDonald. A temporary goalkeeper shortage meant it was the versatile Giorgio Mancini that donned the gloves!

And it was Mancini that excelled early on as he denied Charlie Walton after just eighteen seconds with a good save. It was the prelude for some early Warminster pressure but against the run of play, Hengrove opened the scoring through Mickey Parsons on sixteen minutes, his second in two games.

Both sides continued to create chances with the home side spurning more of them, several shots & headers missing the target. After the break, the pattern of play continued with Mancini being called into action on occasions before, on the hour, Hengrove doubled their lead on the counter. A long ball forward out of defence wasn't dealt with by the lone Warminster defender and Regan Burton showed coolness beyond his seventeen years by drawing the keeper and slotting calmly past him for his first senior goal.

The two goal lead only lasted ten minutes or so as Ashton Shanley set up James Vincent to make it 2-1 on 68 minutes and set up what could have been a grandstand finish. Shanley became the first player from either side in a Hengrove match this season to be sin-binned and very late on, Parsons received a red card for a challenge on Lewis Graham who was also dismissed for his reaction.

The Grove held on though and although they remain in nineteenth position, they have narrowed the gap to the teams above them to just a single point. Next up for Hengrove is a home game against Ashton & Backwell at Paprika Park next Saturday, 28th September, at 3.00pm.