Hope Valley Football League - Round-up Report

The premier division saw all 4 scheduled fixtures played this weekend. The first of which saw a clash of ‘titans’ as Buxworth travelled to Rowton Park to take on Chapel Town Firsts in a game that promised action.

The promise was fulfilled, with 7 goals on display to those in attendance. Chapel proved yet again that they will be in this title race until the end with a stunning 6-1 victory. Lewis Coates opened the scoring on the 29th minute before Josh Wood got his first of the day jus before half time.

Oliver Ashton dispatched Chapel’s third, with Josh Wood completing his brace just 5 minutes later. Seth Riley put the result beyond reasonable doubt before captain Aiden Theyer added insult to injury with 15 left on the clock. Buxworth’s sole reply came courtesy of Sam Cowley.

Dove Holes Firsts were looking for their first 3 points in the league in just under 1 month as they welcomed Furness Vale to Hallsteads. Furness arrived off the back of an impressive draw against league leaders Hayfield and would have wanted to capitalise on the momentum that result generated.

A close game saw Dove come out on top, winning 2-1 and taking all 3 points. Callum Holmes and Ashley Thorpe were the providers of Dove’s goals, with Jake Anderson’s goal for Furness not enough to scrape anything from the fixture.

Hayfield Firsts and Bamford were up next, with Hayfield neck and neck at the summit of the Premier Division with Chapel Town Firsts. Chapel are picking up the pace now, and Hayfield know anything other than result perfection could cost them come the end of the season.

A second half masterclass again showed everyone why Hayfield are becoming a force, as they won the game 4-2 to sit joint top with Chapel at 5pm when the table was finalised. Ollie Wyatt started off the second half showdown, followed by Hayden Brownsword getting his 6th goal of the campaign. George Howell dispatched the third goal on the 77th minute mark, before Joe Armstrong sealed the deal with his 19th league goal of the season.

Tideswell United and Dronfield Woodhouse completed the Premier Division fixture schedule for the weekend, with Tideswell looking to complete a wonderful November and remain unbeaten throughout the month. They did just that with another impressive result, beating Dronfield Woodhouse 4-0. Oliver Henson gave Tideswell an early lead, before Rob Wain doubled the lead just before the half hour mark. Patryk Piec grabbed his 3rd goal of the season, before Oliver Henson got his second of the day and sealed another fantastic result.

The A Division saw just one fixture played, as Calver’s game against Youlgrave was postponed and Buxworth Reserves had to call their match against Dove Holes Reserves off on the day. This left Hathersage with a chance to go level on points with Chapel Town Reserves for at least a week, as they welcomed Hayfield Reserves to the Leadmill Football Ground.

The sole A Division game didn’t disappoint, with a close first half ending with both team’s level at 1-1. Hathersage clawed their way to victory, beating the young Hayfield side 5-2 to put themselves joint 2nd with Calver and Chapel Town Reserves. However, Chapel have two games in hand over Hathersage, with Calver holding 1 game.

The Premier Division sees Chapel Town Firsts and Hayfield Firsts separated only by goal difference at the top, with both teams holding identical result records. Dove Holes Reserves are still in pole position in the A Division, with Chapel Town Reserves closing in on them and Calver hoping for a slip up along the way.

Hayfield’s Joe Armstrong is still the man to beat in the Premier Division golden boot race after his goal this weekend put his league goals total up to 19 goals in just 8 games. Calver’s Ayr Barker is also enjoying another week at the top of the A Division scoring chart, but Dove Holes Reserves Ryan Bradd is closing in quickly.

The weather forecast doesn’t look favourable, which could result in a fair number of postponements across the weekend. Please check the leagues social media accounts for updates on all fixtures.