Chesterfield Sunday League: Brit go five points clear

A 2-0 victory over fellow title challengers Tibshelf Town helped them move clear.

Sunday’s success saw Britannia achieve nine straight league wins and following victories over fellow contenders FC United of Bolsover and Hepthorne Lane they must have one hand on the 2016/17 title.

This top three encounter was a close affair and it was Tibshelf who showed first at Holmebrook Park when Adrian Whitmore let fly with a 20-yard effort that Micky Harcourt saved in the ‘Brit’ goal.

On 23 minutes the Tibshelf keeper, Daniel Rickwood, saved from the advancing Stephen Bright to keep the scores level.

Both sides were looking for an error as the game had started off closely contested and sadly for Tibshelf it came when Rickwood fumbled a cross and Billy Page was on hand to turn home the loose bal.

Tibshelf came back and a left wing corner from Mathew Whittaker saw Stefan White rise highest only to see his header crash back off the bar.

The early part of the second half saw Callum Lytham set up Brett Turner but with the goal begging he fired over the bar from close range as Britannia looked to increase their lead.

And as the battle for an equaliser continued for Tibshelf, Harcourt in the Britannia goal nearly misjudged a high ball only for the number one to pounce on it before Whitmore could convert.

In the final stages Britannia were starting to gain an upper hand and on 73 minutes a 25-yard free-kick from Josh Aitken flew back off the right hand post before the game was put to bed with a contested penalty five minutes from time.

A cross off the left beat everybody and although Billy Page for Brit had gone down under a nudge from Steven Garrard the referee waited to see were the ball would end up and when it bounced back off the post to safety he awarded the penalty.

Former Chesterfield FC player Gareth Davies slotted home to the keeper’s right to wrap up three more points for the FC Britannia title chase.