DESPITE finishing the game with ten men, Chipping Sodbury took the derby honours against Thornbury Town.

The visitors started the brighter, and Thorns withstood the pressure until the 18th minute when Lloyd Harding headed home from an Alex Fox corner.

Thorns responded well and a move down the right saw Nathan Irwin slip the ball to Shane Walker, whose driven shot from was spilled by Edward Mullins in the Sodbury goal for a corner.

However, Sodbury had some other good chances in the first half with both Ben Hemmings and Mark Hughes going close. On the half-hour mark, Thorns gave away possession and Justin Cattle almost capitalised, his shot going narrowly wide.

Straight from the goal kick, Thornbury broke upfield and Steve Thompson’s cross into the area was missed by the visitors’ defence, but Tom Webb could not apply the finishing touch at the far post .

Sodbury deserved their first half lead, but Thornbury started the second half strongly and after five minutes Christian Irwin was only just wide with a header from a Mark Greenland cross.

Thorns continued to press forward and enjoyed the majority of possession, but the Sodbury back line worked hard and the home side could not create any clear-cut chances to test Mullins.

As the half wore on Thornbury pushed more men forward in search of an equaliser but in the 83rd minute they gave possession away and the visitors broke quickly, with Mark Totterdell fending off a challenge before firing low past Alex Lippiatt.

Sodbury were then reduced to ten men as Luke Maby was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Brad Andrews.

Thorns continued to press forward and Steve Thompson missed a good chance to pull a goal back for the home side. In stoppage time Totterdell broke into the Thornbury box and went down under a challenge from Mark Greenland, the referee pointing to the spot.

Cattle took the penalty and whilst Lippiatt got a hand to the ball, he couldn’t prevent it hitting the back of the net.

This Saturday Thornbury face a trip to high-flying Rockleaze Rangers, while Sodbury are at home to Kingswood (both 2pm).