Gloucestershire Northern Senior League Division One

Lydbrook Athletic 2 Dursley Town 1

DURSLEY fell further into the relegation mire as a fourth successive defeat extended their winless run to eight and allowed Lydbrook to move off the bottom of the table.

Town’s under-strength side battled hard, especially after the 40th-minute dismissal of Matt Humphrey, but again failed to adequately work the opposition goalkeeper.

Lydbrook forged ahead on the half-hour, but the visitors should have equalised five minutes before half-time when Humphrey went clean through only to blaze over.

The miss clearly had a devastating effect on the midfielder, whose next contribution was to make an airborne, two-footed lunge that earned him a needless red card.

Needing to maintain an attacking presence, Dursley reshuffled to 4-3-2 from 4-3-3, but the visitors were run ragged as Athletic pressed hard for a second goal.

It eventually came midway through the second half when Keith Watson’s goal kick was run back down the right and, two passes later, finished off at the far post.

Five minutes from time, Town grabbed a lifeline when Nathan Vines’ free-kick from the left-hand side was flicked into the net off the head of a Lydbrook defender.

Watson made a double stop to keep the visitors in it and even joined the attack for a last-gasp free-kick, but Curtis Mills’ effort was blocked and the home side hung on.

Dursley: K Watson; S Hobbs, C Wilkins, R Swift, M Workman; M Humphrey, L Thomas (C Dolbear 85), C Bailey; B Goncalves (L Jones 46), C Mills, N Vines.

Goals: own goal (86).

Sent-off: Humphrey (serious foul play, 40).

Stroud League Division Five

Dursley Town 3rds 1 Minchinhampton 5

DURSLEY were left to rue their bad luck and some controversial decisions as they slipped to their 13th defeat in 16 league games against high-flying Minchinhampton.

Nathan Pearce had a second-minute goal disallowed for offside after Lee Matthews’ header hit the bar and Pearce later lobbed an effort against the woodwork.

Instead, Minch established a two-goal lead before Nathan Taylor bundled in for the hosts after his initial mishit had bamboozled the goalkeeper but not crossed the line.

Matthews and Ash Pearce both went close to goals for Dursley after the break, but the visitors added two more by the hour mark and rounded things off late on.

Dursley: R Cox; D Minett, J Dolbear, N Hart, P Cook; T Clark, N Eames (M Sowden 55), L Matthews, A Pearce, N Taylor (A Haddon 70); N Pearce.

Goals: Taylor (30).

* Dursley Reserves were beaten 3-0 by their Taverners counterparts at the Rec in Division Two of the Stroud League