Longlevens 5ths beat Brockworth to secure Stroud League title - barring miraculous final day defeat

Longlevens 5ths all but clinched the Stroud League Division Four North title with a 4-0 win over play-off chasing Brockworth Albion 3rds on Wednesday night.

Goals from Filton Gardiner, Cam Williams, Phil Webb and Danny English set Andy Trout’s side on their way to the top of the table, ahead of their final game of the season at the weekend.

Levens host city-rivals Tuffley Rovers knowing that they would have to lose by 20 clear goals in order to be denied another trophy.

Trout’s side have had a habit of breeding success with multiple promotions and cup final victories in the last few seasons and with a League Cup final to come, the first leg of another double is in the bag.

For Brockworth, they remain in 4th and two points outside the play-offs, but have two games in hand over Boss FC, who currently sit in 3rd place.

They have three league games left, starting with a trip to Mavericks on Saturday – with a cup final of their own awaiting them in May.

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The game itself saw the hosts start well, with Ellis Sausman having a header saved as he got up at the back post, before Brockworth defender Tom Hickman had a close range header well saved by Gary Pocock in the Levens goal.

Sausman stung the palms of Sam Hammond with a free kick for the hosts, before Danny English sent a free header wide of the goal from the centre of the box.

But two goals in quick succession just after the half an hour mark saw the hosts take a two goal cushion into the break.

First, Williams cut back for Filton Gardiner to tap home from six yards out, before Williams was afforded time and space on the corner of the box and the midfielder fired in off the far post.

Jarvis Randall nearly caught out Pocock just before half time, when his long ball forward bounced up over Pocock, but the keeper got back to palm the effort onto the bar and away.

Levens killed the contest with 15 minutes to go, with Webb getting up well to head a corner past Hammond and into the top corner.

And in stoppage time, English shifted the ball to the right before drilling an effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

It was muted celebrations for Longlevens at full time, knowing they have 90 minutes left to see out and barring an absolute catastrophe, they will be lifting the title on Saturday afternoon.

Longlevens 5ths: Pocock, Webb, Workman, Edwards, Lewis, English, Walsh, Sausman, Gardiner, Dunn, Williams

Subs: Thornton, Hall, Martin, Wood, Poole

Brockworth Albion 3rds: Hammond, Hickman, Buffney-Nelmes, Wilkinson, S Loveys, Franklin, Smith, Randall, Robins, Vallance, Pearce

Subs: Nunn, Spencer, Batchford, B Loveys, Long

C Martin Roofing Man of the Match – Filton Gardiner (Longlevens 5ths)