ROSS Juniors’ men stayed top of the North Gloucestershire Two table with a commanding 4-0 win at Bream on Saturday.
A Ted Heyes brace and other goals from Luke Darwin and Ben Scotford secured the points.
And with title rivals Lydbrook Athletic 2nds also winning 3-1 at home over Viney St Swithins 2nds, Juniors needed to win to keep their two-point advantage at the top, with both teams having played the same number of games.
Third-placed Longhope just another point back, also took three points, but thanks to a home walkover over no show Milkwall 2nds.
But Newent Town were hammered 7-0 by derby rivals Hartpury University in Hellenic League One, the students leading 2-0 at half-time thanks to goals from Toby Soule on 25 minutes and Joe Parker two minutes before the break before the floodgates opened.
Luca Robinson made it 3-0 on 58 minutes before Parker completed a hat-trick with goals on 60 and 69 minutes.
Soule added his second for 6-0 with 15 minutes to play and Joshua Beadle completed the Daffs’ misery with another four minutes from time.
The students were in seventh heaven afterwards as well when Luca Robinson, Tom Handley, Steve Sarkodie, Ethan Dunbar, Loui Ward and James Sunley were all selected for the English universities South squad to play the North at England’s St George’s Park HQ on Sunday, February 26.
But the Daffs’ 2nds also lost out, Jason Blockley their scorer in a away defeat to Shortwood United 2nds, and are still looking for their first point at the bottom of Hellenic Two West.
Fownhope went down 2-0 away to Herefordshire Premier high-flyers Ludlow Town Colts, and now sit 11th.
But Ruardean Hill Rangers won by that margin at home to Gloucesteshire County League strugglers Patchway Town.
The game was only three minutes old when Finn Jones got Hill ahead after a ball across by Ollie Mason wasn’t dealt with by the defence. Patchway’s Ollie Bacon hit the top of the crossbar but within minutes it was two, when a glorious floated ball saw Alex Stephens steer the ball past Sam Burgess.
Three minutes before the break it should have been three but Jones struck wide after turning the defence, and despite chances for both sides in the second half, it stayed 2-0 to leave Hill ninth.
Lydbrook Athletic are six points clear on top of North Gloucestershire Premier Division after a 5-0 home win over basement boys Blakeney, who are still pointless.
Fourth-placed Howle Hill leaked three second half goals at home to Harrow Hill 2nds as they went down 3-0.
But goals from Lee James and Marc Matthews earned mid-table Huntley a 2-2 draw at Ellwood, while Ruardean Hill 2nds took a point in a 0-0 draw at Milkwall.
Mitcheldean are second in Division One after a 3-1 away win over Staunton & Corse 2nds, David Fennell and James York among their scorers, and are level on points with leaders Lydney Town A with a game in hand.
Division Two basement boys Ruardean Hill Rangers A were well beaten 7-1 at home by Lydney Town B.
But Division 3 leaders Ruardean United were able to put their feet up and still take points, given a walkover over no show Harrow Hill 2nds.
Second-placed Mitcheldean 2nds won 3-2 against visitors Staunton & Corse A thanks to goals from Tyler Kibble, Richard Morris and Paul Taylor, but Ruardean stay 13 points clear.
Fixtures this Saturday (February 18) include – Redbrook Rovers v Ross Juniors, Newent Town v Clanfield 85, Lydbrook Athletic v Howle Hill, Hartpury University v Malmesbury Victoria, Meadow Park v Newent Town Dev, Ruardean Hill Rangers 2nds v Milkwall, English Bicknor 2nds v Mitcheldean, Longhope v Ruardean Hill Rangers A, Lydbrook Athletic 2nds v Viney St Swithins 2nds, Whitecroft 2nds v Huntley, Mitcheldean 2nds v Lydbrook Athletic A, Ruardean Utd v Ellwood 2nds.
Ruardean Hill Rangers travel to play Cribbs 2nds tonight (Wednesday, February 15).
Ross Juniors Women play Bromsgrove Sporting Ladies away this Sunday (February 19).