WITH four different cup competitions taking centre stage, only six clubs were left to battle it out for league positions in the Perry Street League, writes Ian Hallett.

Premier Division leaders Crewkerne Town had their match at Beaminster postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, leaving Perry Street requiring a win at home to the inconsistent Combe St Nicholas Reserves to close the gap at the top. And Street made the most of their opportunity by hitting six goals without reply against the visitors.

Brad Cleal was on target twice in the victory that was completed by singles from Dan O'Connor, Dan Collins, Jake Board and Darren Contreras to see the winners regain second place in the table.

Following a 7-1 win in the league and a 6-1 cup triumph earlier in the season against Misterton, West & Middle Chinnock must have had high hopes of completing the treble over their opponents when they travelled to Unity Lane to take on their lowly hosts. But the home side showed a much improved fighting spirit and fully deserved a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

Damian Hart gave Chinnock the lead midway through the first half with Harvey Saunders finishing well from the edge of the area with ten minutes remaining to see Misterton go into their remaining three games with still an outside chance of avoiding relegation.

The only other league fixture was the Division Four encounter at Drimpton where George Tuck struck a hat-trick to put the home sides reserves on the way to a 5-0 triumph over Uplyme Reserves. Ben Dickinson and Josh Betts were the winners other scorers.

Arthur Gage Cup THE three-match winning run of Lyme Bantams came to an end when they were dumped out of the Arthur Gage Cup competition for Division One clubs by Millwey Rise.

Shane Featherstone and Terry Emmett hit a goal apiece for the winners in a 2-0 success that sets them up for a home semi-final appearance against Winsham United.

After conceding the leadership of his clubs goalscoring chart the previous week, Winsham player/manager Tom Stead reclaimed pole position by hitting a first half double against Pymore to take his season's total to 16.

Adam Cody-Boucher reduced the arrears before what was described as the best headed goal seen this season by Tony Harwood regain Winsham's two goal cushion. Midfielder Sam Symes rounded off a superb individual performance to seal a 4-1 win.

Chard United required extra-time before beating visitors Forton Rangers 5-2. Jamie Brown gave United the lead with Lee Richards levelling from the penalty spot. The advantage then swung in favour of Forton when Andy Stevenson scored, but with six minutes remaining Norbert Harasiemouicz restored parity to force extra-time.

With three minutes of the added 30 played Wilf Gosden put the Chard side ahead for a second time. And when Rui Rodrigues took the ball down the left flank to set up Harasiemouicz to make it 4-2 in the second period they looked certain to progress to the next stage.

The win was completed with two minutes left on the clock when United's keeper Matt Sweet claimed the ball after a Forton corner and booted it straight down the middle of the pitch.

The ball sailed into the opposition's penalty area and bounced over glove man Adam Smith into the net. It must be said that if the ball had landed anywhere else it would have stuck in the mud, but to United's joy it found the only firm area on the pitch.

The winners will now wait on the outcome of the postponed match between Netherbury and Barrington before they find out who they meet in the penultimate round.

Jack Venn Cup JACK Venn Cup holders Thorncombe started out on the road to making it a third final appearance in as many years by beating Combe A 6-3.

Ex-Combe player Warren Gabbadon netted a hat-trick against his former club for the second time this season to put the Thorns on the way to an impressive win.

Dale Hutter, Kane Ellis and Wayne Long were on target for the losers, while the winners scoring was completed with a brace by Bryan Garrett and a single from Lee Fisher who was later dismissed by the referee.

Jon Legg's three goals put Waytown Hounds on the way to a 6-2 victory at Ilminster Town A and joining him on the scoresheet were Leigh Hansford, James Loveridge and Matt Read. Ilminster's marksmen were Andy Crouch and Darren Paul.

Bill Bailey Cup MERRIOTT Dynamos recorded their best result of the season by reaching the semi-finals of the Bill Bailey Cup with a 7-0 defeat of Millwey Rise Reserves.

Barry Hayne and Lewis Fisher hit two goals each in the win that was completed with singles from Kieran Bailey, Stephen Jennings and Wesley Fursman.

A Tom Case goal was enough to see South Petherton Reserves go through against their counterparts from Thorncombe.

Barrington Reserves took a first half lead at Shepton Beauchamp Reserves thanks to a headed goal by Darren Dabbinet, but the hosts upped their game after the break and came back to win by the odd goal in three with strikes by David Jarvis and Jordan Brain.

Hawkchurch are hoping to hold on to the trophy they won last year after Gavin Herrod and Josh Short were on target to record a 2-0 victory over Chard Rangers.

Kenny Hodges Cup HAT-TRICKS by Liam Adams and Scott Isaacs went some way to helping Crewkerne Rangers Reserves beat their quarter-final opponents Farway United Reserves 10-4 in the Kenny Hodges Cup.

The Devonians replied through Darren Cooke (2), Steve Marvil and Kai Fletcher, but were no match for their hosts who had Rob Doble, Elliott Greed, Sam Healy and Nick Bacharach also getting their names on the scoresheet.

The improved form of Hinton St George continued as they extended their winning sequence to five with a 3-2 home win against Winsham United Reserves.

Ross Jewell put the home side ahead and the advantage was doubled by the interval when Rickie Samways found the net direct from a corner.

Jewell set up Kenny Forbes to make it 3-0 soon after the turn around, before Anthony Rockett and Jordan Fowler reduced the arrears to bring an entertaining climax to the tie.

Ross Fenyinka scored twice for Combe B who showed their superiority over Chard Rangers Reserves by winning 6-1. Graham Cleal, Neil Reed, Matt Corrick and Richard Curwood were Combe's other scorers while Andrew Griffin netted a consolation for Rangers.

Leading scorers: Premier Division: 30 Jamie Spurdle (Crewkerne Town); 26 Dan Smith (Shepton Beauchamp); 24 Josh Hunter (Beaminster); 20 Richard Hebditch (South Petherton), Liam Riste (Crewkerne Town); 19 Mark Cawley (West & Middle Chinnock); 18 Adam Dawe (Crewkerne Town); 16 Steve Every (Combe Reserves); 15 Stuart Bicknell & Craig Every (Combe Reserves), Dan Peach (Shepton Beauchamp).

Division One: 34 Andy Whitefield (Barrington); 23 Guy Dare (Barrington); 16 Sam Dibling (Millwey Rise), Tom Stead (Winsham United); 15 Shane Partridge (Winsham United), Tom Perry (Barrington), Andy Stevenson (Forton Rangers); 13 Stuart Packer (Chard United).

Division Two: 25 Terry Farrell (Drimpton); 22 Bryan Garrett (Thorncombe); 18 Warren Gabbidon (Thorncombe); 17 Paul Gold (Crewkerne Town Reserves); 16 Jon Legg (Waytown Hounds); 15 Simon Denslow (Drimpton, includes 13 for Crewkerne Rangers), Lee Fisher (Thorncombe).

Division Three: 26 Liam Male (Chard United Reserves); 17 Jamie Brown (Chard United Reserves), Andy Dymond (Hawkchurch); 16 Jimmy Rees (South Petherton Reserves); 15 Jake Russell (Kingsbury); 14 Luke Harding (Hawkchurch).

Division Four: 33 Ashley Cooper (Merriott Rovers); 17 Graham Cleal (Combe B); 15 Kenny Forbes (Hinton St George); 14 Ross Jewell (Hinton St George); 13 Niall Waterhouse (Uplyme Reserves); 12 Kev Cavanagh (Chard Rangers Reserves), Aaron Hole (Crewkerne Rangers Reserves), Sam Rowswell & Danny Rudge (Merriott Rovers), Paul Stuart (Winsham United Reserves).