Weekend football round-up

ALCESTER Town leapfrogged local rivals FC Stratford to move up to fourth in Midland League Division Three with a 3-0 win at Stratford Road.

Stratford went close to taking an early lead through ex-Alcester favourite Dean Poulson, but Chris Hill made a fantastic goal-line clearance to prevent Poulson from scoring against his former club.

Town took the lead through Nick Dance, who dug the ball out of a tight area and struck low past Kristofer George in the Stratford goal.

That lead was soon doubled when the league's leading goalscorer Matt Layton side-footed home a Jack Banks cross.

In the second half, Alcester made sure of the win with a third from Hill, heading home after Dance's volley was saved.

Shipston Excelsior made it a record six wins on the trot as they secured a 2-0 success at Burntwood Town thanks to goals from Jake Harris and Joe Godson, while Badsey Rangers went down 4-1 at Barton United.

In Midland League Division One, a stunning strike from Robbie Bunn earned Studley a 1-0 win at Racing Club Warwick, while Littleton were edged out by the same scoreline at home to Leicester Road.

In a rollercoasterthree days, Southam United went from the high of a 2-0 win over Atherstone Town on Thursday to a low of another heavy defeat at Heather St Johns on Saturday.

Saints, who still have a mathematical chance of escaping relegation, lost 5-0 to St Johns Park to leave them eight points adrift at the foot of the table.

Marcus Small got the only goal of the game as Earlswood Town beat Coton Green 1-0 in a bad-tempered game in Midland League Division Two.

Full match reports and reaction in this week's Herald