Match Review
Saturday 3rd October 2026
Pitching In Southern League
Division 1 (South)
Sporting Club Inkberrow vs Shaftesbury
‘The Master rejuvenates the ‘Rockies ‘ campaign’
By Avril Lancaster
Brett Pitman- Still hungry for goals.
📸 Photo- Simon Eckley
Brett Pitman notched his 3rd goal in as many games following his return from Southern Combination side Midhurst & Easebourne. Ironically his 70th Shaftesbury career goal came in the 70th minute in Tuesdays 1-1 draw with Willand Rovers in the Pitching In Southern League Division 1 (South).
One could say that Shaftesbury is his non league home as was AFC Bournemouth was after a glittering career that included Portsmouth, Bristol City, AFC Bournemouth, Ipswich Town and in semi professional football most notably here where he netted 61 goals in 2023/24 and at AFC Portchester as well as Baffins Milton Rovers.
Even opposition players would no doubt agree that playing against the master is something they learnt from as he patrols the danger zone and is an expert from dead ball situations. Pitman sets high standards and is looking more precise and focused than ever since his second spell at the club when he scored 6 goals in our 2024/25 Pitching In Southern League Division 1 (South) campaign.
Be it the league, Emirates FA Cup, Isuzu FA Trophy or even the Dorset Senior Cup he’s there. Many players are rested, though Brett has an appetite for goals that made him one of the EFL’s most prestigious strikers historically. You can sense Brett’s fondness for Shaftesbury FC 1888 and we really where he is most at home.
Shaftesbury manager Jim Milligan felt that the way we ended the game against Willand Rovers we could have won that game (which was temporarily suspended due to the floodlights going out). Willand had looked on top up to that point, though we finished strongly putting some pressure on them. In my view it was a good point earnt and a return of seven points from nine ending what had been at barren run.
Sporting Club Inkberrow ⚽️””🦅
‘Where Eagles dare’
Sporting Club Inkberrow are in their second season at this level since promotion from the Uhlsport Hellenic League Premier Division in 2024/25. Finishing a creditable 13th, although their season tailed off a bit at the end of it they had achieved some excellent results. The ‘Eagles’ currently sit in 9th place going into Saturday’s game with the ‘Rockies ‘ in 11th place.
Like many sides results in this league can be sometimes a bit topsy turvey. Inkberrow’s league campaign started with a steady 1-1 draw at home to Bristol Manor Farm with Zac Powells 57th minute goal claiming a point. This had come off the back of a 3-0 loss to Rugby Borough in the Emirates FA Cup Preliminary Round.
Inkberrow then exited the Izuzu FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round with a 1-4 home defeat to a Barwell side freshly relegated from the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central, though they quickly amended that with a victory over Slimbridge AFC with Connor Stanley getting a brace.
Stanley was once again on the mark along with Jay Higgins-Pugsley and Aidan Clark as Inkberrow won 3-1 in Somerset at Paulton Rovers to secure two league wins in a row. That win proved vital as Bishops Cleeve rolled into Worcestershire and left with a 4-0 victory. They bounced back quickly with a fine 3-1 win at Westbury United with Stanley, Higgins-Pugsley and Jake Waterfield swooping to secure victory in Wiltshire.
The ‘Eagles ‘ earnt a 1-1 draw with visiting Melksham Town on the following Saturday with Stanley again on target although former Shaftesbury player James Ollis squared things up for the Wiltshire side.
Sporting Club Inkberrow saw Stanley pull a 79th minute goal back at Hungerford Town on Tuesday night having trailed 2-0 Ackem Stewart and Nnams Nwachucka goals at Bulpit Lane. Stanley ‘s strike not quite enough to prevent a 2-1 win for the Berkshire side though shows he is a golden boot contender and Sporting Club Inkberrow are a decent side.
Sporting Club Inkberrow vs Shaftesbury
Previous Meetings 🦅 vs 🛡
01/11/25 (A) (PISLS1) W 3-2 Holmes, Morgan, Burden (124)
28/02/26 (H) (PISLS1) W 3-0 Holmes (2), Santos DAbadia (195)
Pld 2 Won 2 Drawn 0 Lost 0 F 6 A 2 GD +4
(Points Available 6/6)
Pitching In Southern League
Division 1 (South) Catch up!
Midweek Results
29th September 2026
Bideford AFC 1 (Margeretto Pen 67)
Dorchester Town 3
(Taylor 10 90+7, Haste 45) (Att-183)
Bishops Cleeve 1 (OG 37)
Hartpury FC 0 (Att-160)
Bristol Manor Farm 0
Barnstaple Town 0 (Att-211)
Hungerford Town 2
(Stewart 8, Nwachucka 76)
Sporting Club Inkberrow 1
(Stanley 79) (Att- 194)
Melksham Town 1 (Jaiyeoba 19 Pen)
Worcester Raiders 2
(Warren-Paul 63, Olaloko 86) (Att- 330)
Portland United 1 (Coombs 86)
Falmouth Town 2 (Jewell 82, OG 90+1)
(Att -206)
Shaftesbury 1 (Pitman 70)
Willand Rovers 1 (Kempster 34) (Att-176)
Tiverton Town 2 (Howe 36, Roberts 65 Pen)
Paulton Rovers 2 (Gould 31, Bak 90)
(Att – 182)
Westbury United 3 (Jenkins 23, Starr 41, 67)
Swindon Supermarine 0 (Att- 206)
Wednesday 30th September 2026
Exmouth Town 2 (Cann 1,Shipton 72)
Weymouth 5 (Beardmore 4, Genseni 56, 89, Brown 78, Swann 90+2)
(Att – 483)
Slimbridge 0 Larkhall Athletic 1(Cleary 56)
(Att- 186)
Charlie Rayfield was a consistent performer last season after returning to the club from Bemerton Heath Harlequins in July 2025.
Paul Collicut’s side have had a similar pre season run into us in that they have faced a mixture of sides and focused more on plsyer developments and trialist opportunities. Of course we are fresh from defeating Chippenham Town 2-1 and the ‘Mitres ‘ had a stunning 2-0 win over Hereford FC in their pre season schdule.
Jamal Lawerence was on target in the 1-1 draw at Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South Evesham United last Friday. The former Melksham Town striker certainly is known to us having scored twice against us. Ross Langworthy as ever is the talisman up front and players such as Matt Liddiard have also been key in the clubs recent success since returning to the Southern League from the Hellenic League as Premier Division Champions in 2021/22.
Shaftesbury manager Josh Staunton and assistant Steve Rutter will be pleased with the progress of Dawid Regula since arriving at the club in the summer to replace Toby Holmes who left for Weymouth FC. The former Larkhall Athletic poacher will be known to the Cleeve backline much in the same fashion Lawerence is to us.
Louis Sweeten signing from Bath City and Cameron Murray from Dorchester Town are signings that Staunton identified to support the talents of Alefe Santos DAbadia, the work ethic of Jack Hoey and creativity of Harry Baker, Tom Hewlett and Harry Morgan. Brandon Mundy is another mainstay though a nasty fall against Chippenham Town saw him stretchered of and no doubt very familiar with ice packs this week. Jim Ward as ever remains consistent in his performances.
Blake Watts from Yeovil Town is a young man who at this time in his career needs the challenge of Step 4 football and to foster a partnership with Sonny Pike and Charlie Rayfield. Staunton looking at the goals we conceeded ratio last season as rather concerning despite being runners up in the play off final. Both Staunton and Rutter both experienced National League/Conference defenders in their careers certainly know about defending.
So, you have two great progressive teams ready to go at it on Saturday with both clubs looking to continue to stay around the top places despite four big clubs all being relegated into the division with Winchester City moved out to the Isthmian League South Central Division 1 and Didcot Town over to the Pitching In Southern League Division 1 (Central).
Whatever happens (you know what the first day of the season is like) it sure will be a great game and hopefully another great season for both clubs on and off the field.
Previous Meetings vs Bishops Cleeve
2024/25
Home L 0-3
Away L 1-3 Holmes
25/26
A L 2-3 Holmes, Hewlett
H W 3-0 Bradbury (2), Morgan
Pld 4 Won 1 Drawn 0 Lost 3 F 6 A 9
Pts aggregate (3/12) GD – 3