Bishop’s Cleeve kicked off 2026 with an impressive 4-1 triumph against Sporting Club Inkberrow at home, solidifying their position in the Southern League Division One South play-off places.
The scoring began early when Jake Lee dazzled the crowd in the eighth minute with a stunning overhead kick. Following a poorly cleared corner from Toby Holland, Lee’s acrobatic finish curled into the top left corner beyond goalkeeper Gabriel Bajrami.
Inkberrow were soon awarded a penalty after Reegan Messenger was fouled just inside the penalty area. Toby Holland, aiming to redeem himself from a previous miss, stepped up but saw his shot comfortably saved by Bajrami, who parried the ball away.
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Buoyed by this reprieve, the visitors quickly equalized in the 22nd minute. Rubio outpaced Lewis Clayton down the right flank and laid the ball off for Jack Tolley, who calmly placed his finish into the bottom left corner.
Bishop’s Cleeve responded decisively. Jay Malshanskyj regained the lead with a powerful strike, brilliantly set up by Holland’s deft lob over two defenders. Before halftime, Josh Nelmes extended the advantage, finishing off a whipped delivery from Holland to make it 3-1.
The second half saw Cleeve pushing to extend their lead. McInerney had an opportunity but fired just over the bar, while Langworthy’s close-range chip drifted wide. As Inkberrow pressed forward, Cleeve shifted tactics to a more defensive approach, focusing on game management.
This strategy paid off late, as Ben McLean clinched the fourth goal on a swift counter-attack. A slick combination between Jack Watts and McLean ended with McLean rounding the goalkeeper and slotting the ball home.
Manager Paul Collicutt, returning to the touchline after illness, made four changes to his starting XI, which paid dividends in this commanding performance.
With this victory, Bishop’s Cleeve maintain their unbeaten home record and will look ahead to hosting fellow promotion hopefuls Frome Town on Tuesday at 7:45 pm.
Bishop’s Cleeve lineup: Clayton, Lee, Nelmes, Liddiard, Holland, McLean (Jeremiah 89), Langworthy (Watts 74), Malshanskyj (Keeping 79), Messenger, Davis (Turner 86), McInerney (Jemmett-Hutson 71).
Sporting Club Inkberrow lineup: Bajrami, Griffiths (Crook 77), Moore (Warren-Paul 61), Waterfield, Freeman, Bastable (C), Rubio, Benson (Spencer 89), Tolley, Higgins-Pugsley (Preece 77), Emblem (Brown 54).
Referee: Jake Woolley
Attendance: 266