Watford Sunday League: SOCA into Herts Intermediate Cup quarter-finals

After some tough opening exchanges, SOCA opened the scoring thanks to a Michael Coffey penalty which was awarded after George Coffey had been brought down in the area.

The lead was doubled just before half-time when Jordan Austin laid the ball off to George Coffey who dribbled past two defenders before laying the ball off to Stevie Dowling to slot home from close range.

The victory was sealed in the second half thanks to a long-range effort from Jake Howell.

SOCA will face the winners of the tie between Saints FC and Ashwell on February 18.

Denis Jackson Intermediate Cup First Round

The all-Second Division tie between Watford Youth Sports and West Herts saw the home side run out 4-2 winners.

Sports went ahead after 20 minutes thanks to a well-worked goal. Louis Taverner cut in from the left wing, passing to Louis Muncie who chipped the ball over the two central defenders for Oliver Frost to volley home from 12 yards.

West Herts soon drew level thanks to a penalty converted by Declan O'Gorman, but it didn’t take long for Watford to restore their advantage through a spot-kick of their own which was slotted home by Frost.

Within two minutes Frost had completed his hat-trick after he was once again set up by Taverner and Muncie.

In the second half, West Herts pulled themselves back into the game when Dylan Cayton curled in an effort from 20 yards, and soon after they struck the post, but the win was sealed when Muncie smashed home a rebound in off the stanchion from ten yards.

Third Division Carpenders Park Royals caused a minor upset when they defeated the team currently bottom of the division above them, Abbots Wanderers, 2-0. Robert Da Silva and Liam Coles got the goals.

Premier Division

Leaders North Watford defeated Abbots Langley Club 2-0 thanks to goals from Lee Armitt and Ashley Lewis.

Second-placed Cassiobury Rangers missed the chance to keep level on points with the leaders as they were held 2-2 by Forza Watford.

Rangers saw the result as two points dropped as they twice lost the lead.

They went ahead early on when a ball was played into Taylor Osunsedo's feet by Sam Mortimer. He held it up well on the edge of the box and played a reverse pass in behind the back line, which was picked up by Alexi Andreas, who timed his run perfectly and slotted past the keeper from 15 yards.

Forza levelled following a penalty which was first saved but the rebound was tucked away.

Cassiobury went back in front in spectacular fashion in the second half when Jayden Chamberlain played the ball into Osunsedo's feet with his back to goal 30 yards out. He then killed the ball in mid air, spun it over a defender and lashed a shot home into the top right-hand corner.

But it was not enough to win the game as Forza equalised for a second time following a corner.

Lowly Batchworth (white shirts) battled back for a draw against Watford Sports (Image: Watford Sports FC)

Division One

Bottom-placed Batchworth gained a fourth point of the season when they battled back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 against leaders Watford Sports.

Taylor Kemp gave Sports the lead after well-worked link-up play with Kyle Davis.

Kemp was again was on target in the second half when he drilled the ball home, as the leaders looked on course for all three points.

But the home side fought back after a brave change in formation to a more attacking one. It paid off when Dylan Rose scored at the back post, and then his header hit a defender and went into the net for an own goal for the equaliser.

The two points dropped by Watford Sports mean The Cross are now in second place, three points behind the leaders with a game in hand after they easily swept aside Langleybury 5-0.

Theo Soares opened the scoring with a composed finish, and then just before the break he saw his shot turned past his own keeper by a Langleybury defender.

Early in the second half Soares netted his second goal of the game before Raphael Wiredu rounded the keeper to slot home from close range.

He then turned provider with five minutes left to go to put through Stephfani Grimes-Ford to curl the ball around the keeper.

Division Two

Dunnings Bar won the bragging rights in the St Albans Road bar derby as they ran out 3-1 winners against Dome Bar.

Harley Wilson scored a double alongside a goal from Hamish Muir. Jay Haynes netted the Dome Bar reply.

Sparta Phoenix took advantage of Everett Rovers’ week off to cut the gap at the top of the table to just two points as they edged past Inter 3-2.

Matt Lewis, Floyd Thompson and Philippe Clarke scored for the victors, with Gabriel Casagrande and Sam Conway on target for the visitors.

St Josephs Reserves beat Hertfordshire Athletic 3-1, who could well be considered the most inconsistent team in the league’s four divisions as they failed to build on their previous week’s 7-0 win.

Jack McLaughlin scored for Athletic, but Joes won thanks to a double from Mitchell Tearle and one from Ben Cowen.

Division Three

Twenty-seven goals were scored in the five games in the bottom division.

Leaders Woodside Reserves made it nine wins from nine as they beat Abbots Athletic 5-0 through five different goal scorers, Alex More, Lui Ptiuk, Elliott Smith, Joe McCarthy and Tyrone Brandy.

FC Railway are still on their tail, three points behind, as they gained an eighth win out of nine after overcoming Everett Rovers Reserves 4-0, Danny Wallis with a double and a goal each for Arran Bhad and Charlie Fisher.

In third place, but five points behind Railway, although they do have a game in hand are Chorleywood Club AFC who came through a seven-goal thriller against Bricket Wood Acorns 4-3.

Joe Berzins, Andy Parslow, George Blanks and Rob Barron got the home side’s goals, with Conrad Holland, Jack Micklewright and Finley Evans on target for Acorns.

Surely Wood beat Mill Hill Village 3-2, Kyle Barnett, Darius Murray and Jack Burrell all scoring, with Aidan Woods getting the two Mill Hill goals.

AFC Watford’s 6-0 win over PTH United has pushed them up into fourth place.

David Agbeni was the star performer for AFC as he struck four times, supported by a goal each for Jordan Stagg and Connor Judge.