Herts Sunday Intermediate Cup Round Five
The league will have two representatives in the quarter-finals after United and Met Police (Bushey) won through on Sunday.
In the all-WSFL tie, United enjoyed a 2-1 win at Hammer OGB Reserves thanks to goals from Vilson Culaj and Umberto Urgo, with Alan Dunton replying.
Met Police reached the quarter-finals for the first time with a 3-0 win over tough opponents Thames Albion, from Waltham Cross.
The hosts took an early lead after two minutes when Ricky Gill collected the ball from a short corner, beat a defender and curled a shot into the cormer from the edge of the box.
However, this was the Police's first game in six weeks and it showed as they needed stand-in keeper Jamie Pickering and the woodwork to keep them in front until the interval.
The wind became a big factor in the second half, with the homs side forced to defend for the majority of it. Thames should have equalised when through one-on-one but they could not finish.
It was left to Steven Pickering to show them how to do it with 20 minutes remaining when he buried a superb overhead kick in the top corner that gave the keeper no chance.
The Met quickly made sure of their place in the last eight, and rewarded the hard work of the back four, when Joel Shanahan netted the third.
Herts Sunday Senior Cup Round Four
The league's sole survivor in the competition, Oakview, went down 2-1 in a close game against Olympian League side Headstone Athletic.
Tom Inch scored for Oakview, who are now left to concentrate on the Premier Division and the league's main cup.
Turner Trophies WSFL Challenge Cup Round Three
West Herts looked like they may cause the upset of the round when they led Premier Division leaders Bushey 1-0.
A great through ball by Chris Palmer after 30 minutes fed Roger Lake, who outpaced the visitors' defence, rounded the keeper and fired home in what proved to be a fiercely contested first half.
Bushey came out with all guns blazing after the break and were rewarded with three goals in a 15-minute spell.
The Stags continued to push forward and pulled a goal back through tireless left-back Ian Gurney, only for their opponents to make the result safe with five minutes left when Ashley Harwood hit a fine left-footed volley from 20 yards, giving keeper Martin Richardson no chance.
Stags spokesman Clive Geddes praised an excellent team performance, with midfielder Phil Benard picked out for particular praise.
WSFL Intermediate Cup Round Two
Wellington Arms had no trouble against fellow first division side Victoria, winning away 5-0 through contributions from leading scorers Mark Leslie (3) and Mark Coffey (2).
WSFL Junior Cup Quarter-Finals
The biggest shock of the round was the home defeat of Oxhey Jets Vetsm, who were thumped 7-2 by fellow third division side The Bell.
Danny Fielding and Matt Coultham shared four goals, with Dean Higgs, Dom David and Callum Hailey completing the rout. Almost predictably, Lewis Putman netted the two Jets goals.
In the biggest cup win of the day, Woodlands United beat Division Four rivals West Herts Reserves 8-0.
Lee Bailey hit three goals and there was one each from Aaron Hodgson, Leigh Harrington, Craig Hepworth, Floyd Tate and Graham Small.
In the third quarter-final tie, Division Three leaders AFC Bushey enjoyed a comprehensive 4-1 win away to Shenley Dynamos.
A Carl Mitchell hat-trick and Ryan Turnbull's lone effort secured the win, with James Rattray netting Dynamos' consolation.
Premier Division
There were only two games played in the top flight but they produced 18 goals.
Third-placed St Josephs won a close game, 5-3 at home to Carpenders Park Rangers, with Kevin McKenna, Ben Cowan. Jamie Harper and Liam and Sean Sonner netting for the victors.
Gadeside Rangers hammered bottom-of-the-table Mill End Sports 9-1 to end a run of five straight defeats.
Rangers dominated the game throughout but found Mill End, who could only field ten men, a frustrating team to break down as the visitors played a high line, regularly catching their opponents offside.
However, Russ Popplewell broke the deadlock after 19 minutes when he capitalised on a wayward pass to score past the stranded keeper.
Gadeside continued to create chances but it wasn’t until just before the break that Jay Evans steered home a low drive from 18 yards to double the lead.
Although Mill End scored through Jack Hiscock, they understandably tired in the second half and Gadeside put them to the sword.
Ben Higginson’s cross evaded everyone to nestle in the far corner for his first goal in nearly three years and then Adam Hills netted his first since April 2010 when he converted Popplewell’s cross from close range. But it was Ryan Marks who netted the goal of the game when he superbly lobbed the keeper from 25 yards.
Higginson turned villan when his backpass to the returning Tom Oliver was underhit and Jack Hickson stole in to score.
Rangers continued to create chances at will and Tom Nelmes had a goal disallowed before Tom Mitchell coolly finished across the keeper.
Substitute Joe Pizans had an immediate impact when he turned well in the penalty area before smashing into the far corner, before doubling histally moments later when he was given time in the box to slot past the keeper.
Tom Mitchell had the final say when he scored Gadeside’s ninth and his tenth of the season from close range as his side got back on track in fine style.
Division One
Leaders FC Crescent had a very convincing 7-1 away win against strugglers Green Dragon.
Liam Hanley was the star man with a hat trick, backed up by further goals from Luke Beardsworth, Aaron O’Neill, Dean Voss and Tyler Connor.
Division Two
Europcar put in a gritty display in the top-of-the-table clash at AFC Spartians, winning 4-2.
The visitors began the game brightly and their dominance was rewarded when Hugh Trayte headed in from close range from a dangerous corner.
Spartians slowly got back into the contest though, and they pulled level on the half-hour when a cross from the left was headed home by centre-half Liam Stapleton at the back post.
The home side then went in front in controversial fashion just berfore half-time following a short corner and Lee Baldwin netted.
Despite Europcar's protests, the goal was allowed to stand. But straight from the restart, Rhys Williams tried his luck from the halfway line and to the delight of his team-mates, managed to hammer the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net to level the score at the interval.
Europcar began the stronger in the second half and skipper Matt White cooly found the top corner of the net inside a crowded area to put his side back in front.
Mark Lomas rounded off the scoring in the dying minutes when he smashed in off the crossbar to seal an important win for the visitors.
Langleybury CC maintained third place with a 3-1 win over Old Fullerians.
Chris Eldridge scored twice and Dion Osborne also netted, with Lee Chamberlain responding for the Old Boys.
Dome Bar Rangers and Sun Postal Sports shared four goals in a bottom-of-the-table encounter.
Angelo Napolitano scored twice for Rangers and Sam Hakner and Graham Olney were on target for Sports.
Wellington Arms Reserves (Keith Whittall) and Chorleywood Club (Chris May) drew 1-1.
Division Three
Oxhey Estates Reserves squandered a two-goal lead for the second time in three weeks as Ebury Guild came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw.
Ebury began brightly and could have been two up early on, with Michael Gillman failing to finish after going through one-on-one and Rishi Doshi sending a free header over the bar.
Guild were punished for these misses midway through the first half when the ball rebounded off the Ebury keeper and was tucked home by the onrushing Rob Fordham.
The second half began brightly for Estates and it only took three minutes for them to double their lead through Dean Ayres.
This finally kicked their opponents into life and ten minutes later they grabbed a goal back when Gino De Antonis' long-range effort was deflected home by Alex Tomlinson.
Ebury continued to dominate possession and soon after grabbed the equaliser when Dan Dare was fouled in the box at a corner and Ollie Edwards sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot kick.
Guild now looked a good bet to go on and take all three points but their failure to hit the target was to prove their undoing, notably when Rishi Doshi missed a header from two yards out by putting it back across goal.
That was bad enough but worse was to follow with ten minutes remaining when De Antonis got the ball under control ten yards out and with an open goal in front of him, somehow contrived to hit the bar and the resultant rebound came off the keeper's heels to just creep wide for a corner.
Railway Arms kept in the title hunt with a 2-0 away win against strugglers The Pavillion thanks to goals from Glen Brown and Sledge Mubama.
In the match between two other teams at the wrong end of the table, AFC Oddfellows edged out Sun Postal United by the odd goal in three through Shane Kitts and Vinnie James.
Division Four
The two matches in this division both ended in 6-1 away victories.
Top-of-the-table Evergreen had a convincing victory at Carpenders Park Rangers Reserves through Joe Murphy (2), Andy Murphy, Max Moore, Phil Waldock and Rhys Barker. Max Graham replied for Rangers.
The lower end of the table saw Green Dragon Reserves overcome AFC Bushey Reserves, whose goal was scored by Adan Tannian.
WSFL Presidents Cup Group A
In the start of the supplementary cups for the clubs who are slowly running out of games, Premier Division Croxley Green Community Centre ran out 5-1 winners at division one side Watford Irish.
Andy Avis netted a couple for the victors, supported by Connor Flanagan, Robbie Martin and Harry Brock, while Sergei Jakoylev was on target for Irish.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel