Birkdale Trophies Challenge Cup Round Two

Premier Division Oxhey Rangers needed extra-time to overcome first division Woodlands United after a seven-goal thriller on Sunday.

Returning from suspension Jordan Aston-Woods gave Oxhey an early lead but hopes of a straightforward victory were soon ended when Neil Shortman equalised to leave the scores level at the break.

Charlie Fordam put Rangers ahead in the second half following a free-kick, but straight from the restart James Brophy raced through the Rangers defence to latch on to a long ball and equalise. It got even worse for Rangers when five minutes later Brophy scored his second of the game to put Woodlands ahead for the time in the tie.

Rangers poured forward but the United goal led a charmed life as they looked like holding on for the shock win. But with just five minutes left Shaun Marshall nodded home the equaliser to take the tie into an extra 30 minutes.

Both sides then missed chances but it was Richard McCrossan who scored the decisive goal for Oxhey late in the first period of extra-time.

Headstone Athletic, competition winners twice out of the last three seasons, had an easy morning as they swept past Colne Valley Reserves 10-0.

Dan Price and Matt Irons both scored hat-tricks, supported by goals from Anthony Ball, who hit a brace, and singles from Terry Flaherty and Jermaine Abrams.

Another Premier Division side, Tudor Arms, also had a comfortable morning’s work as they beat Cassiobury Revolution 7-0.

Revolution, who had been put through to this round following the folding of Oxhey Park Mangans, must have wished they had stayed out of the competation as Dan Robertson hit a hat-trick, Jack Robertson netted twice and the other goals came from Louis Bamgboye and Ben Collins.

The other top-flight side who were the big winners were Reed Rangers, who put 12 goals for the second time this season past Bovingdon AFC.

Bovingdon at least managed to get on the scoresheet this time around through Chris Kimonos and Adam Putman in the second half, but by then the damage was already done as Reed already had a five-goal lead by half-time.

The Reed target men were hat-trick-hitting Dominic David, Adam Crassweller and Karl Penny, who both netted twice, and single goals from Dean Hammill, George Hobson, David Baxter, Jamie Speer and Lucas Gibbons.

The all-Division One tie between Dynamo Croxley and Watford Labour Club resulted an easy 6-1 win for the home side.

Ashley Dale-Jones hit a double, with Nick Wooding, Dev Patel, Jordan Dawson and Matt Howlett the other men on target for Croxley. John Barker got the Labour goal in the first half.

Headstone Lions edged past Kings Langley 5-4.

The start of the show was Lions' Marco Manfredini, who scored all five of his team's goals. Tom Carter, Sam Duff, Rob Henny and Ross Pinching replied for Langley.

Division One

Brookside overcame Radlett Road 6-4 in a ding-dong encounter.

Ashley Coleman put Brookside ahead early on but Radlett soon drew level through Steven Harper, the first goal of his hat-trick.

Brookside's Robert Dodkin was also a man on goal-scoring form as he scored a first-half treble to put his side firmly in the driving seat.

Jordan Cocomazzi made it 5-1 just after the restart but that inspired a Radlett fight back, as Harper completed his hat-trick and Lawrence Brown also netted to get their side back within a goal of their opponents. But Dodkin hit his fourth of the game just before the end to seal the three points.

Hertfordshire Lions remain at the top of the table following a fourth straight league victory, this time 3-1 over FC Revolution.

In a bad-tempered game, Carl Biggs put Lions ahead in the first half but Revolution missed a great chance to equalise when Ahmet Top fired his spot-kick wide.

Dennis Fraser doubled the lead and Biggs completed his double soon after. Adam Rawlings headed a late consolation goal for FC Revolution.

Meriden Ballers are in fine goal-scoring form currently. After scoring eight the previous week, they went one better by beating WD Athletic 9-2.

Russell North, Tom Dettmer, Matt Betts, John Hall all scored braces, with Junior Bullen their other scorer. The Athletic replies came from Tom Devereux and an own goal.