President’s Cup Final

Old Danes Athletic won the President’s Cup 4-3 on penalties against Hertfordshire Lions on Sunday after 120 minutes of pulsating football had ended all-square at 3-3.

The seventh encounter between these two teams this season produced yet another game with attacking football and plenty of twists and turns in a final that neither team really deserved to lose.

With regular goalkeeper Tom Wilson unavailable, Old Danes were forced to put outfield player Tom Leondiou in goal and Callum Johns in an unfamiliar full-back position. This unusual formation seemed to make Athletic uncertain at the start and Lions had the better of the early exchanges, with Louis McNamara and Dennis Fraser causing the defence plenty of problems.

Slowly though, Old Danes worked themselves into the game and Tom McConway saw his header smash against the crossbar and bounce clear just after the half hour mark.

A minute before the interval, the deadlock was broken by Old Danes as Chris White picked up the ball out wide on the left and his effort looped into the top far corner of the goal.

The second half started with Lions on top and they drew level six minutes into the half when Fraser was fouled in the area and McNamara slotted home the penalty.

The game then surged from end to end with both sides creating and missing chances to go ahead, before McConway’s glancing header beat Lions keeper John Battams with 16 minutes left.

Despite going behind again, Lions struck back with seven minutes remaining with a superbly-taken free-kick from Fraser from 20 yards out. His shot was curled beautifully into the top left-hand corner, giving Leondiou no chance.

Both sides went close to winning the game in normal time, with Fraser and White having opportunities for their respective teams.

Like the start of the second half, Lions started extra-time the stronger and two minutes into the additional 30 minutes McNamara raced forward to unleash a superb curled effort into the goal from 20 yards out.

It looked like they would hold on, but six minutes from the end of extra-time Old Danes saved themselves when Rob Rossister broke into the box, his low cross was challenged for by Battams but the ball struck White. It seemed to stop inches from the line before White managed to nudge it home for the equaliser and take the game to a penalty shoot-out.

Old Danes won the Ken Simmons Memorial Cup last season on penalties as well as the semi-final in this competition just a month ago and this experience did seem to tell in the shoot-out.

McNamara scored the opening kick as Lions went first, that was matched by White, but Lions captain Jack Middleton saw his kick saved easily by Leondiou. Josh Oliver then scored to give Danes the advantage.

Fraser, Colin Spooner and Sam Crafts scored a penalty each for their teams, but then the shoot-out seemed to swing back towards Lions when Lewis Chappell van Gilst saw his penalty saved by Battams. But the keeper took the next effort for Lions and he saw his effort saved, leaving Joel Foskett to slot home the winning penalty for Old Danes.

Old Danes Athletic: Leondiou, Johns, Mussai (Bettaler 72, R. Benett 116), C. Bennett (Wilson 72), R. Bennett (Spooner 45) Chappell Van Gilst, Janusz (Rossister 62), Oliver, White, Foskett (Billington 45, Foskett 119), McConway.

Hertfordshire Lions: Battams, Rosson, Thornhill (Benedetti 45), Moss, Middleton, Balmer (Baxendine 75),Turberfield (Thornhill 116) , McNamara, Fraser, Crafts, Carroll. Sub not used: Batson.

Premier Division

Bovingdon beat Inter 5-2 to move into runners-up spot, a position they will keep if Old Danes lose to Bushey Grove in the final league game and title decider on Bank Holiday Monday.

Bovingdon, who saw their 2-0 win over Old Danes upheld in the week by the league committee, scored through Ollie Hammond with a brace, Josh Banks, Tommy Gray and Darren Keen.

Both Inter’s goals came from Chris Stead.

Division One

Watford Labour Club bounced back from their cup final defeat the previous weekend to beat Dynamo Croxley 3-1 and achieve third place in the table.

Labour took the lead through a fine finish from Ben Thornhill early in the first half and doubled their advantage in the second period when Lee Adams chipped the keeper. The third came from a well-worked free-kick with Mark Bedford firing home.

Dynamo scored a late penalty from player-manager James Graham.

Woodlands Laurels may have finished the season bottom of the table but they signed off their first campaign with a 5-1 win over the team directly above them, Roundbush, and completed the league double over their opponents.

Woodlands played very well, although Roundbush were disorganised and poor, and saw their own players arguing with each other for most of the game.

Chris Farr and Steve Cook both scored braces with the other goal coming from Tom Pilling.

Mark Medlock scored the Bush goal in the second half with his team already 3-0 down at that stage of the contest.