Hertfordshire FA Junior Cup Fourth Round

Bell Rangers made it through to the quarter-finals after a thrilling 6-5 win over Hedgehog.

Rangers took the lead early in the first half with Callum O’Connor breaking the offside trap before rounding the keeper to make it 1-0.

Hedgehog equalised after half an hour but it wasn’t for long as James Dixon restored the lead when he scored from a corner, and then minutes later Dixon again was on target to give his side a two goal lead after he converted from the penalty spot following a push in the back from a free kick.

In a dramatic start to the second half that lead was wiped out in the first ten minutes of the half, with Hedgehog scoring three times to take the lead for the first time in the tie, and it looked like they were on the way out until Danny Warwick equalised with a superb turn and finish from 18 yards to take the game into extra time.

In the first period of extra-time Hedgehog seemed to tire and Bell took full advantage as Callum O’Connor thumped home a volley from 20 yards to make it 5-4 and he then completed his hat-trick when he latched onto a through ball before calmly placing it in the bottom corner.

In the final two minutes of extra-time minutes, Hedgehog scored from a direct free kick but it was to prevent Bell making the last eight, although they don’t yet know their opponents as the draw hasn’t taken place.

FC Woodside lost narrowly, 2-1 away to Broxbourne Rangers OB, Joe Dettmer with the Woodside goal.

Challenge Cup Third Round

For the second time in a month, First Division leaders Old Danes Athletic knocked out local rivals and Premier Division side Chorleywood Club from a cup.

This time it was 3-1 in the Challenge Cup after the earlier 3-2 victory in the President’s Cup. Ross Bennett opened the scoring on seven minutes, jumping on the end of a square cross and side-footing past the keeper.

A second goal followed before the break when a run by Jordan Woodcock set up Chris White who powered in a shot.

At the start of the second period, Chorleywood pulled a goal back from a Tom Toomey header, then they had a chance to level the scores from the penalty spot, but Danes stand-in keeper Tom Coles saved both the first kick and the rebound effort.

The miss seemed to knock back Chorleywood and Old Danes confirmed a place in the quarter-finals when five minutes from time Josh Burks sent up Lewis Chappell to score the third.

Fourth Division Hertfordshire Lions may have fancied their chances of bringing about an upset against Premier Division Reed Rangers, but they found themselves on the wrong side of a 10-2 defeat. It was a case of not taking early chances for Lions, and they found themselves 4-0 down by the break.

Dennis Fraser scored a penalty and a late own goal were all they had to show, while for Reed Karl Penny struck a hat-trick, with a brace each for Nathan Singh and Charlie Webster. Adam Crasswell, Jamie Speer, and Andrew Brennan scored the others.

AFC Oddfellows won the all Division One tie, beating North Watford 2-0 thanks to two goals from Connor Flanagan.

Intermediate Cup Second Round

Evergreen came back from 2-0 down against Compasses North to draw 2-2 after extra-time and win through after a penalty shoot-out 4-3.

It was a frankly remarkable performance from Evergreen’s Ryan Luke, who started the game in goal and scored before returning to goal to be the hero in the shoot-out.

In the first half Compasses North took a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Gio Motta and Danny Brennan.

At the break Ryan Luke went onto the field as a striker after being the goalkeeper and within five minutes he had pulled one back, rounding the keeper and firing home from a tight angle.

Aleks Jokiel then scored the equaliser to take the tie into extra-time, but no further goals saw the game decided by a penalty shoot-out.

With Ryan Luke now back between the sticks, it proved the match winner, as he not only saved the fourth Compasses penalty, diving away to keep the ball out, but then took the deciding penalty for his team to put them through.

Meriden got some small measure of revenge for their 5-4 defeat to Hertsmere in the league last week, as they beat the same team 2-0. Aaron Crawford and Dean Ward scored in either half.

Premier Division

Mid-table sides Rifle Volunteer and Met Police Bushey produced nine goals between them, with the home side winning through 5-4. Nick Kerley scored four for Rifle with the other goal coming from Ben Tomlinson, while Rob Gradwell scored three for Met Police and there was one from Ashley Shanahan.

Division One

Croxley Community Centre have a second point of the season as they came back from 2-0 and 3-1 to take a point against Colne Valley. Gary Mumford headed Valley ahead after 18 minutes and then Luke Habbijam found the net from the penalty spot two minutes later.

Croxley pulled one back from a free kick from Billy Wilson before Dave Rooney restored the two goal lead, and just before the break Jay Armstrong reduced the arrears. In the second half, Valley couldn’t hold on to the lead and Martin Bartlett scored the equaliser from the penalty spot late on.

Joe Ellis, Adam De Swarte and Sean Donnelly scored for RD as they beat Croxley 3-0 and move up to fourth place in the table.

Division Two

Fox and Hounds made it seven out of seven with an 8-0 win over Rickmansworth Athletic. Bradley Thompson scored half on his team’s goals, with Ciaran Walsh, Luke Hatherell, Michael Edwards and Alex Witham scoring the other four.

Jordan Davies for Bedmond and Joe Mortimer for Cassiobury Rangers both scored their 11th goals of the season to remain joint top of the Division Two goal scoring charts, but it was Rangers who won 4-1, with their three goals coming from a Jamie McDogall double and one from Callum Woolnough.

Dan Bourne scored twice and Matt Glossop once for Rifle Volunteer Reserves as they beat Oxhey Rangers 3-0.

Division Three

Sun Postal suffered a terrible morning as they lost 15-1 at home to leaders Ripstone.

Matt Elgey struck a double hat-trick, with Tom Courtney and Matt Sharkey scoring hat-tricks, Ollie Brill netting two and Red Donoghue one. Martin Jamieson scored the Sun goal.

Tudor Athletic kept up the pressure on Ripstone at the top of the table with a 4-1 win over Revolution. Kyle Mann scored three and Gary Wicks one. Paul Shelock replied for Revolution.

Division Four

Ardent have now opened up a nine point lead at the top of the table after coming through 5-4 against in-form Bushey Rangers. Sean Moss scored a hat-trick, with Ross Parsons and Nick Busfield-Birch also on the scoresheet. George Davies with two, Lewis Yates and Harrison Bath replied for Bushey.

Division Five

AFC Batchworth are still top of the table and unbeaten after a 9-1 win over bottom placed Garston Rangers. Joe Brown with a hat-trick, Rhys Thoroughgood and Shaun Wheeler with two goals each, Bradley Foot and Adam Palmer-Halligan for AFC. Charlie Kimpton scored the Rangers goal.

The Tree are now up into second place, a point behind AFC with a game in hand, but they were made to work for the points against William Morris, winning in the end 5-2.

Sidney Burton and Liam Coles scored the home side’s goals, with Andy Pryor with two and Craig Horwood, Marc Brownsell, and Glenn O’Malley replying for The Three who have now scored 56 league goals, an average of nine goals a game.

P&P Social are in third place and are the other unbeaten side in the division as they beat Batchworth 6-3.

Billy Lobjoit scored a hat-trick, taking his tally for the season so far to 19, and Aidan Thacker, Aaron Prince and Adam Prince scored the others. Batchworth replied through Dillon Chamberlin, Jason Wenborne and Kinal Patel.