Eric Hand Challenge Cup Round One

The opening round of the Challenge Cup produced an avalanche of goals, with the 12 ties producing a total of 76, an average of six per game.

The all- Fourth Division tie between Everett Rovers and AFC Batchworth produced seven of them as the home side came back from 2-0 down to win 4-3 in a thriller.

Batchworth had a dream start, taking a two-goal lead in the opening ten minutes with efforts from Joe Brown and Craig Mathieson.

Alex Gilbert pulled a goal back for Everett mid-way through the first half, and early in the second period they pulled level when Sean Moore scored.

The comeback looked to have been completed when Mark Hansard gave his team the lead for the first time in the tie, but the game wasn’t over as Sean McNally equalised.

With the tie seemingly destined for extra-time, Everett grabbed the winner through Gilbert with his second of the game.

The two highest placed teams in the first round, First Division Evergreen and Compasses North are both through to the next round although they had contrasting games.

Evergreen needed extra-time to beat Second Division Ardent 2-1.

Glenn Rawlings scored in the first half for the lower ranked side. That goal looked enough to cause the upset, but in the last minute Evergreen saved themselves when Ben Adams was brought down for a penalty, which was slotted home by Ollie Cripps.

The winning goal came at the start of the second period of extra-time when Adams beat three Ardent defenders before finding the back of the net.

It was much more straightforward for Compasses as they dispatched Third Division Revolution 8-0.

The game had a dramatic start when Compasses were awarded a penalty in the first 30 seconds and captain Mick Twelves converted.

They added two more before the break through Tommy Twelves and a nutmeg on the keeper from close range by Rob Fletcher.

The goals continued to fly into the Revolution net after the break, with Mark O’Connor and Gary McLaughlin netting, the latter with his first touch after coming on as a substiute.

The duo then both added a second each, before Thomas Emery completed the scoring the final minute.

Hertfordshire Lions’ Andrew Ryder could count himself very unlucky as he scored all four of his team’s goals, but he still ended up on the losing side as the Third Division outfit lost 6-4 to Second Division Tudor Athletic.

The Athletic goals came from Grant Avis and Mike Varcoe with a brace apiece, Jack Robertson and an own goal.

Three games ended 3-2, with Third Division Hertsmere creating a minor shock by knocking out Second Division Oxhey Rangers thanks to goals from Jon Griffin (2) and Kevin Day. Connor Murphy netted twice for Rangers.

The league’s version of the ‘Milan derby’ ended with Inter beating AC Little Silhouette of Milan.

Jordan Heggie (2) and Nathan Khider were on target for the victors, with Joe Hitchins and Matt Deacy replying.

Matthew Elgey, Sam Hardie and Tom Courtney scored for Second Division Ripstone as they were given a fright by Fourth Division Railway Arms, who netted through Dale Freeman and Denis Toomey.

FC Woodside put six goals past Sun Postal Sports without reply; Michael Griffin with a double and singles from Drew Snailham, Joe Fox, Tom Ford and Joe McCarthy.

Bushey Rangers got the better of South Oxhey 4-2, although they needed two goals in the final 20 minutes to seal the win; Ellis Brown with a double and one each from James Henney and Johnny Vasey.

P&P Social put seven past Chess United, who responded twice through Ben Bugeja and James Richmond to goals from Aidan Thacker (2), Michael Georgiou, Dan Brim, Billy Lobjoit, Dan Winch and Luke Foster.

The all-bottom division tie between Oxhey Athletic and Batchworth ended in a 5-3 win for the home side, who raced into a three-goal lead in the first 30 minutes, with the score at 4-2 by the break.

The second period was rather less action-packed, with both teams adding only one more goal each.

Gavin Bowen, Charlie Cole, Sidney Burton, Jacob O'Hanlon and Lewis Shaw scored the home side’s goals, with Charlie Kimpton netting two for Batchworth and Kai Wiggins one.

Third Division Sun Regent Sports beat Fourth Division Garston Athletic 3-1 through a Josh Shaw brace and one from Dean Ward. Luke Everitt got the Garston reply.

Terry Devereux President’s Cup Round One

Rifle Volunteer’s good start to the new season continued with a 4-1 win over West Herts.

The Stags started the stringer of the two sides and their opponents were indebted to Terry Cooper for a superb goal-line clearance to keep the scores level.

But it was Volunteer who opened the scoring when a Andy Lomas free-kick was volleyed home by Gary Froy, and the same two players repeated the trick just before half-time as Froy headed home.

A third soon followed early in the second half as Myles Hall set up Nick Kerley to tap home from close range, and Kerley then added his second and his team’s fourth from the penalty spot.

West Herts scored a late consolation through Chris Coleman.

Chorleywood Club enjoyed a convincing 6-0 win over last season’s Challenge Cup winners Old Fullerians.

First-half goals by James Edwards and Aaron Whittingham saw Chorleywood take control of the game.

Whittingham added a second after the break, as Roshan Patel, Callum McCarroll and a 25 yarder from Robbie Martin completed the scoring.

Premier Division

Champions Oakview secured their first win of the campaign after beating last season’s First Division winners Old Danes Athletic 3-0.

The returning Lewis Putman gave Oakview the lead after just five minutes.

Old Danes worked hard through the first half, and although their opponents dominated procession, the second goal only came a minute before the break when Jack Grace fired home from 30 yards.

Oakview missed several good chances in the second half before the third goal finally arrived five minutes from time, when Alfie Barrett saw his shot deflected home by an opposition defender.

Rickmansworth Town rescued a point for a 2-2 draw for the second week running, with a goal in added-on time, this time against St Josephs who also saw their match end in the same scoreline for a second consecutive week as well.

A Trafford Nolan effort gave St Josephs the advantage at the break, before the home side levelled from the spot from Harry Brock.

Joes scored their own penalty from Lewis Cox, but with the game deep into stoppage time, full-back Sean Cabey scored from 15 yards out after a corner had only been partially cleared.

Division One

Bushey Sports Club are the early pacesetters as they made it two wins out of two as North Watford were seen off 7-2.

North Watford actually levelled in the first half to make the score 1-1, before Bushey ran away with the game either side of the break through a Dale Jenkins hat-trick, two goals from Rob Gradwell and Hassan Zeizale and Dan Branch singles.

Connor Toomey and Aamer Khan scored the North Watford goals.

Cassiobury Rangers also made it two wins out of two, although it was by the odd goal in five for the second week running as they edged out Croxley 3-2.

Mark Ferguson gave Rangers the lead in the first half when he slotted home, but Croxley soon levelled after the interval when Chris Monastiritris sprung the offside trap.

Cassiobury regained the lead when Jordan Woolf headed home a Sam Mortimer corner, only for Croxley to level for a second time when a cross from Scott Ames flew into the net.

But it was the home side who won the game at the death when Woolf once again headed home.

FC Unicorn and Langleybury CC battled out a 2-2 draw.

Greg Cook gave Langleybury the lead after ten minutes, before Craig McKay levelled with a header.

Langleybury went in front again in the second half through Dan Bryon, but Unicorn levelled for a second time through Joel Soper to ensure that points where shared.

Honours also ended even, this time 1-1, when RD FC and Colne Valley met.

RD went ahead early on when Daniel Green scored with his team’s only real effort on goal in the whole game.

Valley veteran Tom Seamons equalised with a penalty, but his side then saw a second spot-kick saved, before being reduced to ten men in the second half. They created the better chances though, but failed to take one as the game ended all square.

Division Two

Jordan Davies was the star man for Bedmond as he netted a hat-trick in the opening 12 minutes of the game and then turned provider for Liam Henley to set his side well on their way to a 6-1 victory over Rickmansworth Athletic.

Davies scored his fourth and his team’s fifth from the penalty spot in the second half, before Rickmansworth pulled a goal back through Nwefo Kingsley. But it was Henley who completed the scoring with his second of the contest.