Eric Hand Challenge Cup Round Two

Second Division leaders Tudor Athletic provided the major upset of the round with a 4-2 win over Premier Division Old Danes Athletic.

All the goals came in an action-packed first half after Jack Robertson gave Tudor the lead six minutes in with a shot from outside the box.

Old Danes drew level midway through the half when a Lewis Chappell cross from the right was headed powerfully home by Colin Spooner.

Three minutes later, a mishit clearance flew back past the Old Danes keeper to restore Tudor’s lead. But straight from the restart the scores were level for a second time when Chris White struck with a long-range effort.

Parity was to last only seven minutes when Tudor gained the upper hand again as Robertson scored a penalty and three minutes later Sam Clarke added a fourth.

The second half was a virtual siege on the Tudor goal, but they defended resolutely to secure their progress through to the third round.

That wasn’t the only upset though, as four other lower ranked sides knocked out higher division opponents.

In the battle of the leaders of the First and Third divisions Compasses North and The Tree, two first-half goals from Marc Brownsell and Craig Horwood were enough to seal a 2-0 win.

Compasses had the better of the second half and they knew it wasn’t going to be their day when they missed a penalty.

Three other First Division sides also were also dispatched, including Langleybury CC who fell 3-1 at home to an Everett Rovers side enjoying a fine first season in the league.

Meshach Williams gave Everett the lead heading into the break, and early in the second half Harry Gilbert fired home a second after some excellent work by Reece Cameron.

Langleybury replied with a header from Mark Edgar, and the Everett goal led a charmed life at times, but they broke away to seal the win when Williams latched on a poor back pass before slotting home.

Ripstone have not had a good season in the league, bottom of Division Two with four straight defeats, but cup football is no respecter of form and they defeated a Bushey Sports Club outfit currently in second spot in Division One 3-2.

Lee Culverhouse scored a brace for Ripstone with the other goal coming from Tim Wilson. Dale Jenkins and Steve Hewitt replied for Bushey.

Third Division Bushey Rangers caused the other major upset as they beat Colne Valley 4-2.

Chris Blunden put Valley ahead after 25 minutes before they conceded twice in as many minutes just before the break.

A third goal followed early in the second half from a well taken free-kick, and although Krasi Makaveev pulled a goal back for Valley 20 minutes into the second half, Bushey completed the scoring late on.

James Henney netted a hat-trick for the victors with Lewis Yates netting the other goal.

Holders Old Fullerians came through what looked like a difficult away tie on paper at Second Division FC Woodside with a 4-0 win.

An upset was never likely after Ryan Woosley headed in a Miki Signorini long throw and that lead was doubled when Sam Parker turned in a Woosley cross.

Charlie Munroe made it three after the break when he finished at the back post and Woosley finished the scoring by slotting home a Parker cross.

The team Old Fullerians beat in last season’s final, Rifle Volunteer, enjoyed a straightforward 5-0 win over North Watford.

Two first-half goals from player-manager Gary Froy put Rifle on course for the victory, with Myles Hall and Mark Lomas netting after the break before Froy completed his hat-trick.

There were big away wins for Oakview and St Josephs; the former putting nine unanswered goals past Second Division Rickmansworth Athletic.

Lewis Putman scored a hat-trick, Adam Lowton and Luke Lloyd netted a brace each and Owen Deamer and Jack Waldren added the other goals.

St Josephs put six past without reply past Third Division Inter; Lawrence Olorunfemi and Ben Lawrence with two goals apiece, while there was one each from Alex Ward and Ben Seabrook.

West Herts are the other Premier Division through but they needed extra-time to finally overcome First Division strugglers Croxley 5-3.

The Stags had built up a 3-0 lead by half-time thanks to goals from Sam Saleh, Michael Adeyemi and Roger Lake, but Croxley battled back after the break as Carl Pettitt netted a hat-trick to take the tie into the extra thirty minutes.

West Herts proved too strong in the end though, as Shaun Timpunza Muula and a second from Adeyemi were enough to win the game.

The only all-Premier Division tie saw Rickmansworth Town and Fox & Hounds draw 3-3 after extra-time, with Fox winning the penalty shoot-out.

Fox were twice in front in normal time as Bradley Thompson and Ritchie Stone’s goals were cancelled out by Bert Adams and Harry Brock.

Rickmansworth then went ahead for the first time in the opening period of extra-time with a 30-yard effort from Adms, but with seconds left Luke Hatherall scored to take the game to penalties which Fox won 4-2.

First Division Evergreen enjoyed a 3-0 victory over Third Division Sun Regent Sports; an own goal following a free-kick by Callum Rimmer was added to by Ben Adams and a penalty by Ollie Cripps.

P&P Social edged past Oxhey Athletic 2-1.

Aidan Thacker’s brace gave P&P a two-goal advantage at half-time after 45 minutes in which Oxhey had missed three gilt-edged chances, including Jacob O’Hanlon striking the inside of the post only to then watch the ball bounce out.

Lewis Shaw pulled a goal back for Oxhey with 15 minutes remaining but they were unable to score a second.

Eric Hand Challenge Cup Round One

The outstanding game from the first round saw last season’s beaten semi-finalists AFC Green Machine beat Bricketwood Social 5-4.

Kwabeng Oppong’s brace and one each from Lee Puddephat, Brandon Graves and Tom Read set up a second round tie against RD FC.

WSL Junior Cup Quarter-Finals

AFC Batchworth knocked out Sun Postal Sports 7-2, although the game was closer than the scoreline suggests, with AFC only leading 3-2 at the break.

Jake Knight and Ollie Cattle netted two goals apiece, with Luke Foot, Danny Lewis and Shaun Wheeler scoring one each. Joao Ribiero and Ben Williams were on target for Sun in the first half.

Railway Arms enjoyed a 6-2 away win over NW FC through a Ben Coyle hat-trick, Perry Byrne’s brace and one from Paul Craig. Nathan Jeffs and Kevin Steadman struck the NW replies.

Garston Athletic edged out South Oxhey 2-1 thanks to an own goal and one from Luke Everitt, with Joe Belloni on target for the defeated side.

Division One

FC Unicorn have a second league win of the season after a 4-3 away victory at RD FC.

Daniel Green, Jake Levy and James Cross got the RD goals, but it was not enough as their opponents secured the points through Craig Mckay, Joel Soper, Danny Warwick and Jamie Dixon.

Division Two

Oxhey Rangers and Woodlands United shared the points after a 1-1 draw; Conor Murphy with the Oxhey goal and Nick Roberts replying.

The game between Ardent and Bedmond was abandoned with two minutes remaining with the home side leading 4-1.

The events leading to this will now be investigated by Herts FA.

Division Three

A high-scoring encounter saw Revolution beat Hertsmere by the odd goal in 11.

There were two goals each for Harry Donohoe and Will Keddy, with Ollie Donohoe and Danny Hudson also scoring for Revolution. John James, Ian Whitlock, James Ward, Marcus Mengal and Luke Urwin were on target for their opponents.

Ben Pinder’s goal earned Hertfordshire Lions a second point of the season after a 1-1 draw with AC Little Silhouette of Milan, who had Joe Hitchins on target.

Division Four

Chess United have a second victory of the season after an impressive second-half display which saw them score four times as they beat Batchworth 4-0, who remain rooted to the bottom of the table.

Craig Putman scored a double and Liam Rogers and Ben Bugeja scored one each.