Ken Simmons Memorial Cup Round One

Garston Athletic may not be having a great season in Division Four, but they are making a name for themselves in the cups.

Having enjoyed a good run in the Herts Junior Cup, they caused a major upset, coming back from 2-0 down to beat Second Division Ardent 5-4 after extra-time.

Charlie Salvage and Chay Lewis gave Ardent a two-goal lead before Garston pulled themselves back into the tie, ten minutes before the break, when a neat one-two between Luke Everitt and Antonio Beata allowed Everitt to tap home.

Hopes of a comeback looked over two minutes into the second half when Jamie Kavanagh restored Ardent’s two-goal advantage, but all this did was to inspire a remarkable comeback.

First Curtis Seaward scored following a Bradley Henwood free-kick, and then Seaward returned the favour to set up Henwood for the equaliser.

With ten minutes left Garston looked to have sealed the fightback when Beata saw his 25-yard effort take a deflection and nestle into the bottom corner with the keeper wrong footed.

But the game had another twist when with time running out, Ardent were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box, which Nick Busfield-Birch rifled into the top corner to send the tie into extra-time.

The game looked to be heading towards a penalty shoot-out, when with time running out, Oisin Singh saw his goal-bound header stopped by the diving hands of the Ardent left-back. Seward stepped up to smash home the penalty to secure a victory in a memorable cup tie.

Premier Division

West Herts secured a second league win of the season after a 5-4 victory over St Josephs.

The victory was enough to take them off the bottom of the table, whilst it leaves their opponents in third spot, eight points off the lead and having played three more games than leaders Oakview.

The Stags had to do it the hard way after a terrible start, finding themselves 2-0 down in the opening ten minutes following goals from Anton Collins and Johnny Hopkins.

However, West Herts turned the match around with two quick-fire strikes from Jeremy Audic and Chris Colman to draw level, and were unlucky not to be in front when an Audic shot cannoned off the crossbar with the last kick of the first half.

They continued to take the game to St Josephs with three further goals in the opening 25 minutes of the second period, with Audic completing his hat-trick and Colman adding his second of the game.

But the visitors railed with Collins netting his second, and a goal from Jack Brown made it a nervy final ten minutes for West Herts but they held on to take a vital three points.

Chorleywood Club’s 2-1 home defeat by neighbours Rickmansworth Town means they have slipped to the foot of the table following West Herts’ win.

James Edwards gave Chorleywood the lead after nine minutes, but the visitors took all three points with two goals in the second half, first from Harry Devall before Dan Jolley headed home the winner ten minutes from time.

Herts Senior Cup Quarter-Final

Reed Rangers’ cup run came to an end following a narrow 3-2 defeat away to Berkhamsted Sunday League side Flaunden, George Hobson and John Smith with the goals.

Herts Junior Cup Round Four

Bushey Rangers easily swept aside AFC Batchworth 5-0 in the all-Watford Sunday League tie at Moatfield.

Ellis Brown netted a double, with Stephen King, Charlie Barnett and George Davies completing the scoring.

They now face Berkhamsted Athletic for a place in the last four, which means there is a possibility of an all-WSL semi-final if Everett Rovers beat Bull’s Head in their quarter-final tie.

Eric Hand Challenge Cup Round Three

Oakview needed extra-time to overcome Fox & Hounds 3-1.

Both sides had very strong appeals for a penalty waved away by the referee in a tense opening period, but it was Fox who took the lead in the last minute of the half with a well-taken goal from Ciaran Walsh, who brought the ball down and turned and shot from a tight angle inside the area.

The second half saw both sides miss chances, but it looked like Fox would hold on, despite a build-up of heavy Oakview pressure.

But their defence, which had been superbly led by captain Michael Edwards, finally buckled with eight minutes left when Jack Waldren took advantage of the ball bouncing off a defender and into his path, firing home into the bottom right-hand side of the goal.

Fox tired in extra-time and it was the experienced Lewis Putman who proved the difference with two well-taken goals, one in each half of the additional 30 minutes.

In a replay of last season’s final, Rifle Volunteer gained some measure of revenge over Old Fullerians with a 2-0 win to set up a quarter-final against Oakview.

Two second-half goals from Rob Gaffney and Nick Kerley put Rifle through.

Division One

After suffering a shock defeat in the Herts Intermediate Cup the previous Sunday, Compasses North bounced back with a 6-2 home win over second-placed Bushey Sports Club.

Pat O'Boyle gave Compasses an early lead and although Dale Jenkins equalised, Mick Twelves slotted home a penalty to restore his side’s advantage before half-time.

O’Boyle scored his second of the game soon after the restart, but Stephen Smyley then pulled back a goal for Bushey, only for the game to turn on a substitution with Thomas Emery netting a hat-trick within five minutes of coming on to the field.

Evergreen are still the leaders and clearly look the team to stop.

Although only top on goal difference, they are still unbeaten and have four games in hand on Bushey Sports Club after defeating FC Unicorn thanks to a second penalty in a week from Ollie Cripps in the second half.

Colne Valley lost ground on the top three after they could only draw 3-3 with bottom-placed Cassiobury Rangers.

Valley took the lead from a Chris Blunden free-kick just before the half hour mark after Jack Habbijam was brought down.

Cassiobury then turned the game on its head with two goals at the start of the second half. First Sam Mortimer burst through the centre before drilling home and then Frankie Henley tapped home after Joe Mortimer cut the ball back.

Valley equalised on the hour with Blunden scoring his second with a shot into the bottom corner, but Cassiobury went back ahead through Joe Mortimer. It wasn’t enough for the three points though, as Dave Rooney equalised five minutes from time.

The previous Sunday’s County Cup win for North Watford seems to have breathed some life into their season as they recorded a third league victory of the season, 3-1 over Langleybury CC to give themselves some breathing space over the bottom two.

North Watford took an early lead after Dion Belle put a delightful cross into the box for Liam Fowler to head home from six yards out.

Glen Thompson equalised for the home side straight from the restart at the start of the second half, but North Watford won the game thanks to two goals from Usman Ali and Shoaib Ali.

The game between the teams second and third bottom of the table, Croxley and RD FC, ended in a 1-1 draw. Carl Pettitt and RD’s Jake Levy with the goals.

Division Two

Tudor Athletic made it six wins out of six, but they had to do it the hard way, coming back from 1-0 down to beat AFC Green Machine 5-2.

Kwabeng Oppong latched onto a poor back pass to give Green Machine the lead which they held until the break.

Sam Clark scored twice for Tudor at the start of the second half, and then added a third from the penalty spot, but during the incident for the spot-kick the Green Machine keeper was sent off.

Gary Warn and Mike Varcoe added two more before Oppong scored his and his team’s second of the game in the final minute.

Ripstone beat Oxhey Rangers 4-1 thanks to Lee Culverhouse’s brace and one each for Ollie Brill and Jamie Critchlow. Connor Murphy got the Rangers reply.

The defeat for Rangers allowed Woodlands United to move above them in the table and off the bottom after a 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Rickmansworth Athletic. Darren Obrien scored twice and Klevis Dervishi got the other.

Division Three

The Tree made it 10 wins out of 10 after a 3-0 win over Bricketwood Social through Andy Pryor’s double and one from Jacob Cook.

Hertfordshire Lions edged a nine-goal thriller, 5-4 against Sun Regent Sports as Sam Crafts netted a brace and there was one apiece from Carl Biggs, George Benedetti and Ben Pinder.

Sun replied through two-goal Ben Dunton and Dave Flannery and Alan Dunton singles.

Inter won the relegation 'six-pointer' with Hertsmere in comfortable fashion as Chris Stead’s hat-trick and one from Dayo Akinlabi secured a 4-0 victory.

Division Four

Title favourites Everett Rovers dropped points for the first time this season as they threw away a 2-0 lead against NW FC to draw 2-2.

NW only started with 10 players, and goals from Meshach Williams and Mark Hansard looked to have set Rovers on course for another easy victory.

But NW, who lost the first league encounter between the sides 10-1, battled back with goals from Daniel Flanagan and Nathan Jeffs in a result that will give the other sides in the division hope.

Current leaders South Oxhey missed the chance to open up a larger gap at the top of the table as they also drew 2-2 against Sun Postal Sports.

Ben Williams netted twice for Sun, with Bradley Bridges and Liam Coles on target for South Oxhey.

Second-placed Oxhey Athletic were beaten 2-0 at home to Chess United who are enjoying their best season so far as Matt Hargreaves’ brace ensured a fourth win of the campaign.

There was a poor first-half performance from Batchworth, who were unable to build on their Ken Simmons Cup win the previous week, as they conceded five times to Railway Arms, with Brian Coyle netting a hat-trick and two from Joe Perrin.

Charlie Kimpton scored the only goal of the second half for Batchworth,who remain bottom of the table.