The Gary Norman President’s Cup Semi-Finals

Last season’s beaten finalists Old Danes Athletic will face Hertfordshire Lions in this season’s showdown at Kings Langley FC on Sunday, April 19.

Old Danes and Bovingdon could only be separated after penalties following a pulsating semi-final which ended 2-2 at the end of extra-time.

The first half gave little clue as to what was to follow following an extremely cagey opening 45 minutes which saw the game goalless at the break.

After the second half was delayed for nearly 15 minutes by the actions of a rogue dog who kept entering the field of play, the game exploded into life. And it was Bovingdon who took the lead early on in the second period when Harry Woods' looping cross from the by-line some 35 yards out deceived Danes goalkeeper Tom Wilson, who was impeded by the sun directly in his line of slight, and dropped into the net.

This setback did not upset old Danes and despite the disadvantage of playing up the slope, they soon equalised when Chris White’s corner from the right somehow found its way in at the near post and past Bovingdon keeper Alan Wright.

For the first time in the game, Old Danes got on top and with 15 minutes left they took the lead when Colin Spooner raced through the Bovingdon defence to score.

Despite going behind, that goal seemed to galvanise Bovingdon as they pushed their opponents back. Tommy Gray struck the outside of the post and saw two other chances scrambled off the line, before Bovingdon grabbed the equaliser when Nick Baxter fired home following a corner with a minute of normal time remaining.

Play in extra-time went mostly with the slope advantage, with Old Danes having the better of the first period and Bovingdon the second. Indeed with a just minute of the extra 30 minutes to go Baxter could have won the game for Bovingdon when his header struck the crossbar and bounced to safety.

The penalty shoot-out saw Old Danes open up a 3-2 advantage, with White, Josh Oliver and Spooner scoring and Ben Davies and Gray replying, but Bovingdon’s third kick from Chris Truman was saved by Wilson diving to his left.

Dan Billington and then Matt McMahon both scored, leaving Ross Bennett with the chance to win the game for Old Danes but his effort was saved by Wright. But that joy was short-lived as Wilson pulled off his second save of the shoot-out, this time going to his right to keep out Mark McNicholas' spot-kick to put Old Danes through after a game nether team deserved to lose.

The morning semi-final saw Hertfordshire Lions beat Bushey Grove 4-1 in the final instalment of their three-game trilogy over the last three weeks.

Having been goalless for the first 45 minutes, it was Lions who went ahead a minute before the break when Dennis Fraser turned home a Louis McNamara shot. But straight from the restart Bushey drew level from the penalty spot through Paul Kenwright after a foul by George Benedetti.

The game looked to be heading towards extra-time but three goals in six minutes in the final quarter-of-an-hour booked Lions' place in the final.

Fraser completed his hat-trick with two goals in a minute, and Lions' final place was confirmed by Tom Carroll’s goal’s nine minutes from time when he turned home a Joe Turberfield cross.

Division One

Dynamo Croxley defeated Woodlands Laurels 5-0 to keep alive their chances of finishing third in the table.

The Croxley goals came from Michael Gilman, Barnaby Baxter, Dev Patel, Matt Hooper and Robert Hugill.

Watford Labour Club defeated Carpenders Park Rangers Reserves 2-0 with both goals coming at either end of the first half from Chris Bignell and Patrick Slaven.