WSL Intermediate Cup Final

Ripstone beat FC Woodside 4-2 to win the Intermediate Cup and in the process complete one of the more unusual cup stories of this or any other season.

Back on September 24, Ripstone’s hopes of winning this competition were seemingly ended when they suffered a 3-2 home defeat to AFC Green Machine.

The victors of that tie went on to beat Revolution 8-0 before being removed from the competition for fielding an ineligible player in the game against Ripstone.

With Revolution having folded after the Green Machine tie, it was Ripstone who were rewarded with an unlikely reprieve.

They beat Inter and Bushey Rangers to reach the final, and on Sunday grabbed their chance for cup glory with both hands against an experienced Woodside side.

Woodside, who looked to have the players with the cup final pedigree having won the Junior Cup 12 months ago, played well but were out-performed by an impressive display from their opponents.

The game started how it continued with Ripstone playing on the front foot and taking the game to Woodside, with their forward paring of Matt Elgey and Lee Culverhouse proving a real handful.

But it was Woodside who drew first blood with their first real attack after 10 minutes when Michael Griffin touched the ball past Ryan Magee in the Ripstone goal following a run and cross from Drew Snailham from the left.

It was this goal that lit the blue touch paper as the game burst into life and straight from the restart, a swift passing move saw Elgey crash a volley against the underside of the crossbar, with the ball bouncing down and outwards before being hacked clear.

But Elgey was not be denied four minutes later when he brought the ball down just inside the area on the right-hand side, and fired a well-taken shot past Simon Ross in the Woodside goal.

The game swung from end to end, with Ripstone’s Josh Roe seeing his free-kick from 20 yards out superbly turned over the bar by Ross, before Griffin had a strong shout for a penalty not given and Joe Fox, who was causing problems down the right, twice turning inside and having efforts deflected narrowly wide.

With Woodside seemingly unsettled by a double change at the break, Ripstone started the second half the stronger and re-took the lead five minutes after the restart when Egley scored his second of the game, turning sweetly on the edge of the area and shooting inside the post after Culverhouse had held the ball up for him.

A third followed eight minutes later when Roe turned away from his marker in the area and shot home.

Fox once again broke free for FC Woodside and missed another good chance from the wing, firing wide when he should have done better.

But 15 minutes from time Woodside gave themselves a real chance when Griffin, who was their most dangerous player, was tripped in the box and Joe McCarthy slotted home the resulting penalty.

For the first time Woodside seemed to have some real momentum and started to push Ripstone back, but they just couldn’t find a way through a back four well organised by Matt Sharkey.

With the game a minute into added-on time, Woodside were caught on the counter as Egley broke clear, only to be brought down by Dane Wiemar.

Surprisingly, it was Culverhouse who took the penalty to seal the win, rather than strike partner Egley with the opportunity to complete his hat-trick.

Ripstone: Magee, Brall (Crocker 28), Sharkey (Wilson 45), Brill (Culverhouse 83), Patel, Roe, Benson, Churchman, Elgey, Culverhouse (Sharkey 78), Saunders (Brall 66).

FC Woodside: Ross, Chiverton (Cahill 45, Wiemar 63), Wiemar (Ford 45), Moldovan (Snailham 83), Bamgoye, Fox, Beaumont (Edwards 70), J. Dettmer, Snailham (Gullen 54), T. Dettmer (Griffin 60), Griffin (McCarthy 54).

Eric Hand Challenge Cup Semi-Final

Oakview are through to the final after a season’s break but they were made to fight all the way by runaway Second Division champions Tudor Athletic before winning 3-1.

Tom Kennedy put Oakview ahead but on the stroke of half-time Danny Regan and James Hocking combined for Grant Avis to fire the underdogs level.

Oakview regained the lead 20 minutes from time through Tom Inch, before in the final five minutes Daryl Brown scored from a hotly-contested free-kick, which saw Tudor’s Dave Herbert sent off for protesting the decision.

Premier Division

As well as their own cup result, it was a good day in the league for Oakview as fellow title contenders Reed Rangers blew what looked to be last chance of snatching the championship as they suffered a shock 3-0 home defeat to Chorleywood Club.

James Edwards opened the scoring after 14 minutes before Ewen Reeves netted twice, the first two minutes before the break and the second 20 minutes into the second half.

The result gives Oakview a two-point advantage with both sides having three games left to play.

Division One

Evergreen are within a point of sealing the First Division title, but they suffered a first a league defeat of the season in the opening game of their double-header with Cassiobury Rangers, Mark Riddick’s two goals proving decisive.

Ben Adams gave Evergreen the lead in the return match before Riddick scored his third goal of the morning from a free-kick.

But the winner came in the second half when a Sam Robins corner eluded everyone, including his own players, and ended up in the net.

Compasses North did all they could to keep up the chase, beating North Watford 1-0 thanks to a Sam Hakner penalty early in the second half.

FC Unicorn defeated Croxley 3-1, player-manager Jamie Calvin scoring twice and one from Luke Peerless, with Jack Wilson replying for Croxley.

Division Two

Woodlands United won the battle of the bottom two sides as they swept aside Oxhey Rangers 4-0 thanks to goals from Klevis Dervishi, who scored a double, and one each from Nick Roberts and Daniel Okoro.

Division Three

Both of the top two sides, leaders The Tree and second-placed Bushey Rangers scored big wins ahead of their potential title decider this Sunday at Moatfield.

The Tree enjoyed a 7-2 away victory over Sun Regent Sports, Glenn O'Malley and Jordan Robinson both hitting hat-tricks with Nathan Davies scoring the other goal.

Rangers saw off AC Little Silhouette of Milan 6-0, Chad Flaherty with a double and a goal each for Taylor Cobb, Lewis Yates, George Davies Charlie Barnett.

A win this Sunday would give the title to The Tree, but a victory for Bushey would leave them as likely champions as they would be level on points with a game left to play and have a far superior goal difference.

Division Four

Batchworth took six points from their double-header with Sun Postal Sports to move them up to sixth place in the table, their highest placing all season after spending most of it in bottom place.

Myles Jordan, Michael Parry and Michael Bright scored to give them 3-0 lead before a late goal from Andy Wynn completed their scoring in the first game.

Batchworth then ran out 2-1 victors in the return, with Kai Wiggins and Jason Wenborn on target and Stuart Melsome replying for Sun.

Railway Arms beat Garston Athletic 3-2 thanks to a Paul Craig double and one from Dale Freeman.