2017-2018 Invitation Cup Final

Ripstone secured a second cup final win in six months after they defeated Sun Regent Sports 4-3 in a thrilling match.

The all-Second Division final started with a goal in the first minute and there was to be no let up in the action thereafter.

It was Daniel White who gave Sun a dream start in the opening minute when he fired into the top corner from 25 yards after spotting Ripstone keeper Ryan Magee off his line.

The lead only lasted until the seventh minute when following Matt Elgey’s run and pull back from the by-line, Sun defender Leon Wright saw the ball strike his arm as he fell attempting to make a block. Lee Culverhouse dispatched the resulting penalty.

Within a minute Ripstone had scored a second when Elgey raced through and fired beyond Sun keeper Dan Lyons, with Culverhouse running through to add the final touch to the ball as it headed towards the net.

Josh Shaw saw his long-range effort fly inches over the bar, but Sun were not to be denied after 18 minutes when Aarron Crawford equalised after racing through from the edge of the area and calmly slotting home to make it 2-2.

Elgey’s pace again caused problems two minutes later as he raced clear and rounded the keeper only to see his shot hacked clear as it rolled towards the goal.

The action was unrelenting and barely 60 seconds later Sun defender Roland Smith sliced the ball against his own crossbar with Lyons beaten.

Ripstone’s front two of Elgey and Culverhouse were causing the Sun defence all sorts of problems, and on the half-hour the two men combined only for Elgey to see his effort stopped on the line by Lyons once more.

But Lyons couldn’t do anything to prevent Elgey restoring Ripstone’s lead nine minutes later when his lightening pace took him clear of the Sun back line and he slotted the ball through the keeper’s legs.

Sun started the second half the better and seemed to be coping more with the threat of the opposition front two.

Twelves minutes after the restart Wright atoned for conceding the earlier penalty when from around 35 yards out his long-range cross-come-shot from the touchline caught everyone out and flew into the goal.

Sun looked to be more the likely winners at this stage, only for Ripstone to gain fresh impetus in the final quarter.

Elgey saw his lob on the run fly narrowly wide before Tom Courtney served up two gilt-edged chances for Culverhouse in the final five minutes, only for him to head narrowly over before mis-kicking with the goal at his mercy.

But as the game entered the final minute and a penalty shoot-out looking almost certain, Culverhouse broke through and slotted home the winner.

Ripstone captain Matt Sharkey was sent off for a second bookable offence in stoppage time, but that didn’t deflect from a great game of football between two good sides.

Ripstone: Magee, Brall (Ring 29), Shafe (Doris 45), Brill (Chritchlow 46), Hardie, Saunders, Courtney, Sharkey, Elgey, Culverhouse, Wilson.

Sun Regent Sports: Lyons, L. Wright, Smith, Shaw, Henney (Bird 22), Maxwell (Notley 73), Gilbert (Bufforge 89), J.Wright, Crawford, White, Connor.

Eric Hand Challenge Cup Round Two

First Division leaders FC Unicorn proved their opening run of five straight league wins was no fluke as they beat Premier Division Old Danes Athletic 8-1.

Jamie Calvin opened the scoring when he caught the ball on the bounce on the edge of the area and half-volleyed the ball into top corner.

Danes soon levelled when Callum Woodcock spun his marker and calmly slotted home, but their opponents upped the pressure and it finally paid off when Danny Warwick headed home a Luke Peerless corner.

Unicorn started the second half brightly and made it 3-1 when Warwick fired home Calvin’s through ball from a tight angle.

Calvin got his second when he robbed the keeper in his area and moments later he completed his second hat-trick of the season after taking a Callum O’Connor cross on the half-volley and firing home.

Calvin turned supplier with a lofted pass for O’Connor to make it 6-1 and number seven followed when Kane Waterford’s drilled cross set up Dennis Fraser to tuck home.

The rout was completed when a Matt Owens corner was swung in and converted by the head of Jamie Dixon.

Unicorn were not the only team to net eight as fellow First Division side Cassiobury Rangers beat Third Division Inter 8-3.

Cassiobury went ahead halfway through the first half when a ball into Joe Mortimer with his back to goal was teed up for Jack Henley to volley home.

However, their opponents levelled when they sprung a counter attack and John Pascher levelled.

Rangers went back in front when Mortimer did well to get to the left by-line and deliver for Henley to net his second.

More good work from Mortimer led to a hat-trick of assists, this time from the right as he set up brother Sam to coolly finish from 16 yards.

The first half was finished off with Sam Mortimer turning provider for Conor Callanan to make it 4-1.

There was no let up from Cassiobury after the break as Callanan pressurised the defence and won the ball back before playing in Joe Mortimer for the fifth.

Inter did respond with a second goal on the counter attack from Nathan Khidia, but Joe Mortimer was soon at it again, carrying the ball for 30 yards before cutting in from the right to score again.

Khidia was to make it 6-3, again on the breakaway, before Rob Ladmore set up Joe Mortimer to complete his hat-trick, before he netted his fourth after capitalising on a defensive mishap.

Last season’s winners and runners-up Oakview and Reed Rangers are through after notching big home wins.

Oakview put six unanswered goals past St Josephs, Lewis Putman and Lee Armitt with two each and there was one apiece for Spencer Bellotti and Tom Kennedy.

Nick Kerley’s hat trick and one each from Adam Crassweller, Nathan Singh, Ollie Salami and Ashley Lewis enabled Reed to see off Third Division AFC Leavesden 7-0.

Fellow Premier Division side Rifle Volunteer also had a straightforward passage to the next round as they beat Fourth Division Croxley RBL 5-0 thanks to two apiece from Ben Goode and Hugh Trayte and an own goal.

Another top-flight side, Old Fullerians, also scored five against Fourth Division opponents in Hews, although they did concede twice.

Joe Manfredini and Luke Pochetty were on target for the home side, but Fullers advanced through Stephen Pich’s hat-trick and two from Ryan Woosley.

Langleybury CC were given a massive fright by Third Division NW FC before winning 3-2.

Dan Chitty and Glenn Thompson looked to have set the visitors on course for an easy win, before NW pulled themselves back into the game with two quick goals, but Chitty saved his team’s blushes with a late winner.

Premier Division Chorleywood Club beat Second Division Everett by a single goal from James Edwards, whilst in an all-Premier Division clash Evergreen edged past Rickmansworth Town 2-1 after missing a hatful of chances.

Evergreen finally went in front when a cross from Aleks Jokiel was met by Ben Adams on the volley.

The second half started like the first and eventually Adams got his second when the keeper failed to hold onto a shot and he tapped in from close range.

Some sloppy defending in the closing minutes gave Rickmansworth a glimmer of hope when Harry Wallace netted.

Fourth Division The Victoria caused a minor upset as they beat Second Division Ricky AFC 5-0, James Farrell with three and a goal each for James Aherne and Matt Glossop.

Ardent beat Northwood for a second time in three weeks, this time 6-1 thanks to a brace each from Craig Clark, Charlie Salvage and Dwayne Duncan. George Dalling got the Northwood reply.

Goals from Toki Adugbesan (2), Michael Adeyemi and Tom Smith saw West Herts appearing to be heading for a comfortable win, but two late goals from North Watford made it a nervous last five minutes as the Stags prevailed 4-3.

AFC Bedmond beat Woodlands United 3-1 after Sam Hakner missed an early penalty, but the home team bounced back to win thanks to goals from Geff Watcharasuporn, Umberto Urgo and Pat O'Boyle. Adam Rawlings scored a late penalty for Woodlands.

Division One

The only Division One contest saw Tudor Athletic beat FC Woodside 2-0 with two goals in the final 18 minutes from Jack Robertson.

Division Two

Bushey Rangers beat The Tree 7-4 through Jack Barr’s double and a goal each from Dan Gillespie, Johnny Vasey, Stephen King, James Henney and Charlie Barnett. Nathan Davis (2), Adam Cadmore and Triantafilos Skapetis replied.

Division Three

After scoring 20 goals in their past two matches, Oxhey Athletic drew a blank as they were held to a goalless draw by a well-organised and disciplined ACS Milan side.

Chess United beat Batchworth 2-1, with the visitors only able to field nine men.

Matt Hargreaves gave Chess the lead in the first half, before Batchworth keeper Luke Parry scored with a long free-kick from his own half. But they were unable to hold on for a point as Ben Bugeja scored the Chess winner.

Division Four

Sun Postal Sports lost 4-2 at home to SOCA as Harley Mead’s brace and singles for Blake Scott and Connor Chapman secured the points. Daniel Flanagan and Ben Dunton netted the Sun replies.

Hertfordshire Harriers and Skyline shared the points after a 3-3 draw.

Luke Everitt, Stuart Bisley and Dan Mason struck for the home side, with Devante Austin, Sam Marskell and Jack Moneypenny on target for Skyline.