Herts Sunday Senior Cup Final

Reed Rangers won the County Senior Cup competition for the first time after they took Allenburys apart and romped to a 5-1 victory.

The final was over as a contest by half-time after Reed had scored four unanswered goals in a 26-minute spell against the East Herts Corinthian League champions.

The victory means that a Watford Sunday League club has won the cup for a 20th time and Reed become the 10th different side to win the competition overall since it was introduced in the 1963/64 season. It is the first time a WSL side have lifted the trophy since St Josephs nine years ago.

Rangers took the game to their opponents from the opening whistle and Louis Stead, who went on to produce a fine performance, shot narrowly over in the first minute before Miley Cash fired not too far wide soon after.

Allenburys were struggling to get hold of the ball and also deal with the pace of Reed’s front two, Nick Kerley and Kyle Johnson.

It was Kerley who opened the scoring after 13 minutes when he raced clear of a static backline, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted into an empty net.

The lead was doubled three minutes later when Kerley again broke clear to beat the offside trap and unselfishly set up Johnson to make it 2-0.

Two became three 10 minutes after that as Johnson doubled his tally, turning a defender in the box before firing home.

Allenburys were shell-shocked and their first attempt of note didn’t arrive until the 35th minute when a well-struck free-kick from Peter Sawyer was blocked by Jack Halcomb, when the ball looked to be on the way into the net.

The victory was all but sealed three minutes later when Kerley broke down the left and sent in a perfect cross for Johnson to complete his hat-trick with a bullet header.

Allenburys made two substitutions at the break to try and stem the Reed tide, but Cash was the first to go close in the second half with a shot inches wide.

Kerley’s pace continued to cause havoc but when he raced through again one-on-one his effort was superbly saved.

However, Stead got a richly deserved goal and his team’s fifth 16 minutes from time when, once again, the Allenburys defence failed to deal with a ball over the top and he raced through and slotted home.

Allenburys did a goal back from the penalty spot 12 minutes from time when Tyler Hatherly converted after Reed keeper Miller had flicked the leg of Ade Chard.

It was almost six deep into injury time when Louis Bircham hit the crossbar, but Reed were soon able to celebrate winning the Senior Cup just four years after lifting the County Intermediate trophy.

Reed Rangers: Miller, Speer, Gibson, Johnson (Hobson 62), J. Halcomb (M. Halcomb 79), Lewis, Cash (David 60), Brennan, Kerley (Smith 71), Bircham, Stead. Sub not used: Delaporte.

Allenburys: Clark, Payne (Burke 65), Speller (Stevenson 45), R. Clemo, Waldron, Brunton, J. Clemo, Green, Sawyer (Holmes 45), Chard, Hatherly. Subs not used: Price, Savage.

Dennis Jackson Intermediate Cup Semi-Final

FC Unicorn defeated AFC Bedmond 3-0 with all the goals coming in the first half.

Unicorn had the best possible start, taking the lead after just two minutes when Lee Puddephatt was afforded the time and space to find Alfie Devane who lobbed the ball over the keeper.

The advantage was doubled after Luke Habbijam lofted the ball through to Danny Warwick, who battled past two defenders before slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Captain Joel Soper made sure of his side’s place in the final when he glanced in a Puddephatt inswinging corner.

Bedmond battled back in the second half, creating a few good chances which led to a strong appeal for a penalty, hitting the woodwork twice while the partly injured Jack Bridges in the Unicorn goal produced two fine saves.

WSL Junior Cup Semi-Final

Hews will face AFC Leavesden in the final after a straightforward 5-1 win over Sun Postal Sports.

Chris Dunn scored a double, with Stephen Noonan, Luke Pochetty and Adam Finn also on target. Jordan Sterling netted the Sun reply.

Ken Simmons Memorial Cup Semi-Final

The all-First Division clash saw Tudor Athletic defeat Croxley 5-1.

Tudor went ahead when James Hocking headed in a Danny Regan corner.

Athletic continued to press and their advantage was soon doubled through Sam Clark, before James Fisher made it three shortly before the interval with a 30-yard free-kick.

Regan headed in at the back post to make it 4-0 early in the second half and he was to score an identical goal to complete his hat-trick.

Croxley were awarded a penalty 10 minutes from time, only for Chris Sambo to drag it wide, although they did net a deserved consolation goal in the final minute through Leigh Parr.

Tudor will now face the winners of the Oxhey Athletic and FC Woodside tie in the final.

Invitation Cup Group A

The all-second division tie between The Tree and Ripstone was a winner-takes-all affair, with the victors progressing through to the last four.

It was The Tree who came out on top, defeating the holders 3-0 thanks to goals from Triantafilos Skapetis, Nathan Davis and Harry Rush.

Invitation Cup Group D

Fourth Division White Horse, who have struggled for much of the season, gave themselves a great chance of reaching at least a cup semi-final after they beat Third Division Batchworth 7-2.

Horse now only need to avoid defeat in their final group game against RBL Croxley to progress to a last-four clash against Ricky AFC.

Nelson Gomes struck a hat-trick, Karim Gregory a brace, with both Sam Groves and Fergus Jimminson hitting a goal each. Tyler Snelling scored both the Batchworth replies.

Premier Division

The race for the Premier Division title now looks to be a three-horse race between Oakview, Rifle Volunteer and Reed Rangers after both Chorleywood Club and Evergreen suffered defeats to all but end their own hopes.

Oakview enjoyed two large victories in double headers against Rickmansworth Town, winning 6-1 and 9-1.

The first game saw a hat-trick from Lewis Putman, with other goals from Adam Lowton, Chris Blunden and an own goal. T. Osunsedo netted the Rickmansworth goals in both games.

Putman struck his second hat-trick of the morning in the second match, with Blunden also hitting three on this occasion. Efforts from Lowton, Luke Lloyd and another own goal sealed the win.

Rifle are up into second place, two points behind Oakview, after they all but ended Chorleywood’s title chances with two double header wins, 3-0 and 5-0.

Hugh Trayte gave Rifle the lead in the first game with a dink over the keeper from 18 yards.

The advantage was doubled by a Andy Lomas volley from a near identical position to Trayte’s goal.

Josh Helmore rounded off the win with a goal in the second half following a keeper error.

The second game saw Rifle miss an early penalty from Helmore, but he went onto score twice supported by further goals from Lomas, Lewis Koch and Terry Cooper.

Evergreen also needed the three points but they suffered a 2-1 defeat at West Herts, who have hauled themselves off the bottom of the table with a second win of the season.

A defensive mix-up after 20 minutes allowed Ben Adams to nip through a static home defence, but Evergreen conceded a penalty just before half-time when Jeremy Audic was upended, and he converted the spot-kick himself.

An evenly-contested second half saw the Stags claim the vital victory thanks to a calm finish from Shaun Mvula 20 minutes from time.

A rollercoaster encounter saw Old Fullerians edge out St Josephs 5-4.

Charlie Hailey finished from Craig Totton’s pass into the right of the goal to give Fullerians the lead.

Joes equalised when Dean Seabrook finished after a cross wasn’t cleared, but Fullers regained the lead before half-time as Steve Pich swivelled and struck into the top corner.

Fullers went 3-1 in front after the break when Totton fired in off the post from the edge of the box and then Dan Woosley crossed perfectly for his brother Ryan to flick into the net.

St Josephs then hit back with goals thanks to a second from Seabrook and two from Johnny Hopkins but Pich doubled his tally to secure the win.

Division One

Bushey Sports Club took four points from their double header with Langleybury CC.

The first game ended 2-2 after Dan Branch and Mark Farrell scored the Bushey goals, with Connor Sills on target twice for Bury.

The return match saw Bushey win 2-1 thanks to Tom McGuiness’s double, with Jamie Madden replying.

Division Two

Everett Rovers sealed the Division Two title with a 2-1 win over Ardent.

Going into the game without top marksmen Meshach Williams and Jake Knight, it was midfielders Luke Preedy and Barry Mitchell who stepped up to the scoring plate.

Preedy netted mid-way through the first half after pouncing on a mistake when the Ardent keeper spilled Reece Cameron's free-kick.

Everett were in control of the game and made it 2-0 20 minutes into the second half when Tom Owen was brought down in the box and Mitchell slotted home the resulting penalty.

Ardent scored from their own spot-kick 15 minutes from time through Glenn Rawlings.

Ricky AFC will finish bottom of the table but nevertheless have enjoyed a positive end to the season with two wins in the Invitation Cup and this 4-4 draw with Bushey Rangers.

Adam Roe (2), Mike McCourt and Matt Cook got the Ricky goals, with Sam Burrows, Charlie Barnett, Scott Pugsley and James Henney securing Bushey a point.

Division Three

The title chase took another twist as leaders AFC Leavesden were held to a 1-1 draw by mid-table Chess United.

Alex Diaz scored for Leavesden but George Adams ensured a draw for the visitors.

The dropped points meant Oxhey Athletic moved into second place above Woodlands United with a thumping 7-2 win over bottom-placed NW FC.

Liam Coles led the way with a hat-trick and Jacob O’Hanlon, Jay Jarvis, Bradley Brunt and Jamie Moran were also on target. Shakeb Ali and Aamir Ishaq replied for NW.

Those results leave the top three sides separated by just two points, all with four games left.

The mid-table game between Inter and Oxhey Rangers saw Rangers win 4-2 thanks in large part to a Michael Gillman hat-trick, with an own goal completing the victors’ tally. James Exley and Chris Stead responded for Inter.