Herts Sunday Junior Cup Final

There was heartbreak for AFC Leavesden as they suffered a 5-3 penalty shootout defeat to AFC Cheshunt after an enthralling end-to-end final which ended 4-4 after 120 minutes of non-stop attacking football from both sides which swung one way and then the other.

Both sides went for it from the first whistle, and it was Leavesden who drew first blood after 15 minutes. Orrin Adae-Mensah raced into the box from the left, his low shot was only half saved by Teddy Reynolds in the Cheshunt goal and Lucas Halligan made no mistake with the rebound from close range.

The lead lasted only six minutes. The impressive Aiden Critchley won the ball by the corner flag, turning his defender and laid the ball across for Matt Nolan, whose shot was deflected past Daniel Samways by his own defender, Charles Judge.

The game continued in the same attacking vein, with Critchley and Leavesden’s Mark Riddick the stand out performers as the chances continued to flow.

Cheshunt started the second half on the front foot and for the first time looked like getting on top; Critchley seeing his free-kick from the edge of the area strike the crossbar and bounce over, but Leavesden were not finished and after a period of sustained pressure they went ahead for the second time. Riddick laid the ball to Adae-Mensah who lofted the ball sweetly into the top corner of the net from around 25 yards out.

Leavesden sought to turn the screw but couldn’t find a third goal, despite going close through Halligan and Callum Galvin. They were left to rue those chances when the game turned on its head with two goals in a minute midway through the half.

Once again Critchley was the man at the heart of the action for Cheshunt. He raced clear of the Leavesden defence, rounded Samways and slotted home to make it 2-2.

Straight from the kick-off, Cheshunt won the ball back, gave it to George Collins and his run and cross was met with a header from Critchley, giving Samways no chance and his side the lead for the first time.

Such a blow could have been fatal to many teams, but Leavesden recovered and once again began to push their opponents back, equalising with seven minutes left when Riddick headed home a Thomas Bourke corner from the right.

It seemed unlikely that both teams could keep up the pace in the extra period, but they did and it was Leavesden who went ahead for the third team nine minutes in when Ozzie Ogbebor raced in from the left to fire across Reynolds after a superb pass from Riddick.

Once again though, Leavesden failed to take their opportunities when on top and in added-on time at the end of the first period of extra-time Cheshunt drew level once again when a Critchley free-kick from wide on the right was superbly headed home by Ben Culora.

The final 15 minutes saw both sides have chances to win it; Robbie Pattison had a free-kick tipped over the bar by Samways and Alieu Gibril was twice denied by Reynolds in the Cheshunt goal. Then Halligan had a glorious chance to clinch the victory deep into added-on time when he was denied by two reaction saves by Reynolds, the second just inches from the line.

It was cruel that such a fine advert for Sunday football had to be decided by penalties, but Matthew Norton was first up and gave Cheshunt the advantage.

The vital moment came with the second kick when Bourke missed, sending his effort high over the crossbar.

Each side then converted their kicks until it fell to Pattison to slot home Cheshunt’s trophy-winning effort.

AFC Cheshunt: Reynolds, Pattison (Cloura 59), Collins (Gregory 90), Hughes (Phillips 89 (Chapman 116)), Henderson, Norton, Critchley, Mahoney, Leese, Nolan (Chamberlain 84 (Nolan 90)), Jones (Hughes 110).

AFC Leavesden: Samways, Judge (Ford 61 (Halligan 105)), Adae-Mensah, Bourke, Woolnough, Clifford, Murphy (Porter 61), Riddick, Halligan (Gibril 90), Gibril (Ogbebor 85), Galvin (Peters 104). Not Used: Allen.

Dennis Jackson Intermediate Cup Final

Tudor Arms won the Intermediate Cup after a hard-fought 2-1 extra-time win over FC Unicorn.

The first half produced little of note, with both sides cancelling each other out in an evenly-matched contest.

The second period was a far more open affair, and Unicorn missed a great chance 10 minutes after the resumption when player-manager Jamie Calvin raced through the previously well-organised Tudor backline, only to be denied one-on-one by keeper Tom Herbert.

They were left to rue that opportunity when Tudor went ahead eight minutes later; Gary Coyle slotted home from the edge of the box after the Unicorn defence all seemed to stop.

That looked like being the winning goal, but with two minutes left Unicorn levelled thanks to a Luke Peerless penalty after Danny Warwick was brought down in the box by Chris McIntyre.

The start of extra-time saw Unicorn go very close when Calvin was again denied, this time seeing his header cleared off the line by McIntyre.

But it was Tudor who won the final through veteran Karl Bull, hitting the ball on the half-volley following a swift counter-attack and a cross from the right.

Tudor Athletic: Herbert, Regan, Parkinson, Hocking (Mann 110), O’Connor, McIntrye, Fisher, Varcoe (Clark 70 (Harper 85)) ((Clark 119))), Coyle, Clark (Mann 38 (Bull 79)), Harper (Chamberlain 59 (Varcoe 96)). Not used: Amen, Robertson.

FC Unicorn: Bridges, Devane (Berkeley 59), Fraser, Warwick (O’Connor 104) Dixon, J. Soper (Warwick 105), Habbijam (Owens 82), Calvin, O’Connor (Habbijam 90), Peerless, Benning. Not Used: Casey, Balmer.

Eric Hand Challenge Cup Semi-Finals

It was a case of the giant killer, giant killed as Second Division Ardent knocked out Premier Division Rifle Volunteer to reach the final, this coming just a week after Rifle had put out Oakview.

It was also the second time in as many weeks that Ardent had put out top-flight opposition, having previously defeated West Herts. This time they had to do it the hard way, coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Rifle took a two-goal lead in the first half with two goals in as many minutes from Hugh Trayte, the first a clinical shot and the second a header.

The game changed just before the break when a Kiefer Shuttleworth free-kick from just outside the box was spilled by the keeper into the path of Chay Lewis to tap home.

Rifle had the chances to win the game, but they were stopped by some superb saves from keeper George Rawlings.

His efforts were rewarded with 10 minutes left when a Ross Parsons corner wasn’t dealt with and Andrew Humbles, who was up from the back, slotted home.

Ardent completed the comeback and the upset with time running out when a flicked-on ball from Shuttleworth was latched onto by Charlie Salvage, who outpaced the defence and tucked the ball home.

The Division Two outfit will face Reed Rangers in the final after they easily dispatched fellow Premier Division side Chorleywood Club 3-0.

After a goalless first half, Dom David opened the scoring five minutes into the second period and he then turned provider for Miley Cash to double the lead ten minutes later. The victory was confirmed with a third from Kyle Johnson.

Invitation Cup Semi-Finals

Fourth Division RBL Croxley reached the final following a penalty shoot-out win after a 1-1 draw with Second Division Ricky AFC.

Ricky started on top and went ahead thanks to a Anthony Gilbert penalty in the first half.

Their opponents had the better of the second period and equalised 18 minutes from time when Callum Hearn netted from six yards out.

RBL held on against some late Ricky pressure and the tie went straight to a shootout after the 90 minutes, and it was the much-travelled and experienced Will Keddy who converted the winning penalty as Croxley prevailed 4-3.

They will face First Division runners-up The Tree in the final after they defeated Fourth Division Hews 4-1 thanks to goals from Triantafilos Skapetis, Harry Rush, Jack Hodgins, Andrew Pryor and Terry Hall. Chris Dunn got the Hews reply.

Premier Division

Oakview defeated Old Danes Athletic twice in a double header, 6-0 and 7-1, to open up a six-point lead at the top of the table.

Adam Lowton scored a hat-trick in the first, supported by a brace from Lewis Putman and one from Simeon Armstrong.

Old Danes did manage to score through Kacper Szatkowski in the second match, but Putman hit a hat-trick this time around, with the other goals coming from Spencer Bellotti, Chris Blunden, Tom Kennedy and Finlay O'Reilly.

Division One

FC Woodside finished their campaign with a win 4-3 over bottom-placed Croxley and currently sit in the runners-up spot, although they are almost certain to finish in third as FC Unicorn and Tudor Arms fight it out for the title.

Luke Dolan, Carl Pettitt and Chris Monstrous all scored for the home side, but Woodside won the points thanks to Drew Snailham’s brace and a goal apiece from Tom Ford and Sam Parker. However, Mark Penny could have snatched a point for Croxley when he struck the post late on.

The two sides directly above Croxley at the foot of the table, North Watford and Bushey Sports Club, shared the points in a 2-2 draw.

Ajmel Ahmed and Saqib Ahmed were on target for North Watford with Tom McGuiness and Dan Branch replying.

Division Three

Both Oxhey Athletic and Woodlands United did all they could in the race for the title with AFC Leavesden.

Athletic beat Inter 3-0 thanks to goals from Luke Foot, Jay Jarvis and Liam Coles, whilst leaders Woodlands defeated Batchworth 4-1 through Darren Obrien’s brace and one each from Ashley Yelland and Joe Ray.

Dave Brennan scored the Batchworth goal with a free-kick on the stroke of half-time which brought the score back to 2-1, before Woodlands added two more after the break.