Watford Sunday League: Rifle Volunteer and Oakview claim Invitation Cup wins

This Watford Sunday League Invitation Cup group has certainly taken on the mantel of that often-used phrase 'the group of death' with just four points separating the top five clubs.

Railway Arms are the leaders, but they failed to make it three wins from three games as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Cassiobury Rangers.

Cassiobury held out in the face of a fierce Railway onslaught in the first half, meaning the teams went in level at the break.

Railway did make the breakthrough on the hour mark with a well worked goal when Daniel Bourne delivered a deep cross which found James Farrell in space to power home a right-footed volley.

Rangers kept plugging away and they levelled things up when a long-range effort from Jack Henley was spilt by keeper Jonny Lappert into the path of Joe Mortimer, who made no mistake with the rebound.

Rifle Volunteer are in second place, level on points with Railway, after an impressive 4-2 win over an AFC Leavesden side who missed two penalties.

Leavesden took an early lead when Mike Porter set up Ozzie Ogbebor to finish calmly, but Rifle hit back with three goals before half-time.

Sandro Costa scored the equaliser, getting on the end of a cross from Ish Ehui, and then turned provider for Ehui to slot home.

Tony Cornick ensured his side remained in front when he saved Leavesden’s first penalty, and soon after the third goal arrived when Costa scored his second of the half when he pounced on a defensive mix up to make no mistake.

Mike Porter crossed for Lucas Halligan to head home early in the second half to try and find a way back into the game for Leavesden, but Elliot Wilson restored Rifle’s two-goal lead with a bullet header.

With time running out Leavesden were awarded a second penalty, but this time it was fired well wide of the goal.

Invitation Cup Group B

Oakview look on course for the quarter-final stage after a 4-0 win over North Watford gave them a third straight win.

It remained goalless at the break, partly in thanks to Oakview missing a penalty, but in the second half they made no mistakes, scoring four times without reply.

Luke Lloyd broke the deadlock with a volley from 12 yards, then Lewis Putman made it 2-0 when he raced onto a through ball to round the keeper.

Lee Armitt scored the third with a neat finish into the bottom right corner, and with ten minutes left Lee Grace made it four with the goal of the game as he powered in a shot from 25 yards into the top left-hand corner.

Fox & Stone have been the surprise team so far in this group and they continued their good form with a 2-2 draw with Evergreen, the point enough to leave them second in the table.

Josh Noyes put them ahead after ten minutes with a strike from 20 yards. Evergreen levelled when the ball was sent up to Ben Adams, he controlled and switched the play after spotting the run of Tom Verbena, who was fouled by the outrushing keeper. Adams slotted away the resultant spot kick into the bottom left corner.

Fox regained the lead on the stroke of half-time when Bradley Thompson scored with a long-range effort, and that looked like being the winning goal until ten minutes from time when a Jake Sahota overhead kick was headed in by Verbena at the back post.

The West Herts goalkeeper makes a good save in his side's victory

Junior Cup Group A

Chess United made it three wins from three games to top the table after a 4-2 victory over King George.

Cameron Murray was the star man for Chess, netting a brace, supported by goals from Harry Wheeler and Matt Latchman.

The only downside for Chess was that they conceded their first goals in the cup so far, with Phil Molloy and Darren Obrien on target for King George.

Joe Brown scored twice for South Herts as they beat Woodside Wanderers 2-0.

Junior Cup Group B

Watford Town have three wins and a draw from four games, after a 5-0 win over Chalfont Saints after all the goals came in the second half.

Ollie Lawford, who came on at the break, turned the game firmly in his team’s favour with a hat-trick, supported by a first goal for Alex Layton and one for Nathan Nottage.

Sparta Phoenix are in second place after a 4-2 win over the side directly below, Watford Sports.

Nelson Gomes, Charlie Vos, Dan Clark, and Floyd Thompson got the Sparta goals, with Zac McNicholas and Joe Blagden replying for Sports.

ACS Milan gained a vital first victory in the group with a 3-2 win over Watford Athletic.

Ryan Mangan, David Donnelly and Tom Harris netted the Milan goals, and Tom Coleman scored a double in reply for Athletic.

Junior Cup Group C

St Marys Harefield must consider themselves one of the unluckiest sides after Sunday morning.

They put five unanswered goals past FC Woodside - Karl Swan scoring a hat-trick and Lee Newman and Charlie Malin one apiece - but within a few hours of the end of the game their opponents withdrew from the competition. As they had only played 60 per cent of their games, Woodside’s record was expunged.

ER try to find a way through the West Herts defence

West Herts got their first win after beating ERFC 3-2 thanks to a Anthony Maylor double and an own goal. Andre Federico and Fardeen Butt scored the replies for ER.

Junior Cup Group D

SOCA went to the top of the table following a 5-1 win over Dome Bar.

Leandro Mateus and Conor Mahew both netted braces with Reece Sutton also on target. Steve Noonan scored Dome’s consolation goal.

AFC Bedmond are in second place after they beat Ricky AFC 4-2.

Connor Toomey took advantage of a defensive mistake to put Bedmond ahead with first goal for the club, but Ricky equalised soon after through Alex Ungureanu.

Bedmond started the stronger after the interval and retook the lead, with Lewis Toomey scoring from outside the box, before Ricky equalised again, this time through John Gyabaah.

Bedmond dominated the rest of the game though, and went in front for a third time when Jordan Toomey headed home a Jack Pratchett free-kick, and he then doubled his tally after some great link-up play between Lewis and Connor Toomey to seal the win.