Watford Sunday League: St Josephs and Woodside enjoy more cup success

St Josephs moved into the last 16 of the National Sunday Cup after a 3-1 win over Harrow Sunday League Sunday side NLO.

The tone of the game was set when Dan Griggs hit the bar early on, but Joes were not to be denied when Jake Tabor broke through the NLO defensive high line to keep his composure and slot the ball past the oncoming keeper.

The lead didn’t last long as NLO equalised with a controversial goal, with St Josephs claiming offside.

In the second half though, they where not be stopped and went back ahead when Harry Seabrook headed home from a corner.

The victory was sealed when Griggs and Tabor combined for Dillon Hemington to net with a cool finish.

Their reward for this win is a trip to Leighton Sunday League side Club Lewsey next month.

Herts Junior Cup Quarter-Final

Woodside reached the semi-final with a 2-1 home win over Unpredictable FC.

The victors went ahead early on when a Joe McCarthy cross found its way into the net.

The visitors had a player sent-off in the first half, before the tie became ten aside when Woodside’s Dane Weimar was shown a straight red card. Minutes later Unpredictable drew level from a free-kick.

Woodside brought on fresh legs in the last 20 minutes and with just two minutes remaining they scored a deserved winner when substitute Charlie Fisher scored on the rebound with a chipped goal after his first effort had only been half-saved by the keeper.

They now face CF Flamingoals for a place in the final on March 6.

Herts Senior Cup Round Three

Bushey Rangers’ hopes of making it an WSL Quarter-Final with Cassiobury Rangers were ended by a 5-2 defeat at the hands of Karen Pulis.

The outcome was particularly disappointing from the Bushey point of view as they had led 2-0 in the first half.

They took the lead early on after Mark O’Connor was fouled as he ran at the defence and the referee awarded a penalty which Jordan Toomey converted.

Bushey continued to put the pressure on the Pulis back line and doubled their lead when Toomey looped a header over the keeper from ten yards.

But just before the break, Pulis pulled a goal back on a rebound after a penalty. The home side then drew level ten minutes into the second half before going on to score three more times to complete the comeback.

Unicorn celebrate making it 2-2 in their Premier Division clash with Evergreen

Premier Division

Leaders Old Fullerians’ title bid shows no sign of faltering after they beat Oakview 6-3.

They went ahead during the first half when Charlie Hailey played through Ryan Moody, who rounded the keeper, but losing his balance he pulled the ball back for Dan Woosley to score.

Oakview responded with two goals from Lee Armitt, but their opponents produced their best performance of the season so far after the break, scoring five times in 20 minutes.

It started with a Woosley corner to the far post which allowed Callum Neal to head home from close range to equalise.

Fullerians’ lead was restored when a cross from Ryan Woosley was flicked on by Moody and stabbed home by Charlie Hailey. He then turned provider, laying off for Moody to slot through the keepers’ legs.

Tom Guichemerre and Neal sent up Hailey to score his second of the game with a lob, and Dan Woosley then added his second as well to make it six.

Oakview could only respond with a late consolation goal from Owen Ayres.

Second-placed North Watford kept the pressure on Fullerians with a 3-1 win over Everett Rovers Reed.

Everett took the lead after 15minutes with a good finish from Jason Puzey after a great pass from Reece Cameron.

North Watford drew level in the first half, before netting twice in the second period. Daryl Brown, Karl Brown and Ashley Harewood were their scorers.

Ben Adams tucks away one of his penalties for Evergreen

Evergreen gained a first league win of the season with 3-2 victory in the local derby with FC Unicorn.

Evergreen converted two out of three penalties awarded through Ben Adams, and Ryan O’Sullivan was also on target. Unicorn replied through Callum O'Connor and Danny Warwick.

Division One

The top of the table game between leaders Chess United and second-placed Abbots Langley Club saw Abbots end their opponents’ great run of results with a goal just two minutes from time scored by Tom Bourke.

This result means the Chess lead at the summit is down to three points, with Abbots also having two games in hand.

Cassiobury Rangers are up into third place after a 7-0 home win over Langleybury CC.

The scoring started as early as the fifth minute when Jon Burch played a diagonal ball over the Langleybury defence onto to the toe of Nathan Page, who drilled home.

It became two soon after when a Conor Callanan corner was flicked on by Aidan Lesslie to the back post for James Craggs to convert from five yards.

Another corner from the other side of the pitch, this time from Sam Mortimer, was met by Taylor Osunsedo with a powerful header.

Cassiobury showed no signs of letting up and soon made it four when Craggs and Mortimer played in Page who dispatched first time.

The fifth came when a through ball by Aidan Lesslie found Joe Mortimer, who squared to his brother Sam for a tap in from eight yards.

Rangers added two more goals in the second half, first when Jamie McDougall's throw-in to Page was crossed to the back post and Rob Ladmore rose high above his man to head down and into the net.

The seventh and final goal also completed Page's hat-trick, with Lesslie sliding him through on goal and the Langleybury keeper getting a touch when one-on-one. However, Page kept his composure and nicked the ball back off the keeper and passed it into the net.

Jordan Austin scored twice for SOCA, as he helped them to just a third league win of the season, 3-0 over WD FC. Steve Dowling netted the other goal.

Division Two

Forza Watford and Hertfordshire Eagles fought out a 2-2 draw, Adam Kemp and Lewis Jacob scoring for Forza with Charlie Kimpton and Dillon Sullivan replying for Eagles.

This draw meant both Forza and Eagles were overtaken in the table by Watford Town and St Mary’s Harefield, who both enjoyed high scoring home wins.

Town beat Watford Youth Sports 7-1, Chris Blunden scoring five times to take his tally for the season to 32, with James Henney and Michael East also on target. Callum Bedwell scored the Youth Sports sole reply.

St Mary’s saw off West Herts 6-3, Harry Fullbrook and James Peake both scoring hat-tricks, while Liam Andrews, Jak Penny and Khodi Cain responded for West Herts.

The mid-table game between Sparta Phoenix and Dome Bar ended in a 1-1 draw, Floyd Thompson and Jay Hayes scoring the goals.

Division Three

BB FC bounced back from their first league defeat of the season with a 5-2 win over Batchworth.

Greg Campbell and Mikel Walsh scored for the home side, but two goals each from James Barnett and Tom Coleman and Alfie Dibble’s single secured the points for BB.

Watford Youth Sports Old Boys are in second place after they came through 4-3 winners against Frances George.

Tom Minton, Luke Furlong and Gary Hennicke scored for Frances George, with Lewis Watling and Louie Muncie getting two goals each for the Old Boys.

King George beat Southern Cross 3-1, meaning they are the only team in the division yet to suffer a defeat so far.

Karl Davidson scored a double and Callum Flanagan the other goal. Gary Wicks replied for Cross.

Bricket Wood Acorns edged out Rio Rovers 5-4, Stuart Orchard, Alex Michael, Jack Micklewright, Harrison Fisher, Jordan Johnson all on target for Acorns, with a double from Richard McCrossan and goals from George Ray and Mitchell Estep for Rio in reply.

The bottom of the table clash between Inter and Wishing Well Watford ended in a 1-1 draw as Well’s revival continued.

Inter missed several good chances and only had James Oldham’s effort to show for their efforts. Alex Deighan got the Wishing Well goal.