2nd round review

I was hoping to feature more games in this round up and to have posted this article earlier but when you have 3 children under the age of 5, you find that spare time is a bit of a contradiction in terms and that even the FA Sunday Cup has to sometimes take a back seat!

Hundred Acre 6 Blue Mugge 4
The 2nd round’s highest scoring encounter saw 10 goals at Noose Lane, Willenhall, a venue which hosted 3 Sunday Cup semi finals between 1983 and 1990.

However, instead of legends like Lee Chapel North, Lodge Cottrell, Marston Sports and Eagle, the protagonists this time around were Hundred Acre of the Birmingham Festival league and Blue Mugge from the Potteries league.

Simon Lamour gave Hundred Acre the lead on 13 minutes, through a long-range strike after a fine solo run. Blue Mugge restored parity immediately through Tim Saunders and began to dominate possession, to the extent, that by half time, they had a 3-1 lead, courtesy of goals from Danny Smith and Shane Reaney.

However, the tie was far from over, as another wonder strike from Lamour only 2 minutes in to the 2nd half, was very quickly followed by 2 close range headed goals from defender Luke Woakes and within 7 minutes of the restart, Hundred Acre had amazingly regained the lead!

They made it 5-3 on 55 minutes when veteran Paul Devlin latched on to Simon Lamour’s though ball and finished well from just inside the penalty box.

Hundred Acre extended their lead on 81 minutes when Paul Devlin’s cross was deflected in for an own goal. Blue Mugge had the last say when they made it 6-4 with a goal scored in the final minute of play.

It is interesting to note that Hundred Acre decided to split their man of the match award between Simon Lamour and their goalkeeper, Nathan Woakes.

In fact, Hundred Acre were so impressed with their Leek based opponents, that after the game, secretary Martin Nugent said: "Blue Mugge murdered us in the first half and could have been ahead by five or six.

"We always knew it was going to be a tough game and for half-an-hour or so they were excellent. But their heads seemed to drop when we pulled it back to 3-3 and we went on to win a fantastic game which was played in a brilliant spirit."

Clumber 2 Magnet Tavern 1
Last season’s runners up, Magnet Tavern fell at the first hurdle, in what was undoubtedly the shock result of the competition so far.

However, it all started well for the Spalding league side, as they took the lead after just 6 minutes. Clumber hit back immediately to level within 60 seconds through Jaylee Hodgson (who is now scoring goals for Northern Premier league outfit Loughborough Dynamo, who are the 4th Saturday side he has been with this season!).

Clumber’s winner came midway through the first period, when Jared Westcarr fired home to earn the Nottinghamshire based side an away trip to Hertfordshire to face Comets Sports Club of the Berkhamsted league.

Belt Road 2 Birstall Stamford 3
This tie gave Cannock Chase league outfit Belt Road the opportunity to
avenge a 5-2 defeat they suffered at home to Birstall Stamford in the 4th
round, back in 2006/7.

Belt Road squandered a 2-0 lead with just 8 minutes left that day but this time, it was Birstall Stamford who threw away a 2-0 lead, although they did manage to get back in to the game and find another goal to squeeze in to the last 32.

Bluebird United 4 Wrightchoice Comm Sports Association 2
Two debutants came face to face at Elburton Villa, where Bluebird United of the Plymouth & West Devon Combination hosted Wrightchoice from the Senior Division of the Reading league.

Bluebird, no doubt inspired by the Sunday Cup achievements of local rivals Lakeside Athletic (2009 semi finalists) scored an impressive 6-3 first round victory away at Ashton but found themselves 1-0 down after only four minutes.

They levelled the score somewhat fortuitously, when the ball ricocheted off Sam Stevens and went in!!

Levi Landricombe scored a stunning volley to put Bluebird 2-1 in front. He then extended the lead with another volley after the break and then put the result beyond doubt when he completed his hat-trick