HT Sports v Oyster Martyrs

Oyster Martyrs will become only the second Merseyside team to reach three finals (Birkenhead side Avenue played in three successive finals in the mid 1980’s) if they can beat HT Sports at Guiseley this afternoon.

HT are having a wonderful debut season in the competition but their bid to reach the final will be severely tested by favourites, Oyster, who are playing their fourth semi-final in five seasons.

Oyster will have fond memories of playing at Nethermoor Park, which was the venue for their first semi-final appearance in 2009, where they overcame HT’s Leeds Combination league rivals, Fforde Grene in a game spoilt by strong winds.

HT entered the Sunday Cup on the back of a very successful 2011/12 season, which saw them crowned league champions for the sixth time, complete a league and cup double, by winning the Sandford cup for the fifth consecutive year and they also lifted the Leeds and District FA Sunday Senior Cup. They have reached the semi -final the hard way, with four of their five victories being away from home. In fact, the semi-final will be the first time that HT have actually played a Sunday Cup game in Leeds, as they elected to play their home games at Brighouse Town.

Despite retaining the Liverpool County FA Premier Cup, Oyster had a relatively disappointing 2011/12 season, given their usual high standards. They finished fourth in the Liverpool Sunday league, Premier Division (they were 15 points adrift of champions Canada) and lost both their Sunday Cup quarter final (in a bad tempered game against Tripimeni) and when reinstated, lost a hard fought semi-final against Hetton Lyons.

I think today will be a close game but I have to make Oyster the favourites to make the final, although I wouldn’t write off HT’s chances altogether.