First Round Review

First of all, apologies for not posting this sooner! I had planned to update the blog with a first round review a couple of weeks back. Better late than never, I suppose.

Many thanks to those who provided me with information by email and text message. Please keep it coming!

115 teams have been accepted in to this season’s competition. This is 16 teams down on last season and is the lowest number of entrants in 10 seasons.

With not enough teams for a preliminary round, the first round began at 11:30am in Ryhope, just outside Sunderland:

Sunderland RCA Grangetown Florists 4 v Sportsmans 3

This was a repeat of last season’s first round encounter, in which the Florists triumphed by 2 goals to 1. In a cracking game played in perfect conditions, it was the visitors from the Hambleton Combination league who drew first blood, when the lively Anderson’s hard and low cross was turned in by Florists captain Phil Hall, to give Sportsmans a third minute lead.

The Florists were on level terms just ten minutes later, when Scott Kelly drove home from the edge of the penalty box. And they took the lead five minutes after that, when a deep cross was headed in to the path of Gareth Hill, who scored from close range.

Man of the match Martin Metcalfe then converted a penalty to put the Florists 3-1 up, ten minutes before the interval. Another penalty was awarded five minutes later and this time it was Sportsmans who were celebrating, as they reduced the arrears to one goal.

A delightful 25 yard lob from Matt Harrison restored the Florists two goal advantage, just five minutes in to the second half. Sportsmans never gave up and they scored again in the 75^th minute, to set up a nervy finale. Six minutes of overtime added to the tension but the Florists hung on for a hard fought victory and face a tricky away game at Witton Park in the second round.

Newton Aycliffe 1 v Winlaton Commercial 3

Two more teams renewing acquaintances were Newton Aycliffe of the Durham Sunday league and Winlaton of the Tyneside league, who also met in last season’s first round, where Aycliffe game by a 3-1 scoreline.

Winlaton’s bid for revenge got off to a horrible start when David Fitzpatrick was sent off in the third minute!

The ten men visitors opened the scoring on 27 minutes, when a free-kick into the box was headed home. Winlaton doubled their lead in the 51st minute when Martindale scored a penalty that was awarded for handball.

It was 3-0 just five minutes later when Will Kelly was caught in possession and Mark Fitzpatrick broke from halfway before slotting home past Young.

Aycliffe scored a consolation goal in the 83rd minute when they were awarded a penalty, which was scored by Warren Byrne, who twice lifted the Sunday Cup with his former side, Hetton Lyons.

Witton Park Rose & Crown 4 v Stockton Rosegale N&SA 2

Wear Valley league outfit Witton Park reached the quarter finals in their debut season back in 2008/09. However, they have found it hard to reproduce that form since and were humiliated 10-2 in last season’s first round at former winners, Humbledon Plains Farm.

Goals from Dean Thexton, Corey Nicholson and a brace from Adam Nichols secured their passage in to round 2.

Northallerton Police 1 v Hetton Lyons Cricket Club 3
With last season’s finalists (Oyster Martyrs and Barnes Albion) both exempt to the second round, Northallerton Police were faced with arguably the most daunting task of the first round, that of trying to stop Sunday Cup legends Hetton Lyons, as they began their quest for a fifth title.

The alarm bells were ringing for the Police as early as the third minute, when a Robbie Bird strike from 20 yards hit the inside of the post and bounced clear.

However, the Police recovered and took the lead on 10 minutes when Graham Caygill received the ball just outside the area. He turned his man and hit a fine shot into the top right hand corner of the net. The lead last for 15 minutes, when Marc Ellison fired home with a 25 yard screamer.

Hetton took the lead on the hour mark, when Michael Pearson converted a right wing cross. It was 3-1 to Hetton just four minutes later, when Denver Morris fired home from another ball from the right flank.

Barrington Arms 2 v Humbledon Plains Farm 5

Debutants Barrington Arms from the Morpeth league found themselves 3-0 down at half time against former winners Humbleon Plains. However, two quick goals from David Scott and Josh Laverick put them right back in contention and Scott then missed a great chance to level the tie, when after the rounding the keeper, his hesitancy in front of goal, allowed  a Plains defender to stop his goal ward shot on the line.

Humbledon showed no such charity when they were presented with their chances and they killed the game off with two further goals.

With 17 entrants from the Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire & Rutland County FA’s, it was inevitable that there would be some East Midlands derby games

Kirkby Town 5 v Sileby Athletic 2

Kirkby Town were one of five Nottinghamshire based sides making their Sunday Cup debut in the first round. It was a family affair for Kirkby, as all of their goals were scored by the Watsons brothers; Kieren (2), Kris (2) and Nathan in their game against Sileby Athletic from the Leicestershire based Charnwood league.

Jacksdale MW 7 v Thurmaston PWMC 5

Nottinghamshire also came out on top in this 12 goal thriller. Jacksdale from the Alfreton & District league had to twice claw back a two goal deficit and they needed an equaliser in the final minute of normal time, to level the score at 4-4. Jacksdale finally put pay to their opponents from the Leicester Alliance league, when they scored three of the four goals that followed in extra time, which earned them another home tie in round 2, where they will face Thurmaston’s league rivals, Sparta Moshdock.

Birstall Stamford 2 v Sparta Moshdock 4

Three time semi-finalists Birstall Stamford from the Charnwood league exited at the first round for the second season running, as they lost to local rivals Sparta Moshdock of the Leicester Alliance. On the score-sheet for the Moshdock were Mark Preston (2), Aaron Preston and Jake Wain.

Halfway 1 v Sporting Khalsa 6

Last year, Sporting Khalsa of the Warley & District league re-entered the Sunday Cup after a ten season absence. An impressive 6-3 away win at Birmingham Festival league outfit Travellers in the first round, justified their decision to re-enter and they went on to reach the fourth round.

It was déjà vu for Khalsa in this season’s first round, as they scored another six goals on their travels to another Festival league side, Halfway. Davion Hamilton led the way with four goals. Joel Kettle and Ross Clarke added the others. Phil Morris fine individual goal was the sole highlight got Halfway.

Punchbowl 2 v Church Hill 2 – Church Hill won 7-6 on penalties

Two late goals – one in normal time, the other in extra time, cost reigning Birmingham County FA Sunday Cup champions Punchbowl a place in round 2. A late finish from Kieran Evans levelled the score at 1-1, after Punchbowl had taken an earlier lead.

Punchbowl regained their advantage in to extra time, only for Church Hill’s player manager, Stuart Hall, to score a well taken goal, with just seconds remaining.

Church Hill – the first representatives from the Redditch and South Warwickshire league to enter the Sunday Cup since Austin Ex Apprentices in 2005 – held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out and will face Star & Garter from Leicester in round 2.

Flamsted End 1 v New Salamis 7
Waltham league debutants Flamsted End had a day to forget, as they were well beaten by New Salamis of the Kopa league. The Salamis took the lead in the 5^th minute, when Deniz Mehmet set up Richard Georgiou to score.

Flamsted were on level terms a few minutes later but a Doug Morton goal in the 37^th minute restored the Salamis lead.

It was 1-3 six minutes in to the second half, when a Dean Fenton cross was converted by Deniz Mehmet. The best goal of the game followed four minutes later, when Fenton outsprinted the Flamsted back four from the half way line, before slotting home in the far corner.

Mehmet scored his second and the Salamis fifth in the 70^th minute and it was 1-6 ten minutes later, when Georgiou scored his second, a penalty, awarded after a foul on Ryan Wade. The final goal came in the final minute, when Mehmet completed his hat trick.

Attero 3 Apoel 2

Apoel are the current holders of the London County FA Sunday Challenge Cup and hail from the same league as New Salamis, which is one of the strongest Sunday leagues in London. However, they met their match in Attero from the Essex based Sceptre league. Apoel started well and took the lead in the 18th minute, courtesy of a goal from Andy McCollins.

Attero equalised and their cause was helped when Apoel were reduced to ten men, following a sending off. Attero added two goals in the second half to make it 3-1. Apoel kept going and managed to reduce the arrears, when McCollins scored again with two minutes remaining but it was too little, too late and Attero progress to round two, where they will entertain the winners of Hillbarn Athletic and Kumazi Strikers.

Hillbarn Athletic 1 AFC Kumazi Strikers 1
This game was abandoned after 33 minutes of play, due to intense heavy rain, which caused the pitch to be flooded. It was 1-1 when the game was stopped. Simon Kelly scored Hillbarn's goal from the penalty spot.

This tie was finally settled at the fourth attempt, following two postponements! It is AFC Kumazi Strikers who will go forward to meet Attero in round 2, next weekend.

Belstone (Sunday) 3 NLO 3 – Belstone (Sunday) won 4-2 on penalties

Another game played in torrential rain, was this all Harrow Sunday league clash between Belstone and NLO (North London Olympians).

NLO drew first blood with a 40 yard screamer of a goal! They increased their lead on 65 minutes and it was 0-2 until the 82^nd minute. Belstone were indebted to Mark Kirby whose brace of goals inside the last 8 minutes of normal time, brought the home side dramatically back in to the match.

Belstone then took the lead for the first time with a penalty‎ from Phil Ifil and it looked to be game over, when NLO were reduced to 10 men. However, NLO equalized with the last kick of the game from Craig Tomkins, a former Belstone player!

Unfortunately, this classic cup tie had to be settled by the lottery of a penalty shoot-out and it was Belstone who ran out 4-2 winners in the end.

Gadeside Rangers 0 v Rayners Lane 2

A superb match report for this game can be found at

http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/gadesiderangersfc/s/match-centre-73947/0-2101603

This game was filmed and the highlights have been put on to Youtube.

Aylesbury

One of the most impressive Sunday league websites that I have come across is the Aylesbury Sunday Combination site. Both of their Sunday Cup entrants – AYFCS and Two Touch (formerly Britannia United) have match reports and photos from their first round games on there.

http://www.footballaylesbury.co.uk/