5th round draw

Ties to be played on 16th February (2.00pm KO)

1) Chapeltown Fforde Grene v Humbledon Plains Farm

2) Allerton or Whitwick Compass v Witton Park Rose & Crown or Oyster Martyrs

3) Branksome Railway v AYFCS or Plough Wellington

4) Lebeqs Tavern Courage or Upshire v Hundred Acre

Sunday 26th January

Unsurprisingly, all outstanding fourth round ties were postponed today. As that is the second time the side drawn at home has been unable to host the game, they will now forfeit home advantage and travel away next Sunday.

Sunday 19th Jan - 4th round results

Thornhill Lees 2 Chapeltown Fforde Grene 3 AET
Humbledon Plains Farm 6 Mariners 0
Hundred Acre 2 FC Houghton Centre 0
New Salamis 1 Branksome Railway 2 AET

Sunday 19th January

Games off
Witton Park Rose & Crown v Oyster Martyrs
Allerton v Whitwick Compass
AYFCS v Plough Wellington
 
Lebeqs Tavern Courage v Upshire to be played next Sunday
 
Game on
Thornhill Lees v Chapeltown Fforde Grene (as confirmed by the Thornhill secretary)

3rd Round Review

There is only one place to start a review of the third round results;

Allerton 1 Hetton Lyons CC 0

Allerton gained revenge for last season’s fourth round defeat to Sunday Cup legends Hetton Lyons, as they produced a shock result in Liverpool.

This is Hetton Lyons twelfth season in the Sunday Cup and despite lifting the cup three times at Anfield, five of their eight defeats have come on Merseyside, so Hetton know that they have to be at their very best if they are to win in Liverpool.

Hetton dominated the game in terms of possession but had little in terms of a cutting edge up front.  They rarely troubled the Allerton keeper, who was only called in to action on just a couple of occasions. One of those was a free kick that he spilled in the first half with the Hetton forwards guilty of not following up, much to the annoyance of their manager.

The winning goal was scored in the 77^th minute, when on a rare Allerton attack, a cross from the right was guided home with a neat glancing header by Connor McCarthy.

Many thanks to Andy Gilman for this report.

Upshire 1 Barnes Albion 0

Revenge was also sweet for Upshire, as they halted last season’s runners up Barnes Albion challenge, in what was a repeat of last season’s semi-final.

Upshire got off to a dream start when Mark Daveney played in Jason Hallett, who finished with aplomb with only 30 seconds on the clock!

Upshire missed several half chances to extend their lead before the interval, but then had to defend strongly as Albion piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser, which looked likely until Jason Hallett broke free only to be pulled back by a defender.

The referee deemed this to be worthy of a red card and reduced Barnes to ten men. Their task became even harder when another Barnes player was dismissed for a second yellow. Upshire squandered a number of opportunities to put the result beyond doubt but they held on for victory.

HT Sports 1 Oyster Martyrs 2

It was a great day for the holders, as they secured safe passage in to the last 16, whilst two of their big rivals (Hetton Lyons and Barnes Albion) both crashed out.

HT reached the semi-final in their debut season, where they lost to Oyster at Guiseley, so they knew what to expect. HT would have fancied their chances, especially when they found out that Oyster’s talismanic striker Leighton McGivern was not playing.

There was nothing to choose between the sides, until the 40^th minute when Oyster drew first blood through Franny Smith. HT were level ten minutes in to the second half, when Mick Mills scored and they did their best to press for another goal. Oyster scored again in the 85^th minute when defender Tony Rendell capped a fine game with the winning goal. A mammoth nine minutes of stoppage time added to the drama of the late goal but Oyster held firm and proved that they are still a force to be reckoned with, even without their best player.

Thornhill Lees 6 Hartlepool Athletic Rovers 0

Dewsbury based Thornhill Lees are enjoying life back in the Sunday Cup after a three season absence, as they scored six times for the third game running!

Lees have been a big name in West Yorkshire Sunday football for the best part of 30 years. Twice winners of the West Riding County Sunday Cup, they have won numerous trophies in the Heavy Woollen Gate league and they first entered the Sunday Cup in 2008. They reached the third round after they battled through two close away ties and were rewarded with a home game against holders Hetton Lyons. Two postponements due to bad weather lead to a daunting trip to Spennymoor, where Lees were dismantled 8-1.

They have surpassed their previous best and their expectations this season, with three very impressive wins. I was at their first round game, when they turned around a 2-0 deficit in to a 6-2 victory against 2011 finalists Paddock.

This was followed up with another great 6-2 win over The Warden, another Liverpool based opponent.

Hartlepool Athletic Rovers also scored six in their second round game, when they beat Bolton Woods from Bradford.

There was no sign of any goal fest in the first half, as it was scoreless until the 39^th minute, when Lee Bennett opened the scoring for Lees. A Joel Clegg penalty made it 2-0 and Aidan Schofield put Lees well in control when he made it 3-0 on the hour mark.

A brace from James Wilson and a second from Clegg doubled the score-line and made it 18 goals in three games and set up another home clash, this time against Leeds based Chapeltown Fforde Grene, who ended the interest of Bradford’s Buttershaw White Star, courtesy of goals from Dempsey Smith and Craig Maynard.

Star & Garter 1 Hundred Acre 1 (Hundred Acre won 4-2 on penalties)

Debutants Star & Garter of the Leicester Alliance made a bright start in their game against Birmingham Festival outfit Hundred Acre, as they took an early lead. Richard Gregory went close for Acre and Cameron Stuart shot over when he should have scored, as Star clung on to their lead.

Stuart did get Acre level with a tap-in following some good work from Gregory. Both sides had their chances to score the winner, in what was a great advert for the competition.

Star hit the bar and Gregory missed a chance to send Acre into the next round when through on goal.

An additional 30 minutes of extra time was unable to separate the two sides and it was Acre keeper John Green who proved to be the shoot-out hero, saving a crucial penalty to put his side through.

Jamie Nugent, Stuart, David Franklin and Gregory were Acre's successful penalty takers.

Branksome Railway 4 AFC Kumazi Strikers 2

Another entertaining game saw Branksome Railway become the first Bournemouth Sunday league side to reach the last 16 since Bournemouth Electric in 2006 as they beat London based AFC Kumazi Strikers from the Metropolitan Sunday League.

Sean Gallagher was the man for Railway, as he scored all four of their goals! The first was scored inside ten minutes, when he pounced after the Kumazi keeper dropped a through ball. Gallagher’s second was a penalty on 20 minutes.

The visitors, who represent London's Ghanaian community, pulled a goal back with a shot from Gerald Akosa before Gallagher completed his hat-trick. It was 3-2 at half-time, as a Kofi Appiah thunderbolt from 30 yards out went in via a deflection.

Early in the second half, Gallagher scored his fourth goal and his reward was to be substituted straight after! Fortunately for the home side, the two goal cushion was enough. They should have increased their lead when awarded a penalty but without their star man on the field to take it the spot kick was saved.

Many thanks to Michael Wells for this match report

2nd Round Review

For me, the most impressive second round result was the 5-0 demolition of 2012 runners up Canada, by holders Oyster Martyrs. Being based in Yorkshire, I tend to start a review with the Northern based sides, as these are the teams I watch and know the most about.

However, for a change, I have decided to focus on the South first, with the two Aylesbury Combination v North Home Counties clashes up first.

Two Touch 5 AC Sportsman 1

Two Touch were formally known as Britannia United and this is their fifth season in the competition. Their best season came in 2010/11, when they made the last 16.

AC Sportsman are Sunday Cup veterans, with over 10 years’ experience, although it did take them eight attempts to reach the second round!

Two Touch started the brighter playing some great football and took the lead after ten minutes through Shayne Almond.  AC were back on terms ten minutes later but that was as good as it got for them, as goals from Aston Goss (a recent signing for Southern league side Aylesbury FC) Kieron Schmidt and a Lynton Goss penalty made it 4-1 at half time.

Aston Goss

A three goal half time advantage is usually enough to secure victory in most games but after coming back from the same score line in the last round, Two Touch knew they could not afford to switch off and they continued to play at the same high level as they did in the first half.

They had to wait a little longer to add to the score line, however, as the fifth and final goal was scored on 75 minutes, when Aston Goss completed a brace of goals.

Co-op Green Man 1 v AYFCS 4 (AET)
Debutants AYFCS were taken to extra time for the second game running. Unlike their first round victory over Dee Road Rangers, penalties were not required.  

AYFCS fell behind in the early stages as Co-op's tricky front pair combined to set up an oncoming midfielder, who placed the ball in the top corner.

Nick Gurney forced an excellent save from the home keeper before a marauding run from Michael Ainger saw him slide the ball across for Luke Norris to restore parity.

AYFCS were indebted to Lewis Stevens, who made a string of five saves throughout the second half, to keep the home team at bay. Michael Ainger had a bullet header cleared off the line and Sean Coles nearly sneaked the ball in at the near post towards the end of the 90 minutes but despite their best efforts, neither side was able to find a winner in normal time.

AYFCS made a dream start in the first period of extra time after Sean Coles' cross was handled and the referee awarded a penalty. Spot kick specialist Luke Norris made no mistake sending the keeper the wrong way.

With Co-op sending more men forward in search of an equaliser, Norris' deflected cross caused problems for the Co-op keeper, who could only palm the ball down to Zack Ewers who finished with aplomb.

Things went from bad to worse for Co-op as they were then reduced to 10 men, following a dismissal for foul and abusive language.  Norris was able to complete a brilliant hat trick with a 30 yard thunderbolt into the top corner.

This game was much closer than the final score of 1-4 would suggest. The AYFCS man of the match award went to the keeper, Lewis Stevens, whose second half display contributed as much to the win as Luke Norris’ hat-trick.

New Salamis 2 Broadfield Laurels 0 (AET)
Another game requiring extra time, was this encounter between Kopa league outfit New Salamis and Broadfield Laurels, of the Harrow Sunday Challenge League. This was a close game, with both sides having their chances to win the game but with no goals in normal time, an extra 30 minutes play was required.

The Salamis took the lead on five minutes, courtesy of an own goal. They secured the win when a Deniz Mehmet screamer flew straight in to the top corner in the second period of extra time.

Hammer 0 Upshire 5
Jason Hallett fired Essex based Upshire ahead after 10 minutes and the same player then headed home a second minutes later.
 
Hammer were then awarded a penalty but Upshire’s Joe Taylor saved the spot-kick and then blocked the follow-up. He then turned provider as his route-one clearance found Hallett to complete his hat-trick before half-time!

An own goal and another Hallett goal completed the scoring and a miserable day for South West Herts league outfit Hammer.

Upshire can expect a harder tie in round three, as they have been drawn at home to Barnes Albion in a repeat of last year’s semi-final.

Rayners Lane 1 St Josephs (Luton) 0

Things got off to a bad start for Sunday Cup legends St Josephs before the game had even kicked off! When they entered the pitch for their pre-match warm up, their players were wearing the exact same strip (yellow shirts, green shorts and socks) as their hosts! An alternative blue kit was provided and the game kicked off.

After 18 minutes Rayners Lane forced a corner that was delivered to the back post by Nick Barrs. His delivery, swung in at pace, was met at the far post by Dan Church. The resulting header was somehow blocked at the foot of the St Joseph left hand post and kicked away to safety.

Lane forced another corner five minutes later and this time the ball was driven in to the near post by Ryan Penhale. Again it was met by Church, but his header was blocked in the middle of the goal. Despite a desperate attempt to kick the ball clear, the ball was bundled into the net by Andy Forbes who was quickest to react.

Lane continued to press in the second half but could not add a second goal. Unfortunately, midway through the second half, a St Joseph player suffered a serious injury off the ball. As he planted his foot into the ground, he twisted his knee resulting in the game being stopped. The player was stretchered off and an ambulance called, before play could continue, which it did, with no further incidents of note or goals.

Church Hill 0 Star & Garter 3

Star & Garter of the Leicester Alliance cruised into the third round with a comfortable victory against debutants Church Hill of the Redditch & South Warwickshire league.

Jim Mee put Star ahead after seven minutes when he latched on to a fine flick by Danny Spencer.

Mee then doubled Star's lead right on half-time when he picked the ball up from the edge of the area to once again finish well. Kieran Linnett sealed the win for the visitors on 77 minutes, scoring with an excellent curling effort from 25 yards.

Canada 0 Oyster Martyrs 5

One of the ties of the round was emphatically won by the holders Oyster Martyrs, as they brushed aside their Liverpool & District league rivals Canada at Burscough FC.

For once, the mercurial talent that is Leighton McGivern was outshone in the goal scoring stakes by Dean Astbury, whose stunning first half hat-trick set up this impressive win. Astbury was scoring goals for fun for Waterloo Dock last season in the Liverpool County league. He has now stepped up four levels of the non-league football pyramid and is the top scorer for Northern Premier league table toppers Skelmersdale United with 14 goals.

McGivern still managed to bag a pair as he completed the scoring and set up a repeat of last season’s semi-final, as Oyster once again travel to Leeds to meet HT Sports.

Hartlepool Lion Hillcarter 0 Pineapple 3

Pineapple were indebted to goals from Carl Clarke, James Kelly and Rob Welsh as they made the trip north from Liverpool to ease past previous winners Hartlepool Lion. Their reward was a home tie against another ex-champ from the North East, Humbledon Plains Farm from Sunderland.

Buttershaw White Star 3 Nicosia 1

Another big name to bite the dust were two time winners Nicosia, who went out to Bradford side Buttershaw White Star at Manningham Mills.

If it had not been for a superb display by the Nic’s goalkeeper David Potter, Buttershaw would have been well in front by the interval. Even when Potter was finally beaten, a last-gasp clearance off the line by defender Stephen McCluskie kept the scores level.

The Nic’s did look dangerous on the break but a cool display of handling by Buttershaw keeper Mark Bowers kept them at bay. Eventually it fell to Steve Hollingsworth to tip the balance in favour of White Star, first with a powerful header after 50 minutes and then by adding his second in the 70th.

A third goal by Ben Kendall made sure of the outcome for White Star, who could even afford to miss a penalty. Nicosia did pull a goal back in the closing stages through Graham McCormack but it was never going to affect the outcome.