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.