First Round Preview

I was hoping to write a longer preview which would have included more games but sadly, I've run out of time, so here is a small preview of a few of today's games.

Cleator Moor v Winlaton Commercial
The first tie out of the hat pits the sole Cumbrian entrant, Cleator Moor, against Winlaton Commercial of the Tyneside league. This reminds me of another first round game from 34 years ago, when Winlaton West End made the same cross country journey and recorded a 14-0 win at Kendal Bowman! A record score that still stands today. Let’s hope for Cleator Moor (and for the competition in general) that we don’t see a repeat of that score line!

This will be Cleator Moor’s third appearance in the Sunday Cup in six seasons and they have yet to win a game. Sadly, teams from the North West don’t tend to stay long in in the competition and Winlaton reached the third round last season, so I can only see an away win here.

Bolton Woods v King George

Bradford Sunday Alliance side Bolton Woods have been competing in the Sunday Cup since 1991, which makes them one of the most experienced campaigners, as they have only been absent for two seasons in twenty three years. Their best achievement was reaching the quarter final back in 1998, when I watched them lose to Olympic Star, who went on to beat legends St Josephs (Luton) on penalties in the final.

Their opponents, King George from Wakefield, are making their debut in the competition. They certainly warrant their place in the Sunday Cup and have performed well at domestic level (league champions for the last two seasons) and last season, they pushed 2013 Sunday Cup semi-finalists, HT Sports, to extra time in the semi-finals of the West Riding County Sunday Cup.

I’ll be watching this game and I expect a close fought encounter.

Sporting Dynamo v OJM

Hinckley & District leaguers Sporting Dynamo make a return to the Sunday Cup after a four season break. They’ll be hoping for better fortunes this time around, as they didn’t win a game in their previous three appearances and twice lost in the preliminary round, including a 13-0 loss to eventual champions Scots Grey in 2009.

Sporting didn’t lose a league game last season but five draws from their fourteen games saw them draw level with fellow Sunday Cup entrants Albion, who pipped them to the title on goal difference.

OJM are making their debut. They hail from the West Midlands based Warley & District league, the same as Sporting Khalsa, who reached the third and fourth rounds of the Sunday Cup in the last two seasons.

Attenborough Cavaliers v AFC Bush

Two debutants meet in this East v West Midlands clash. The Cavaliers play in the Long Eaton Sunday League. Their opponents play in the Lichfield & Walsall league and according to the FA, they are affiliated to the Amateur Football Alliance, as opposed to a County FA, which is a first as far as I’m aware, for the Sunday Cup. AFC Bush are the first entrant from a Lichfield league since Greyhound 83 made their debut twenty years ago.

AYFCS v Comets Sports Club

Aylesbury based AYFCS made it to the fourth round when making their debut, last season, where they pushed eventual semi-finalists Plough Wellington all the way to extra time. They have a tough opponent in Comets Sports, who are back in the competition after a one season break. Comets were semi-finalists in 2011 and quarter-finalists in 2012 and 2013, so this should be a cracking game.

Four ties have been scratched, due to the withdrawal of Bilsthorpe Celtic, Wymeswold, Phoenix and St Helier.