First Round Review

Sorry for the delay in updating the blog. Here is a summary of some of the first round games. I've just started working on a preview of round two and I hope to update the blog by next weekend.

Hetton Lyons 8 v Seaton Carew 0
Four time champions Hetton Lyons signaled their intent with an eight goal thrashing of Hartlepool league side Seaton Carew. Connor Winter lead the way with four goals. A brace from Robbie Bird and goals from Jack Pounder and Lee Chapman completed the rout.

Bolton Woods 0 v King George 2

Sunday Cup veterans Bolton Woods of the Bradford Sunday Alliance took on debutants King George from Wakefield in a game that I attended at Thackley.

Both sides keeper’s pulled off a great save inside of the first ten minutes, to keep the game scoreless. King George just shaded the first half but they stepped up in the second half and took the lead on the 57^th minute, when a cross from the left was not cleared by the Woods defence and was rifled home by the King George striker.

A speculative chip in the 82^nd minute caught out Woods 6ft 5ins keeper and secured an away win for King George

 AFC Blackburn Leisure 1 v Windmill Kestrels 3

Goals from Dillon Evans and Matty Jones gave debutants Windmill Kestrels from the second tier of the Liverpool Business Houses league, a two goal lead just after the hour mark in their game against Hull side Blackburn Leisure.

The home side were soon back in the game, after Kieran Barmby was hauled down in the area. Lewis Andrews dispatched the resulting penalty to half the deficit.

Blackburn Leisure’s chances were further boosted on 78 minutes, then the Kestrels captain received his marching orders with a straight red card for a tackle on the opposing captain, Craig Cockin.

Despite late pressure from the home side, it was the ten men Kestrels who scored the final goal of the game, in the 92nd minute, when Warren Jevons secured the victory and passage in to round two.

Aylesbury Combination interest in the Sunday Cup ended in the first round, with home defeats for the leagues two representatives, AYFCS and Two Touch.

AYFCS 1 v Comets Sports Club 4

Comets Sports Club’s record in the Sunday Cup makes them stand out as one of the better teams in the Southern half of the draw. The Berkhamsted side did not enter last year but they reached at least the quarter final stage in 2011, 2012 and 2013. However, despite this fine reputation, they were struggling to raise a side and only had seven players available, two hours before kickoff!

Some frantic phone calling resulted in them turning up in Aylesbury with just 11 players. One sub managing to arrive just before the 2.00pm start. Despite their stressful start to the day, Comets were stunned to take the lead after only 19 seconds of play, when a mistake in the AYFCS defence allowed John Walker the opportunity to score, which he duly took. Two minutes later, it was 2-0 to Comets, when a long clearance from stand in keeper Dan Hartley cleared AYFCS central defenders and the nippy John Walker was again on hand to put the ball in the net.

AYFCS reached the last 16 last season and were fancied to do well again this time. They reduced the arrears later in the first half, to trail 2-1 at half time.

The home side were reduced to ten men early in the second half and Alex McCarthy headed home to restore Comets two goal advantage. Man of the match Chris Marsh put the result beyond doubt, when he scored Comets fourth goal, a few minutes from the end.

Two Touch 1 Brache Nation 2
This was a close game between two evenly matched teams. Brache Nation, from the North Home Counties league, opened the scoring from a 30 yard free kick on 15 minutes.

Two Touch had several chances to level the score. They had a penalty saved and they rattled the bar and hit the post, before finally scoring just before half time.

The winning goal came in the 54th minute, when a tap in gave Brache a 2-1 lead. Brache managed to hang on to this lead, despite a lot of pressure from the home side.

The Old Bank 2 v Fantail 3

This all Liverpool Business Houses league clash was a game of two halves. Fantail play in the league’s second tier, which is known as the Championship Division. They are currently top of the table and boast a 100% record from the five league games.

The Old Bank occupy mid table in the Premier Division and would not doubt be wary of the threat that Fantail carried. The game was evenly contested until fantail scored the opening goal through Carl Daulby.

They doubled their lead through a Brad Smart penalty. Buoyed by their two goal cushion, Fantail were in full control for the rest of the first half.

Old Bank came out of the blocks hard early in the second half, as the wrestled the momentum back from Fantail. The home side were awarded a penalty within a few minutes of the restart, which they successfully converted.

Parity was restored, when Old Bank scored their second goal. Both teams had the chances to add to the score sheet and with just two minutes remaining, it appeared that extra time would be required. However, Fantail captain Kevin Pollard had other ideas and he let rip from 25 yards, with a screamer of a shot, which settled the tie in favour of the underdogs Fantail.

Thornton United 3 v Dengo United 2

Thornton United of the Bradford Sunday Alliance were another side who overcame having several key players unavailable (including captain Jerome White) in their game against Liverpool & District leaguers Dengo United.  

After an even but feisty opening 20 minutes, Thornton were penalised for an aggressive challenge and Dengo converted the penalty to take a one goal lead. Thornton replied five minutes before the interval, when a free kick fell to Nath Woodward, whose cool finish drew his side level.

Poor marking from a corner saw Thornton concede a second goal, ten minutes in to the second half. This prompted manager James Marsh to introduce Thackley striker Deroy White, who made an instant impact, when he scored a header from an Andy Tasker cross.

With extra time looming, Dengo’s tricky winger skipped past three Thornton defenders before being taken down to earn his side another penalty. Unfortunately for Dengo, their last minute spot kick was wide and the game went in to extra time, with the sides locked at 2-2.

As both teams had made three substitutions during the ninety minutes, neither of them were able to change things during extra time and both teams cancelled each other out. In the final minute, Thornton keeper Tom Metcalfe launched a long kick in to the Dengo half, which super sub Deroy White ran on to and he scored the winning goal from a tight angle.

Campfield 3 v Poulton Royal 2

Poulton Royal from the Wallasey & District league made the short journey to Litherland Sports Park, where they faced a stiff challenge in the form of reigning Liverpool Business Houses champions Campfield. The Royal defended well for the majority of the game but just fell short of taking the game to extra time, when a shot on goal was only just wide of the target. Jay Thompson and a penalty from Tommy Carroll were on target for the Royal.

Home & Bargain 3 v Millhouse 2

The same two leagues (Liverpool Business Houses v Wallasey) contested this game, which had the exact same outcome, with Home & Bargain just edging through to the next round.

Millhouse scored in the first minute. Home & Bargain equalised from a penalty ten minutes before half time. Millhouse regained the lead early in the second half, which they held until the 85 minute, when two late Home & Bargain goals turned the game in their favour. Millhouse’s goals came courtesy of Perrie Black and Jamie Quinn.

Sunderland RCA Grangetown Florists 2 v North Ormesby 1

RCA edged past debutants North Ormesby from the Teesborough league by the odd goal in three. Lewis Hutchinson opened the scoring for RCA, before Jackson levelled for Ormesby.

Sub Bryan Norton was the RCA hero, as came off the bench to fire home the winner.

Quorn Royals 2008 1 v Gedling Inn 2

Gedling Inn of the Nottinghamshire league won a fiery encounter, as they beat nine man Quorn Royals 2008 of the Charnwood league.

Luke Attenborough opened the scoring for Gedling in the first half. The hosts were reduced to ten men not long after the restart and Gedling took full advantage of the extra man, as Felix Hogg doubled their lead. Quorn pulled one back in the 80^th minute, to make it an uncomfortable last ten minutes for Gedling, but they could not find an equaliser and suffered a second dismissal in the final minute of play.

Nirankari 0 v New Salamis 5

New Salamis campaign got off to a great start, as they thrashed Stevenage side Nirankari 5-0, which is a repeat of the score from their previous encounter in the second round in 2011.

Salamis, of the London based KOPA league, secured their passage in to the last 64, with braces from Steve Velandia, Charlie Georgiou and a Denis Mehmet goal.

Punchbowl Old Boys 1 v Birstall Stamford 5

Birstall Stamford have reached the semi-finals on three occasions but the chances of that happening again this season looked bleak, when they had their goal keeper sent off after just ten minutes in their game against Punchbowl from Birmingham. To make matters worse, they conceded a goal from the free kick that was awarded following the dismissal.

Despite the numerical handicap, Birstall managed to turn the game around, as their ten men scored five unanswered goals to earn a second round home tie against West Bowling from Bradford.

Queens Park 2 Kirkdale 2 – Queens Park won 4-2 on penalties

Queens Park, the sole representatives from the Birkenhead league, needed the lottery of the penalty shoot-out to settle their game against Kirkdale of the Liverpool Sunday league.

Chrissie Barrow and Liam Atherton scored the vital goals for Queens, to take the game go to spot-kicks.