North Berks Football League

North Berks Football League Roundup

6^th March 2010

(Phil Annets)

It was a weekend of last gasp winners throughout the North Berks League and Cup programme including in the Charity Shield quarter final where Faringdon Town scored twice in the last five minutes to beat fierce rivals Saxton Rovers 3-2 to progress to the semi-finals. Wayne Waldron and Paul Churchouse scored for Saxton with Peter Soane and a Martyn Hathaway double winning it for Faringdon. Wootton & Dry Sandford also booked their semi-final spot thanks to a last gasp winner in a 4-3 victory at Didcot Casuals. A Tom Fisher double and a Ryan Tyler header registered for Didcot, whilst Dave Humphries, George Casserly, Josh Nicholls with a screamer and Tommy Cooke in the last minute all scored for Wootton. Long Wittenham Athletic cruised past their 2^nd Division opponents Botley United 5-1 thanks to doubles from Tim Barton and Andy Cooper and a goal from Steve Molloy. Mark Nicholl replied for Botley.

In the North Berks Cup 2^nd Division Benson AFC booked a semi-final slot after winning 3-2 at home to 3^rd Division Bampton Town. Damian Rigozzi, James Oliver and Nick Skiller scored for the home side with Ian Steele and Nathan Beckett replying for the visitors.

The North Berks League Cup Final on Saturday 24^th April at AFC Wallingford will be between East Hendred Reserves and Bampton Town Reserves. A Tyrone McGill hat-trick gave 4^th Division East Hendred Reserves a 3-0 victory over Division 5 side Didcot Casuals ‘A’ at Drayton FC, whilst a Matt Sharp double and a Tom Madden strike gave Division 5 leaders Bampton Town Reserves a 3-1 win over 4^th Division Coleshill United Reserves at Shrivenham FC, with James Glock scoring for Coleshill.

An exciting encounter in the Nairne Paul Trophy quarter final saw Division 4 side Didcot Casuals Reserves emerge as eventual winners on penalties over bottom of Division 3 side Harwell International Reserves, after the sides had drawn 4-4 after extra time. Doubles for Dan Humphreys and Johnny Eudell for Harwell were cancelled out by two from Liam Corrigan and strikes from Jamie Dutton and Dan Knapp for Didcot. Glyn McGiven hit the winning penalty to send Didcot through to a semi-final meeting with cup specialists East Hendred Reserves.

The AG Kingham Cup quarter final between Benson Lions Reserves and Faringdon Town Reserves also went into extra time. Richard Lumbard scored twice to give Benson a two goal lead which Faringdon cancelled out through Glen Townsend and Brian Ferris before full time, and it was Faringdon who then went on to win 3-2 due to an own goal from Paul Butler in extra time.

In Division 1 Crowmarsh Gifford cemented their 2^nd place with a 3-1 home win over Drayton. Phil Hedges, Chris Allum and Andy Allum scored for the hosts with Nathan Smith scoring a penalty for the visitors. Bottom of the table Warborough and Shillingford went down 2-1 at home to Harwell Village who move up to third following their fourth successive league win. Nick Goodman’s goal for Warborough was cancelled out by goals from Jamie Newport and Gareth Bertram for Harwell.

In Division 2 second placed Childrey United ran out 5-1 winners away to bottom placed Coleshill United. Tom Weeks hit a hat-trick along with goals from Dan Hogan and Steve Vaux, whilst Shane Blake netted for Coleshill. Grove Rangers staged a remarkable recovery at Saxton Rovers Reserves to come back from three goals down to snatch a 4-3 win at the death. Paul Matthews, Craig Ancliffe and Ryan Johnson had put Saxton three ahead before John Newton with a double, Alex Lynch and Tom Wells replied for Grove, who move up to 3^rd in the table. Steventon lost ground on those teams above them going down 4-2 at Lambourn Sports Reserves. Terry Wood netted twice along with one apiece from Andy Bulloch and Jason Morley for Lambourn, with Andy Cooper and an Andy Parsons penalty replying for Steventon. East Hendred and Marcham shared the points in a 1-1 draw. Ross Farrelly scored for Hendred, Gary Harris for Marcham.

Hanney United keep the pressure on at the top of Division Three following a tight 1-0 home win over Harwell Village Reserves with veteran Wayne Sayer netting the winner. Scott Bowers hit a hat-trick as Kintbury Rangers Reserves won 3-1 at home to Shrivenham ‘A’ for whom Matt Hampson scored. An Alex Smallshaw double wasn’t enough for Benson Lions who went down 3-2 at Sutton Courtenay for whom Pawel Brodzinski, Dan Cox and Greg Krawcyck all scored.

Steve Holder scored for Division 4 league leaders Stanford-in-the-Vale who were held to a 1-1 draw at Uffington United for whom Aaron Williams scored. Faringdon Town ‘A’ cruised to a 9-1 win over bottom side Appleton Stars with both Matt Curtis and Troy Redman netting trebles. Lee Moss, Ryan Sharps and Craig Little also scored for the home side with Matt Dyer registering for Appleton. Grove Rangers Reserves recent good league form came to a halt going down 2-1 in a good game at Challow United who move above them in the table. Mark Turnbull and Lee Shann scored for Challow with Matt Hale netting for Grove. A Luke Chambers double and a Luke Ambler strike gave Hagbourne United a 3-2 win at Marcham Reserves for whom Phil Stokes and Leighton Jackson scored.

In Division 5 a Dave Sheppard hat-trick was scored in vain for Hagbourne United Reserves in a 4-3 defeat at home to Long Wittenham Athletic Reserves for whom Ricky Hasting scored twice along with one apiece from Oliver Saunders and Dave Jones. Steventon Reserves thrashed bottom club Challow United Reserves 6-1 with a Darren Pettifer hat-trick, goals from Tom Holloway and Dave Neal, and a Tom Grundy own goal. Ryan Carr netted the solitary goal for Challow.

Fourth Division East Hendred Reserves striker Tyrone McGill was the star of the show with a well executed hat-trick seeing off Division Five side Didcot Casuals ‘A’ in the semi-final of the North Berks League Cup played at Drayton FC.

In surprisingly sunny and dry conditions, East Hendred showed the better promise in the first quarter of an hour or so and duly took the lead in the 18^th minute when McGill got the better of the opposition’s defender to pick up a loose ball on the edge of the area and fire it past Joe Betteridge in the Didcot goal.

Didcot responded well to going a goal behind and started to come into the game forcing a succession of corners but never really threatening to score. East Hendred always seemed the more likely to score as most of their enterprising play came down the right hand side through Jason Moss, Adrian Gibbons, Tom Atkins and McGill. The first 15 minutes of the second half continued in the same vein with both sides creating chances, but from the hour mark onwards it was Hendred and Tyrone McGill all the way.

McGill could have scored his second on the hour mark but his powerful shot was well saved by the Didcot keeper. Ten minutes later he headed wide from an excellent cross by Ryan Hudson, and soon after turned provider playing an accurate ball into the box for Marc Merritt who lifted the ball over the keeper and onto the bar.

However, a minute later Hudson laid the ball out of defence through the middle to Gibbons who passed it on first time to McGill who ran through to slot the ball past the keeper for his and Hendred’s second goal. Two minutes later McGill claimed his hat-trick after Merritt played the ball out to the right hand side for Atkins who skinned the defender and lobbed the ball up for McGill to head home at the near post, to set up a cup final against Division Five leaders Bampton Town Reserves.

A youthful Bampton Town Reserve side started brightly, and quickly opened the scoring after only five minutes in their North Berks League Cup Semi-Final tie against Coleshill Utd Reserves. Matt Sharpe of Bampton skilfully lofted the ball over the keeper following indecisive defending by the Coleshill defence.

Both sides were evenly matched for the early part of the game, until a further lapse in the Coleshill penalty area presented Tom Madden with the opportunity for an easy finish and a second goal. Coleshill posed little goal threat until the 25th minute when James Glock collected a mis-kicked clearance by the Bampton keeper, but he was shepherded clear of goal by the closing defender. The Bampton team, full of running, were then denied a third goal by the full-stretch dive of Dale Head.

Coleshill missed their chance to draw nearer when Chris Wardroper drove a penalty kick wide of the goal on 35 minutes. Bampton closed out the first half in buoyant mood, scoring a Matt Sharpe headed goal in the dying minutes. Once again, the Coleshill defence had struggled to deal with a ball played high into their penalty area, offering their keeper little protection, and presenting Gordon Kane’s side with a comfortable lead.

The second half could not have been more different. Coleshill started strongly and opened their account on 50 minutes. A long throw deep into the penalty area by Daniel McSharry was headed on by the veteran Neil Crosby, and converted at close range by James Glock. The second half saw Coleshill enjoy more possession, with the long throw tactic always threatening to unpick the packed Bampton defence.

The 2009 League Cup holders fought hard and pushed forward to try to extend their run of finals to three consecutive years, with goals looking likely at either end. As Coleshill began to fill and dominate the midfield battle, their defence were left to deal with speedy and lively counter-attacks by the Bampton strikers. A strong run past three defenders into the Bampton area by Pete Byrne almost earned Coleshill their second goal on 80 minutes, but his shot was deflected wide for a corner. Despite concerns from the Bampton bench during a testing second half, their defence stood firm and the team finally ran out 3-1 winners. They progressed to the final and will be hopeful of making it a League and Cup double for this season.

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