Great Day For Nirankari

Sunday saw a pivotal day of the season.

The much-anticipated KLM Challenge Cup semi-final between Dun Cow Res and Nirankari Sports Sabha saw a game which lived up to its billing. A couple of early chances for unbeaten Cow saw Adam Paine go close. However, Nirankari turned the screw, Scott Waters had to be at his best to turn a shot around the post, before being awarded a free-kick when the ball was adjudged to have been kicked from his grasp, before it was tucked home. Jimmy Erwood also kicked a shot off the line. After the break, Danny McIver struck a beautiful free-kick to give Cow the lead, but Nirankari won the day with Ben L’honore striking a couple. Their day was tarnished somewhat when Mark Yearwood was sent-off.


(King Pin United celebrate at the Boro’…see www.boropics.co.uk)

The Division Three Cup Final at the Boro’ saw Stevenage Leisure race into a two goal lead early on despite self-confessed big nerves. Carl Smith scored the opener when he rounded the ‘keeper and finishing with class. The lead was soon doubled when the ‘keeper misjudged the flight of the ball and, in the wet conditions, it slipped from his grasp and Rich Williams took advantage. When the rain came, they fell apart. Alex Lucy in goal made some great saves but on the flip side of that did produce some mistakes. King Pin United got themselves back in the game when a corner fell for Derek McGivern to power the ball into the net. With the momentum firmly swinging their way, they levelled after some good inter-play between Adam Bannister, James Wyatt and Dave Holmes, and it was Bannister who notched. The second-half started as brightly as the first had finished as Bannister netted again. Not to be denied, Smith restored parity again as more mistakes came as a result of the wet pitch. Pin tore them apart from now on and Wyatt netted to put them back in front. Leisure went to a 3-4-3 formation with ten minutes to go, but were caught on the break as Holmes netted to give King Pin United the Cup on a day both sides had put on a great spectacle for the many supporters who went to enjoy the occasion.

In the Premier Division, a late Lee Allinson penalty for Probuild confined Bottles to relegation after Gary Pomfret was fouled. Pomfret had thumped home just five minutes from time from a great through ball from Jamie Campany, playing in defence. Piers Le-Grand brace head earlier put Bottles two up. This all means DC Out Bar can relax in their final game(s) on Sunday, but will still attempt to gain the three points needed to prevent Nirankari winning the league.

Pied Piper became Division One champions after a thrilling win over Pin Green, for whom Adam Stevens bagged a hat-trick. Riyston Williams (two), Dwayne Lee and Luke Mitchell grabbed the all important goals.

Putterills attempted to dent the feint title hopes still harboured by Pig and Whistle, eventually losing to a solitary goal. A pretty even first-half saw chances at both ends and plenty of battle in the middle of the park. With a whisper going round at half-time that Pin Green were holding Pied Piper, Pig came out with renewed enthusiasm and eventually found the breakthrough with a flicked Richard Griffiths header, deceiving Jon Pace in the Putterills goal. Pace is now retiring from Sunday morning football after playing well over 100 games for the club and plans to become a referee. Putterills battled to the end and almost claimed an equaliser when a Graeme Duff header was cleared off of the line.

Old Social found themselves two down with half-an-hour remaining, but came back strongly when Matt Keane bundled a Scott Taylor corner over the line. Josh Watson and Gary Henniker netted for Fox, who seemed to have taken the second automatic promotion slot…however. Morecambe Wanderers have that honour after it was revealed Dun Cow Res played a player whilst under suspension against them on 3rd April.

Royal Oak battled with nine men for an hour and were well chuffed to earn a point. Up at the break thanks to Gavin Bush, their opponents Bottles Res equalised on the hour through Chas Bailey moments after Oak had gained another player. The key moment came when an Oak player was fouled when clean through, but still managed to toe poke the ball home… only for the referee to disallow the goal and give them a free-kick, a case of not playing advantage.

A game between the bottom two in the final Division Three game of the season saw Hogshead win through in a keenly-contested encounter against MC Racing. Ricky Dowse and Karl Donaghue on target.

King Pin Utd’s game with champions ProCladd was called off due to the former’s arranged cup final, and will no longer be played.

The Division Four title went down to the final day, Stevenage Fencing needed to win and took a half-time lead through Tom Bowgett, however, Nirankari Sports Sabha Res turned it around in the second-half to win the title thanks to Glen Lamacraft, Lee Pateman, Adam Lamacraft and Mark Outram. Marv Hall netted a consolation late on.

North Herts Celtic edged out Coach and Horses thanks to Darren Curry and Paul Cockburn, the consolation came from Gavin Davis.

Roebuck Gate closed out their inaugural league season with a win by a comfortable margin over Rileys, but made hard work of it in the opening stages given that their opponents only had nine men! By half-time all that they had to show for almost complete possession was Stuart Rowe's low drive that squirmed underneath the keeper's body. After the break it was a totally different story. Matt Jackson's lob and Ian Levy's deflected drive opened the gap up and Mark Edwards continued his run of goalscoring form by opening up the defence and firing home. Their opponents claimed a consolation through an Ian Levy own goal, but after that it was all one-way traffic again. Roebuck 'keeper Richard Pomroy scored the follow-up from his saved penalty, Mark Hollis netted into the bottom corner, Danny Bacon drifting a shot over the keeper from an angle, Levy scoring at the right end again, this time from outside the box, and the rout was completed when Mark Hollis' certain second goal was turned in on the line by Ben Watson, who made sure he nicked a goal from his manager.

Last Thursday saw the Invitation Cup semi-finals on a waterlogged Shephalbury Park! A downpour shortly before kick followed by a hail-storm minutes into the games made for soggy conditions. Athletico Timebridge added a Terry Lock strike to their already one-goal advantage. King Pin Utd stormed back to win comfortably through, despite another late Lock goal.

At the fourth time of asking, Probuild finally overcome Bedwell Athletic with a man of the match performance by Barry Greenaway. Dominant early on, they fell behind after 20 minutes through a Steve Underwood strike, but soon responded when good work by Lee Pateman down the wing saw him cross for Greenway to head home the equalier. Midway through the second-half, they went in front for the first time when a free-kick by Kennoy was met by Pateman to smash the ball home. With just seconds remaining, a corner was swung in and and scramble in the box lead to Chris Matthews firing past the helpless Dean Greenough with a left foot volley from 20 yards to take the game to extra-time. The fresh legs of Pete Samuals, Gary Pomfret and Dan Gregory saw Probuild take advantage and in the last minute, a long throw-in by Gregory was flicked on by Adam MacKenzie and was handled in the area by Aaron Mason. Up stepped Kenny Slack to fire a penalty straight down the middle, giving Aaron Springham no chance.

The remaining Cup Final dates have been confirmed after Sunday’s Division Three final.