PRESS OFFICER

Clive Milton

reporting  on Matches

played  on Sunday 4th and Tuesday 6th May 2008

ESQUIRES WIN THE COUNTY CUP WHILST SANDY DO THE DOUBLE

The League’s Division One side Esquires played North Home Counties club Silsoe Park Rangers in the Beds. F.A. Sunday Junior Cup at AFC Kempston Rovers F.C. on Sunday. In an absorbing game where both teams were committed to attack, Esquires deservedly came out on top by two goals to one.  Playing up the slope in the first half, Esquires took the lead after fifteen minutes when Andrew Sheratt crossed from the right for Gary Russon to sweep the ball into the net.  Esquires were on top for most of the first half, having chances from two corners in quick succession and through balls which could not be capitalised on.  Silsoe had some half chances but found the Esquires defence difficult to break down in front of keeper Simon Dent who pulled his weight with some smart stops and brave blocks at the feet of Silsoe’s forwards.  Esquires’ Shaheen Miah drove in a 30 yard drive eight minutes from the break which struck the cross-bar with the Silsoe keeper completely beaten, but the score remained one / nil until half-time.  The Sheratt – Russon combination almost produced a second goal two minutes into the second half.  Silsoe came a little more into the game but were stopped in their tracks when Gary Russon scored again.  Receiving the ball on the edge of Silsoe’s area, Gary swivelled and struck a shot into the net leaving the keeper leaden-footed.  Three minutes later, Shaheen Miah tested the Silsoe keeper again with a towering drive from the left which was scrambled away.  Silsoe dominated the last five minutes and should have scored when the Esquires goal was unoccupied, but that chance went begging.  However, with a minute left on the clock in normal time, Silsoe scored a bizarre consolation goal.  A shot came in and it was deflected high into the air, spinning wildly.  The flight bamboozled the defence and the excellent keeper, Simon Dent, and the ball came down just over the goal-line bouncing up into the roof of the net.  Despite this set-back, Esquire's held on for the last few minutes comfortably and earned the right to lift the Cup.

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Meanwhile, champions of the League’s Premier Division, Sandy Sunday, met Partizan in the Britannia Harrison & Rowley Cup Final at the Wootton Blue Cross ground, a week after the two had met in the league when Sandy had a morale boosting win.  It was not as easy this time for Sandy with Partizan putting up a stern defence whilst venturing out in attack only occasionally.  It remained goal-less during normal time and it was not until halfway through the second period of extra time that the destination of the Cup was decided.  Garry Fil went on a run through the Partizan midfield taking the ball towards the Partizan goal.  A tackle on Garry ricocheted the ball to Sandy substitute Steve Hinton who calmly scored the only goal of the game.  Sandy held the upper hand for most of the game and deserved to lift the Cup to complete their League and Cup double.  Partizan defender, Sam Churns, was nominated by the League as the

Roger Davidge Memorial Trophy Man of the Match.

Owing to the lack of games in some divisions during April, it has made it difficult for the League Committee to assess who should be the recipient of the month’s

Britannia Harrison & Rowley Manager of the Month award. 

Instead a ‘Special Merit Award’ will be presented.  INTER COPLE will receive this award.  Inter Cople have regularly been in the running for the Manager of the Month this season, losing only one league game whilst convincingly winning the Division Two title, but have not received this recognition. 

John and Kevin Becker will be presented with a bottle of champagne as a

Special Merit Award.

Tuesday 6th May 2008

COUNTY CUP IS A CUP TOO FAR FOR SANDY SUNDAY

Two days after completing the League and Cup double in a tight game against Partizan, which went into extra time, Sandy Sunday faced the North Home Counties champions, Club Lewsey (Sunday), in the Final of the Beds. F.A. Sunday Cup at Arlesey F.C.

Both teams started brightly and it was a surprise when Lewsey took the lead after thirteen minutes. A mix up in the Sandy defence allowed an opponent to poke in a goal from five yards.  Sandy were unsettled by this and five minutes later Lewsey spurned a good chance to bury a header from close range.  Just after the half-hour, Sandy were awarded a free kick on the edge of the Lewsey penalty area, and Tom Hobbs powered the free kick into the top right hand corner to level the score.  ‘Macca’ McCartney and Garry Fil combined to almost score a second goal, but Sandy went behind on the stroke of half-time when their defence was all at sea and Lewsey scored easily.  Things got worse ten minutes after the break when a cross from right to left in front of Sandy’s defence was diverted into the Sandy goal by an attempted back-pass which evaded the goalkeeper.  Three minutes later, however, Sandy were back in the game from another free-kick.  The pin-point cross was met by Scot Cretton’s head, the ball sailing into the corner of the net to cut the deficit to two / three.  There were more chances at both ends which did not alter the score, but on seventy-seven minutes, Lewsey dealt the killer blow when they headed in unchallenged from a corner.  Sandy had always been chasing the game, never being in the lead, and the result was sealed when a Lewsey cross evaded a tiring Sandy defence for goal number five.  Five / two was the final score, which slightly flatters Lewsey, but Lewsey were the better all round team on the day.

Sandy’s skipper Peter Gatti had a storming game at the heart of the Sandy defence, especially against a big but quick Lewsey forward line, and Garry Fil was effervescent in attack but found the Lewsey defence difficult to breach.

Referee Mark Ives was kept busy in a tough encounter, but handled the game with an excellent all round performance.

Season 2007 / 8 has now been put to bed.  It all starts again in about four months’ time.  Something to look forward to.

Clive Milton.

GET YOUR CLUB AND PLAYERS A MENTION IN THE PRESS

Wearing one of my other hats, that of League Press Officer, every week I will be submitting a report to the Times & Citizen, and its associated newspapers, giving a report on League and Cup games played by the Bedford and District Sunday League clubs.

I am reliant on club members sending in to me information on their games.  It matters not if your club has lost the game, let me know goal-scorers’ names and nicknames (however daft), any interesting incidents, man of the match etc., and I will try to make it an interesting read.

I have no control over what actually gets printed in the newspapers, but my complete, unexpurgated version will be duplicated on the League website.

Players like to see their names in print and I believe that interest in who does what in the games is universally interesting, so please give me a ring on

01234-273893, or e-mail crmilton2@btinternet.com

by the Monday evening following the Sunday game.