The select representative side from the Uxella Bridgwater & District Sunday League gained suitable revenge over their counterparts from the Keyline Taunton Sunday League opponents at Taunton Town's ground last Thursday evening in the semi-final of the Somerset F.A.'s Mavis Tate Cup. In last season's final, Taunton had wrenched the trophy from then-holders Bridgwater's grasp with a 4-2 win but this time around Bridgwater knocked Taunton out at the penultimate stage thanks to a Matt Blackmore goal. The 1-0 winning margin could well have been greater, with Blackmore missing a further gilt-edged goalscoring opportunity, while team-mate Rob Fearn was unable to successfully convert a penalty. However, the single goal eventually proved enough to ensure that Bridgwater take their place in the final for the third year running.
Meanwhile, Sunday morning saw the resumption of action in the various Uxella League cup competitions with the remaining tie from the quarter-finals of the Dave Hobbs Cup being contested between top-flight rivals Railway Club and Woolavington. The game was evenly matched for large parts and extra time was required when the score remained at 1-1 after ninety minutes. However, a penalty in the second period of extra time was eventually to prove decisive with Railway's former Leicester City trainee Lee Hemsley stepping up to blast home the winner for the home side. Railway's reward for this victory is a home tie against second division Cross Rifles in the semi-finals.
In the other all-divisional competition, the remaining tie from the Tom Bell Trophy's quarter-finals saw a clash of the Old Boys as second division Flag Old Boys entertained mighty league champions Tiger Old Boys. Flag put up a gutsy performance and did well to still be in with a shout late in the game, trailing 3-2 with only ten minutes left on the clock. However, in their quest for an equaliser, they left themselves exposed and eventually went down 5-3. The Tigers certainly took a while to get going but eventually came through thanks to two goals-a-piece from Mike Nicholson and Paul Atyeo plus a penalty, this time successfully converted, by Rob Fearn. Flag's three goals all came from the boots of Lee White but it is the Tigers who will now progress to the semi-finals where third division Glastonbury Town Sundays await them.
Meanwhile, in the First Round of the Bill Brown Division 1 Cup, Clearwater beat Admirals Landing 3-2 thanks to two goals from Colin Searle and one from Steve Spencer, who also missed a penalty. Clearwater will face Red Tile in the next round.
In the opening round of the Danny Markhall Division 2 Cup, Huntspill Crowns managed to come away from their trip to Eastover Wanderers with a narrow 1-0 win and will now progress to meet Ashcott in the next phase of the competition on March 20th.
There were two ties in the First Round of the Geoff Harvey Division 3 Cup. In the first encounter Countryman exacted revenge on Glastonbury Town Sundays following their 5-2 defeat at the hands of Glastonbury a week previously in the quarter finals of the Tom Bell Trophy. This time around it was Countryman who racked up a five goal haul, eventually running out 5-1 victors.
Countryman will now go on to meet Sportsman in the next round of the competition following Sportsman's impressive 7-0 away win at Middlezoy Athletic in the other First Round tie. Goals from Cock(3), Davis, Dodden, Panny and Townsend gave Sportsman another good win as they continue their impressive run of results despite the relative youthfulness of their side, whose average age is only n-n-n-n-nineteen.
(Story First Published: 28.02.05) |
