Challenge Cup semi-final decided on penalties in Leamington's Sunday League

Weekly round-up for Sunday 13 March 2022. It’s week 26 and we have some Cup games to report first. We start with the Tracey Thomas Challenge Cup 2021-22 - Semi-Final

Bishops Itchington 2 Chadwick End 2

A late comeback here for Bishops to take this tie to penalty kicks. The first half was tight and the deadlock was broken after twenty five minutes when Oliver Manoochehri scored to give Chadwick the lead. With only twenty minutes to go Tom Tarbuck bagged another to give Chadwick a cushion, but Bishops were still in the hunt. With nine minutes left on the clock up popped Craig Watkin to give Bishops some hope. Eight minutes later and he’d stuck another one away to make it all square and with no time left it was off to penalty kicks.

It went to sudden death!

Bishops Itchington win 6 - 5 on penalties.

Bishops go into the Challenge Cup Final on Sunday 1st May at Stockton.

Stockton Football Club Napton Road Southam CV47 8JU. TEL 01926 813960

We move on to the Cancer Research UK Charity Invitation Supplementary Cup 2021-22 - Round 1

Radford Semele Social Club 3 Engine FC 2

A Lee Watton strike after fifteen minutes gave Radford the lead here. No more goals then until the seventieth minute when Luca Valle struck to pull the Engine level. Five minutes later and Jordan Bedford popped up to score and restore the Radford advantage. That didn’t last long and five minutes later the Engine had equalised through Matthew Wright. With penalty kicks looming up popped Watton to get his second and take the tie.

Radford Semele Social Club progress into the next round.

We now move on to the Cancer Research UK Charity Invitation Supplementary Cup 2021-22 - Quarter-Final

Real Barston 1 Cubbington FC 4

Fastest goal of the day here for Luke Swinnerton to give Cubbington an early lead after only five minutes. Swinnerton added a second fifteen minutes later. Cubbington grabbed a third just before the break from Tajae Ferguson. Just past the hour mark and Ben Rowan made it four and Barston were grateful for a Matt Gillett consolation from the penalty spot with twenty minutes to go.

Cubbington FC go into the semi finals.

We move on to League action now and we start as usual with Division 1

HRI Wellesbourne 2 Heathcote Athletic 1

The veg boys take the points in their penultimate fixture thanks to a late Paul Webster goal. Kieran Walsh had put them ahead on the half hour mark, but evergreen Chris Collier struck back early in the second half to make it all square. Webster’s finish with fifteen minutes to go keeps the HRI lads top of the table but the pack are closing in. Will the points in the bag be enough? With a final game at home against Leam Hibs next week can the veg boys keep it going?

Leamington FC Vets 3 Leamington Hib’s 0

After last week’s drubbing away to Hib’s the Vet’s had a point to prove. It remained tight in the first half with chances at either end. Hibs keeper making several top draw saves. The second half started with a bang as Dave Care picked up the ball in midfield a little one two and surged forward skipping the last challenge on the edge of the box and a fine finish into the bottom corner. Hibs pressed hard but the Vet’s were altogether a different side to last week and held firm. With fifteen minutes to go a delightful chip over the defenders from Maguire for Ross Jackson who lobbed the advancing keeper to make it two. Hibs continued to look for a way back but left short at the back. A cross into the Hibs area met by Martin Hutchcox , his header tipped onto the bar by the keeper but Jim Canning pounced at the back post to fire in the rebound. Three nil and it was all over. The Vet’s still in the hunt with games in hand.

We move on to Division 2

Dynamo Leamington 0 Radford Albion 1

A single goal separated these two and it came from Paul Murray with twenty minutes to go as Albion close up on today’s opponents.

On to Division 3

Leamington Hibernian Reserves 12 (twelve) Foresters 0

Hibs maintain their 100% record against the woodmen. It was all one way traffic. Scott Hammond led the way with four goals. Jack Avery added a hat-trick. Harry Davies notched a brace. Matthew Gorman, Harry Hartin and Harry McKay got the others. The Title is almost in their grasp but not quite yet.

Warwick Printing 2 Kenilworth Royal Oak 3 The Printers lose ground here as Royal Oak keep up the pressure at the top. Sam Ballard and Aaron Whitmore with two goals mid way through the first half set the Oak on their way. Robbie Stephens pulled one back for the Printers just before the break. Conor Smith then made it all square ten minutes into the second half, but ten minutes later and Oak had Whitmore to thanks for his second to retake the lead. The Oak held on and take the points back to Kenilworth

We finish as usual with Division 4

HRI Wellesbourne Reserves 3 Sporting Club de Stratford 2

Two quick goals in a two minute spell set the veg boys on their way, but it wasn’t all plain sailing. Dale Francis on thirteen minutes and Jack Hunting a minute later the goal scorers. It stayed that way until twenty minutes to go when William Heward pulled one back for Sporting. Jake Eames restored the veg boys two goal advantage five minutes later. With three minutes left on the clock Haydn Ashworth popped up to grab a second for Sporting but it was too little too late and the home side took the points.

Upper Lighthorne 0 Kenilworth Wardens 0

Wardens held and drop two crucial points in their title bid. A close game, that rare nil nil Sunday League spectacle.

Wellesbourne Wanderers 1 Cubbington Albion 1

The top two battled it out and came out all square. This is really tight in Division 4 and with only a couple of games left for some, it’s going to the wire. Aaron Mobley with the Wellesbourne goal, Connor Wilson on target for the Albion.

Whitnash Sports & Social Club 4 Bulldog 2

Fastest goal of the day here and it came from Michael Aulak in the very first minute. He went on to score a hat trick with his last coming two minutes from time. Louis Todd was the other Whitnash marksman. Two second half strikes from Jordan Evetts and Mark Hickey kept the Bulldog in the hunt but it wasn’t enough.