Latest weekly round up. 08.10.23

Weekly round-up for Sunday 8th October 2023. We have lots of Cup games to report but we start with Match of the Day and that comes from the Long Itchington Reserves v HC Raiders game in Division 3.

Long Itchington Res 3 HC Raiders 2
A pleasant Sunday morning in Long Itchington and the Pitch looked great. The Long Men got off to a flyer after only four minutes, when Austin Brooks rounded off a neat passing move down the right, into the box and the shot takes a wicked deflection to wrong foot the keeper and bounce gently into the net. Raiders can’t settle and a poor clearance goes straight to a Long Itch man but before play develops he’s tackled and the ball goes out for a corner. The Long Men are in the ascendancy. The ref brings play back for an offside decision. Raiders hit a long ball down the right wing and he’s away, but great covering in the Long Itchington defence and the ball is shepherded out for a goal kick. Raiders start to string some passes together and begin to get into the game. Ruben Bastos is making the Raiders tick in the middle, and chances start to come. The final ball is missing. Then a through ball falls for Joshua Fitzgeralad, who rides a challenge and fires past the diving keeper into the net for the equaliser.
Both teams slug it out in the middle and chances come and go at both ends. Austin Brooks gets his second after 20 minutes, a neat passing move down the left starting at the fullback. The cross comes in and the keeper fails to gather the shot and Brooks snaffles up the rebound to smash home from close range.
Raiders are straight back down the wing and the Long Men clear after a poor throw in. The Long Men under pressure play out from defence with some delightful football. After another right wing move Long Itch somehow end up inside the box on the byline and a fierce drive at the nearpost is well saved by the Raiders keeper.
Long Itch nearly score when a throw in from the right is flicked on with a neat header and the same player turns his man and fires over from close range. Lovely bit of skill! Several chances go begging as Raiders finishing lets them down.
Long Itchington have their own chances but fail to capitalise, and chances continue to be wasted at both ends.
The second half started brightly for Raiders. A long ball from the keeper. The cross into the box and somehow it doesn’t end up in the net. The Long Men seem to be lost and out of sorts. Raiders dominate the middle of the park Bastos providing some lovely through balls but still no joy in front of goal.
Just past the hour mark and a Long Itchington corner is cleared with a strong header, The Raiders player goes down with a head injury and the Ref stops play. Another break down the right wing and the cross isn’t cleared it’s a scruffy mess in the box and it bounces loose to George Walker who fires home off the underside of the crossbar to extend the Long Men’s lead again. Raiders keep pushing and still look on for more goals. It comes as no surprise when Raiders get a freekick from 25 yards out. Bastos lines this one up and puts it perfectly into the top corner. It’s a thing of beauty!
The Long Men hold on and despite more chances at both ends the score sheet stays the same . Both teams playing some fine passing football in the middle of the park but the final third lets both teams down.
An entertaining game for the neutral.

We resume our round-up and start as usual with the Cup matches. This week that’s the Tracey Thomas Challenge Cup 2023-24 - Round 1

HC Raiders

Balsall & Berkswell 1 Kenilworth Royal Oak 4
Royal Oak were ahead after only three minutes here after William Harte slotted home a penalty kick. Joshua Cox doubled the lead ten minutes later. Alex Emms pulled one back on the half hour mark, but James Sawyer added a third for Oak just before the break. Harte got his second with fifteen minutes left on the clock and Oak stayed firm to progress into the next round.

Bowling Green 7 Whitnash Town 1
Sion Humphreys with the Town consolation in the seventh minute, as it all went Bowling Greens way after that. Noah Whitlock made it all square four minutes later. Jason Thompson added another after fourteen minutes and Jason Thompson added a third right at the break. Benjamin Wilson and Jake Howes both added in a three minute spell to extend the lead and Tom Gamblin grabbed himself a brace in a four minute spell on the hour.
Bowling Green go into the next round.

Cubbington FC 1 Bishops Itchington 3
All late goals here in a tightly fought contest. Charlie Faulkner with the last minute penalty to give Cubbington scant reward for their efforts. Martin Hutchcox with the first for Bishops on the hour mark. Edward Kostiuk added a second fifteen minutes later and with ten minutes left on the clock Callum Bell sealed the win before Faulkener scored his consolation.
Bishops Itchington go into the next round.

Dynamo Leamington 9 Southam Sporting 1
A gulf in Divisions here as Dynamo were always in control. Jack Mitchell with the Sporting consolation on the half hour, but it was never going to be enough. Ryan Woodward started Dynamo on their way in the third minute. Harry Howe added a second seven minutes later. Woodward got his second shortly afterwards. Lee Watton added another before the break. Ashley Rowley led the second half Dynamo charge with a hat-trick in half an hour. Supported by goals from Charlie Taylor and another from Howe .
Dynamo go into the next round.

Ettington Rovers 0 Long Itchington 1
A tight game here and it was the odd goal from Ashley Dickson just before the half hour mark that separated the teams after ninety minutes.
Long Itchington go into the next round.

H R I Harbury 3 Bishops Itchington Res 2
A ding dong game here. Vitor Machado put HRI ahead after fifteen minutes. Thomas O’Callaghan made it all square five minutes later. Johnny Adair then struck to give Bishops the advantage just before the break. Early into the second half and Tom Jones struck from the penalty spot to make it all square again. On the hour mark Machado fired home to give HRI the advantage again. Bishops continued to press but HRI held on.
HRI Harbury go into the next round.

Kenilworth Wardens 2 Chadwick End 2
Wardens with a very late comeback here to take the tie to Penalty kicks. George Curry and Tom Tarbuck both scored in the first half to give Chadwick the advantage at the break. With only six minutes left on the clock the Wardens started their fightback. Cameron Holden getting the first. Three minutes into stoppage time and Leo Parnell-Notice scored to take the game to Penalty kicks.
Kenilworth Wardens win 3 - 1 on penalties and go into the next round.

Khalsa Reserves 4 Real Barston 0
One way traffic here as Khalsa reserves book their place in the next round, thanks to goals from Stuart Wheatcroft, James Reid , David Benton and Luke Warby .

Leamington Hibernian Reserves 6 Bourton and Frankton 0
Another one way game here as Hib’s reserves were always in control. Charlie Fitzmaurice, Pedro Fernandes , a Scott Hammond brace , McCauley Withey and Harry Davies completed the scoring to take Hib’s Reserves into the next round.

Napton 4 Pig and Fiddle 1
This was a close one and only two very late goals from Bailey Searle in the last five minutes made it safe for Napton. Suroush Lisle-Pourzyaie and Lewis Elkins had given Napton a first half lead. Lee Gold pulled one back just after the break to make it interesting until Searle sealed the win late on.
Napton progress into the next round.

Tysoe United 1 Khalsa 5
Tysoe were up against it here but Khalsa were made to work for it. Josh Mann and Sundeep Kalsi with first half strikes, gave Khalsa the advantage. Mann added a second just before the hour mark. Dan Holt then struck for Tysoe to keep them in it but a late brace from Manraj Khangura wrapped it up for the visitors.
Khalsa go into the next round.

Wellesbourne Wanderers 4 Stockton 0
A brace from Alexander Rea and a goal each for Ryan Hopwood and Sean Hopwood were enough here as Wanderers progress into the next round.

We move on to the Cancer Research UK Charity Invitation Cup 2023-24 - Preliminary Round

Newbold 0 Cubbington Albion 6
Fastest goal of the day here for Billy Gatfield who scored inside the first minute with a thirty yard effort. Joe Bridge-Browne added a second three minutes later, controlling the ball six yards out and his shot megged the keeper on it’s way into the net. Goal of the game came from Harry Taylor who met a Jordan White corner on the edge of the box and his header flew into the top corner. Freddie Finn, Ibi Fofana and White all added late on and Albion progress.

We finish off as usual with the League matches and this week with all the Cup games, we only have Division 4.

Massey Ferguson Sports & Social 2 Kineton Sports & Social 1
Kineton were ahead just before the half hour mark through Matthew Chapelo. Massey’s completed their second half come back routine again, with Danny McCann scoring just after the re-start and Jack Steel popped up to get the second on the hour mark, to take the points.

Sporting Foresters 6 Stockton Reserves 0
Alex Stevens led the way here with a hat-trick. Daniel Eykyn, William Mander and Matthew Joyce with the other goals.