MIDWEEK PREMIER DIVISION SUMMARY

It was honours even at the Dog & Duck where Wellingborough and Rothwell shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw. The Doughboys took the lead through a good strike by Haydn Price from just outside the box after 10 minutes and when Corinthians were reduced to ten men following a red card midway through the first half it looked bleak for the visitors. They carried on battling though and Craig Maisiri levelled after 65 minutes and this proved to be enough on the night to secure a draw.

Quorn entertained GNG Oadby Town on Wednesday and the fans were treated to a 3-3 draw. The visitors only picked up their first point on Saturday and Quorn were firm favourites for this one, but Oadby seem to have come a long way since that 10-1 mauling at Deeping just over two weeks ago and look like they are going to pull themselves away from the bottom now. Charlie Alexiou put the hosts ahead on 17 minutes, but Sulieman Nassor levelled things up four minutes later. Stephen Hart put Quorn back ahead after 34, but GNG came back again with a goal from Tamar Clayton-Naute three minutes later to make the score 2-2 at the break. Clayton-Haute go his second eight minutes after the restart to put The Poachers in front for the first time, but Hart did the same on 68 and that is how it finished.

DIVISION ONE MIDWEEK ACTION

Melton missed the chance of overtaking Long Buckby at the top on Tuesday night when they were surprisingly beaten 2-0 at home by Anstey Nomads. Two goals in the opening 20 minutes proved an insurmountable hill for the home side who have now failed to score at home twice resulting in defeat, while they have netted a hat-full in all their other games. Aylestone took the lead through Aaron Preston on 9 minutes and Enoru Beck Ray added the second nine minutes later to make it back-to-back wins after a slow start to the season. Both sides were reduced to ten men deep into stoppage time when Laithan Hammond and Tom Holyoak were red-carded following a tussle.

Bugbrooke got back to winning ways, but they left it late before grabbing the game’s only goal at home to Burton with 5 minutes left and after they had been reduced to nine men following a red card and a sin-bin. Jason Lee was first in shower after picking up a second yellow card, Joe Power was forced to sit out the final minutes on the bad-boy’s seat for dissent. The goal came on 85 minutes when Ben Diamond tucked away an Eddie Panter cross.

Raunds remain second from bottom after losing at home to ever-improving Whitworth in a local derby. Kobi Bivens turned out to be the match-winner for the Flourmen with a double strike, although Raunds did level the scores in-between. A neat finish and a bullet header counted for Bivens’ double.

Bourne and Blackstones drew 2-2 at Abbey Lawn with the visitors coming from two-down to level two minutes from time. The Wakes took an early lead when Danny Horton converted from the penalty spot on 4 minutes and Kieran Cummings doubled their advantage on 18. Lewis Leckie pulled one back six minutes before the break and Harry Fitzjohn earned a point for the visitors on 88 minutes. It was also 2-2 at Birstall where Saffron Dynamo scored an even later goal. Tom Vyce put the home side ahead, but Jake Blanksby cancelled it out. United re-took the lead through Paul Pallet before the visitors had Bradley Essex sent-off. Birstall had the chance to secure the points, but they missed a 90^th minute penalty and then Joe Winder made it 2-2 five minutes into stoppage time.

Harrowby and Holwell drew 1-1 at Dickens Road. Kyle Reek had given the visitors the lead, but Sam Hill headed home Jack Gurney’s corner to earn the home side a point. The games at Lutterworth Athletic and Rushden & Higham were both postponed due to the weather.

Long Buckby opened up a four point lead at the top with a resounding 5-1 win at home to Irchester with Adam Shaw netting twice. Brad Harris opened the scoring with a low drive on 4 minutes, but Ryan Lovell levelled the scores and the two teams went into the half-time break at 1-1 with it all to play for. Jordan Featherstone put the hosts back in front on 53 with a smart turn and finish and then Shaw’s low drive from just inside the box extended their advantage on 67. Jimmy Smith got on the score sheet on 76 when he converted from the edge of the 6-yard box and Shaw grabbed his second with a well-placed shot across the keeper from 12 yards out to round the scoring off after 88 minutes.

Huntingdon and Whittlesey have turned a few heads with their decent starts to the season, but it was the visitors to headed home to Cambridgeshire with the three points after a 2-0 win. Harry Jenkins and Aaron Warrener getting the goals for Whittlesey as they leapfrogged Huntingdon in the table and moved up to 6^th.

F.A VASE ROUND-UP

Sileby Rangers were 2-1 down at Arlesey Town and were down to ten men with just four minutes remaining, but a great finish saw them go through 3-2. A double form Jory Mann after 39 & 87 was followed by a stoppage time winner from new signing Jake Stronge. Arlesey had twice taken the lead through Bruno Lobo Brito on 36 minutes and Herculano Cavalho on 52, but Brito was later sent off two minutes from time. Division One Bourne were beaten 4-0 at home by Premier Division high-flyers Loughborough University. Tope Fadahunsi gave the visitors the lead on 11 minutes with a good finish from an one-on-one and Ronan Silva found the far corner to double the lead six minutes later. Silva side-footed home his second on 51 minutes and Silva then set up Fadahunsi for his second eight minutes from time to complete a comfortable afternoon for the Scholars.

Cogenhoe progressed courtesy of a 2-1 win over Spartan South Midlands League high-flyers Harpenden Town. Archie Culley slotted home a 15^th minute penalty after Nat Ansu had been fouled and Ansu himself made it two with a diving header from Daniel Uche’s driven cross. Dan Palmer reduced the arrears with a far post header from a corner six minutes after the restart, but Cogenhoe held firm to progress. Whitworth were 6-0 down at SSML Premier Division side Crawley Green, but an amazing end to the game saw the Flourmen net four times to go out 6-4. Danny Watson scored a hat-trick with Chris Crook, Sam Holmes and Brendan Cowell bringing the score up to six for the hosts before that late comeback. No scorers available from Whitworth though.

Desborough went down 0-3 at Hellenic League side Flackwell Heath who had Adam Thomas, Ashley Howell and Ezio Touray on target, while Leicester Nirvana came from behind to beat Harborough away in an all UCL clash. Joel Konteh opened the scoring for the home side after just 2 minutes and Harry Wakefield made it two with a looping shot from 20-yards out. A calm finish from Jordan Nelson reduced the deficit on 35 minutes and Tariq Wilson made it 2-2 three minutes into the second half. Wakefield put the Bees back in front from the penalty spot on 50 minutes, but further goals from Nelson on 70 and 78 completed the turnaround and his hat-trick before Wilson got his second of the game to make 3-5 with five minutes left.

Bugbrooke had an excellent 4-1 away win at Hellenic Premier side Holmer Green with a Mickeal Adouan penalty counting for the home side, but strikes from Ben Diamond, Joe Power, Ben Drinkwater and an own goal saw the Badgers cruise through. Division One leaders Long Buckby tasted defeat for the first time this season after losing 2-3 at home to fellow step 6 team Ampthill Town. Jack Hilton gave Buckby an early lead when he nodded home from close range on 4 minutes and although Ampthill equalised on 33 minutes through Kieran Brasier, it was straight down the other end for Jay Finlay to restore the UCL sides lead from the centre of the box. Ash Mead levelled again for the visitors three minutes into the second half and while the Bucks were down to ten men due to a sin-bin, Jamie Cerminara won it for the SSML side with five minutes remaining.

Deeping were comfortable 3-0 winners at Division One Lutterworth Athletic as goals from Lee Clarke (32), T’ai Williams (38) and Dave Burton-Jones (64) saw them home while Melton beat Birstall 8-1 for the second time this season. Zak Munton now has four hat-tricks in his last five games after netting four today, while Tom Harris and Laithan Hammond both scored twice. Paul Pallett scored the visitors goal. Quorn were 5-2 home winners over former UCL club Kirby Muxloe with Leo Marshall and Leke Shodunke both on target twice, with leading scorer Stephen Hart getting their other goal. Former Lutterworth Town player Zak Adams scored both goals for Kirby.

Raunds are struggling in the league and they couldn’t make home advantage count as they faced in form Risborough Rangers from the Hellenic League D1 East. The visitors went in front through a penalty despatched by the experienced Brain Haule on 24 minutes and a double from Marcus Wyllie after 29 & 43 all but killed off the Shopmates before half-time. Raunds did pull one back through Joe Chubb on 74, a minute after the visitors had been reduced to ten men following a second yellow card to Davis Haule, but a minute later Martin Griggs added a fourth for the visitors who moved comfortably into the next round. Rothwell Corinthians eased past St Panteleiemon at Sargeants Lawn as goals from Calum Plowright and a Craig Maisiri double giving the UCL side a 3-0 win. Finbarr Carroll’s full report is on this website.

Rugby Town were big winners over Ellesmere Rangers from the North West Counties League as they romped home 6-1. Caine Elliott started things off in the 8^th minute and a Charlie Evans double on 24 & 44 sandwiched a Gary Meredith goal on 35 to make it 3-1 at the break. Leading scorer Dylan Parker took over on the restart and his double after 52 & 59 put the Valley out of sight, with Evans then completing his hat-trick on 72 to put the icing on the cake. Aylestone Park faced a very tricky trip to Debdale Park to face Sherwood Colliery, but made it three wins on the spin with an excellent 3-1 win on the road. Liam Hearn scored for the EMCL side on the stroke of half-time, but it was the UCL side who went through. Unfortunately AP’s scorers have not been made public.

West Bridgford and Harrowby United drew 2-2 in Nottingham, but it was the Grantham club that progressed 4-2 on penalties. The Arrows took an early lead courtesy of an own goal, but Bridgford came back to lead through a Josh Rae double after 15 & 25 minutes. Player-manager Jamie McGhee played Jack Gurney through to level the scores after the break and take the tie to penalties and they had keeper Phil McGann to thank for saving two spot kicks, as Billy Stubbs, Kadeem Price, Jack Gurney and Alex Hales all converted theirs to puts Harrowby into the hat. Whittlesey Athletic beat Eastern Counties D1 side Debenham LC 2-0 at Feldale Field thanks to goals from Jack Carter and Matthew Simpson.

The Sunday game gave us a shock as Burton Park Wanderers put aside their poor form to knock ON Chenecks out the competition. It all seemed to be going well for the Premier Division side as Adam Spalding gave them the lead direct from a corner on 17 minutes and Mason Thomas doubled their advantage from the penalty spot two minutes after the restart. Jordan Middleton pulled one back for Burton nine minutes from time with the game’s second penalty and then substitute Daley Ellis put them level two minutes later. Penalties ensued and it was the Division One side who were celebrating after a 6-5 shoot-out victory. Full report will follow from Finbarr Carroll on this website.

PREMIER DIVISION ACTION

Wellingborough Town fought back from 0-2 down at home to Lutterworth Town to earn a point at the Dog & Duck. A first half double from Tendai Daire after 28 and 44 minutes put the Swifts in control, but a far post tap-in from Jack O’Connor on 67 reduced the arrears and a close range finish from new signing Dylan Wilson earned the Doughboys a point. Shepshed missed their chance to reclaim the top spot after they were held to a goalless draw at the Dovecote by GNG Oadby Town, the visitor’s third draw on the spin after losing their first three games in the league. Sleaford Town lifted themselves from bottom to 17^th with a 3-2 win at home to fellow strugglers Pinchbeck United. Wes Greenwood set up Sam Jackson for the opening goal and then Jackson did it for himself as he doubled Sleaford’s advantage. The Knights reduced the arrears, but the two goal margin was restored when Greenwood converted a Jackson cross, but a nail-biting finish ensued when Pinchbeck made it 3-2 from the spot, but The Greens held on to claim their first points of the season.

DIVISION ONE SUMMARY

Saffron Dynamo got back to winning ways with a 1-0 home win over Blackstones thanks to an 18^th minute goal from Jamie Simons, while Huntingdon lost ground in the chasing pack after being held to a 2-2 draw at Irchester. Ryan Lovell and Alfie Taylor were on target for the Romans while Cory Cooper and Harley Williams got the visitors goals.