Bedfordshire League: cup preview

THE final action of the year in the Bedfordshire County Football League comes tomorrow (Saturday) with the completion of all but two of the first round ties in the various league cup competitions.

Britannia Cup

TOP of the bill will be the three outstanding ties in the Britannia Cup competition and for Blunham it means a home tie at Moggerhanger Playing Field against Bedford Hatters.

The visitors will travel after being unbeaten on the road this season so you would perhaps expect them to claim a last eight spot.

Over at Jubilee Playing Fields, hosts Wilshamstead have won just once on home soil this term so the visit of high-flying leaders Caldecote make them favourites to prevail into the quarter-finals.

However, the third tie sees Oakley Sports and Sharnbrook locking horns for the second time inside 14 days at Oakley Playing Fields.

The league encounter at Lodge Road went the way of Oakley by a big 7-3 scoreline so that suggests the Sportsmen are the favourites to progress.

Centenary Cup

IN the Centenary Cup there are four ties still to settle. At Hurst Grove, the visitors to face Lidlington United Sports are Lea Sports PSG. They drew 1-1 at the same venue in league action in mid-November but with United having already won the return match, you would expect them to be the name in the hat for the last eight draw come the final whistle.

Over at Groveside, Henlow are now unbeaten in their last four outings which includes a 1-0 win over visiting AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College Reserves. And with Town having won just once on the road all season, it will be the home side who will start favourites to progress.

That comment might be reversed at Greenfield Road where Westoning play hosts to Marston Shelton Rovers. Rovers make the journey having lost just once on the road and they face a Westoning side who have themselves only won once on home soil.

The fourth and final tie again favours the visitors as FC Meppershall go to the King George VI Playing Fields to meet hosts Kings AFC.

Jubilee Cup

IN the Jubilee Cup there are also four ties to settle. At The Warren, you would expect hosts Elstow Abbey to repeat their early season’s league win over Shefford Town & Campton Reserves but at Mowsbury Park, AFC Turvey will face a much harder task as they bid to overcome hosts Queens Park Crescent for a place in the quarter-finals.

At Everton Playing Fields, hosts Great Barford are on a ten game losing home run in all competitions and they are not expected to beat visitors Bromham United.

However at Solway Road North, hosts Co-op Sports are expected to go through against Marabese Ceramics who have won just one away league game all season.

Watson Shield

PLAYED in the two lower divisions, the Watson Shield there is a programme of no fewer than 11 fixtures. The two stand out ties looked to be on The Green, where Division Four side Ickwell & Old Warden Reserves endeavour to upset the odds when they host Division Three high-flyers Goldington.

And at Digswell Playing Fields the same comments apply when hosts Shefford Town & Campton ‘A’ receive a visit from Stevington.

Five other Division Four sides will also ply their trade against higher division opposition in hope of causing an upset.

Caldecote ‘A’’ are at Harvey Close where they get a visit from Kempston Hammers Sports whose trips on the road have produced just one victory to date.

Kempston Athletic need to end a five game losing home run if they are to overcome Sundon Park Colts while Goldington Hammers also need to find a way of ending Renhold Village’s 100 per cent perfect home record when they travel to Renhold Playing Fields.

Elsewhere Wootton Village are preparing to host Wilshamstead Reserves at their Recreation Ground headquarters while Stewartby Village are at home to Flitwick Town Reserves.

And that leaves just one all Division Three clash. It’s at Mill Lane where Potton Town host Westoning Reserves just a month after the two sides played out a 2-2 draw at the same venue.

The remaining three ties are all Division Four matches with Marsh Leys expected to beat Clifton Reserves whom they have already beaten at home in league.

At Bedford Road Recreation Ground, Sandy Reserves entertain Bedford Panthers and there was a 3-3 draw there in early October.

And finally at Keysoe Road, Thurleigh are expected to progress into the last 16 when they host Dinamo Flitwick.