County Cup takes centre stage

Elstow Abbey booked their semi-final place with a 1-0 home win over Cranfield United Reserves thanks to a 38th minute goal from Percy Chagwiza.

And joining them in the last four draw are Sundon Park Rangers who, with goals from Samuel Kehinde and Sam Chapman, netted a 2-1 home win over Luton District & South Beds League side St Josephs Reserves.

The fourth team in the semi-final hat are Potton United Reserves. They needed a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win at M & DH Oakley after 120 minutes play had seen the sides deadlocked at 1-1. Lee Osmond was on the home scoresheet against a United strike from Steve Gibbons.

Premier Division

PREMIER Division favourites Caldecote maintained their four point lead and maximum home points for the season following a 6-2 victory over Sharnbrook.

Jack Gabbitas led the way with a hat-trick while two more from Paul Gower and a single strike from Kyle Griffiths-Shilton did the damage, the replies coming from father and son duo Kevin ‘Itchy’ and Jayme Harris.

Second place Shefford Town & Campton also retained their unbeaten home record with a 3-1 victory over an Oakley Sports side who were losing for the first time in seven outings. Michael Jones, Shaun Bartlett and Lee Bilcock netted the Town goals for their fifth win on the bounce against a lone reply from Shaun Barnett.

Back in third at the expense of Oakley are Bedford Hatters. They won 3-2 at Blunham with goals from Scott Alleyne, Mark Reed and Richard Cook, the brace in reply from Blunham’s Andy Smith.

For fifth place Arlesey Town Reserves there was a 4-1 win at AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College. Dave Drury, Tom Gabriel, Daniel St Leger and Sam Dunn scored the goals with the reply from Dan Church.

Sixth place Wilshamstead ran out 5-2 home winners over Flitwick Town thanks to Paul Jones’ hat-trick and Paul Dwyer’s brace, the Town replies from Jim Lewis and Dean Warren.

Now unbeaten in their last eight and up to seventh are Renhold United. They won 2-1 at home to Dunton thanks to Aran Hazelwood who scored both before Jon Ranson replied.

Division One

THERE are new leaders in Division One after Marston Shelton Rovers retained their season’s unbeaten home run with a 7-1 victory over AFC Kempston Town & Bedford College Reserves. Jamie Cerminara netted three, Daniel Bullen two plus singles from Alan Cudjoe and Lee Dudley, the Kemspton reply from Kevin Brown.

Losing out on the top spot and dropping to second are Lidlington United Sports. They were held in a 1-1 draw at Westoning after Jack Coles was on target for the hosts, United’s reply from Darren Sims.

It wasn’t a good day either for third place Sandy who after winning their last five home games, they were beaten 6-4 by a Luton Boys side who won for the first time on the road this season. Famik Stephen-Gabriel bagged a hat-trick, Jason Smith a brace another for Jason Blake while the Sandy replies came from Daniel Stafford (two), Matt Evans and Charlie Seward.

The leading three need to be aware that with victories from their games in hand, both Bedford Sports Athletic and Ickwell & Old Warden could leap-frog them into the top two. Fourth placed Bedford Sports Athletic retained their season’s unbeaten away record with a 4-1 victory at FC Meppershall. An own goal set them on their way before Ashley Mead netted three times (including a penalty) against a lone reply from James Field.

Fifth placed Ickwell & Old Warden won 7-0 at Meltis Albion thanks to Lee Threadgold’s hat-trick, Matthew McCartney’s brace and singles from Anup Kalyan and Andrew Vallom.

In sixth are Henlow who won 4-2 at home to Caldecote Reserves. Russel Ayles bagged a brace while Andy Newton and Jonathan Rowe scored the others while Matt Basta pulled two back for the visitors.

Lea Sports PSG took their unbeaten ways to five games after sharing the spoils in a 2-2 draw at Kings AFC. Daniel Hardacre and Dean Lewis were on the PSG scoresheet against home replies from Mark Loosemoore and Chris Greene.

Division Two

TOP action in Division Two saw fourth place Pavenham require a 90th minute equaliser to share the spoils in a 3-3 draw at fifth place Queens Park Crescents. James Owen shot the visitors ahead after just five minutes, but within another five minutes it was 1-1 thanks to a strike from Shahinur Rahman and that’s the way it stayed until Tom Bowers restored Pavenham’s lead 17 minutes into the second half only to see goals from Ayaz Hussain on 70 minutes and Sajjaa Miah on 78 minutes take Crescents into a 3-2 lead before that third Pavenham goal from Tom Ellis at the death saved the day.

It was a return to form for seventh place Co-op Sports, with a 4-2 home win over Marabese Ceramics.Tom Miller, Conor Sherry, Chris Vardy and Michael Caldwell all on the scoresheet against two in reply from Lewis Littlechild.

Also returning to form were Stopsley Park, they recorded their first win in five outings with a 3-2 home victory over Clifton. Simon Richards twice and Jack O’Shea once seeing their goals only replied to by Nick Thomas and a penalty from Matt Cooper.

However, life gets no better for bottom of the table Great Barford, they were beaten for the 16th consecutive outing 2-0 at home by Shefford Town & Campton Reserves for whom Jordan Robens and Ryan Dobson netted.

Division Three

NEW Division Three leaders are Renhold Village after they extended their unbeaten ways to seven games with a 3-0 victory at Royal Oak Kempston. Dan Avis, Alex Giscombe and Dan Luke netted the goals while former leaders Goldington were held in a goalless draw at Potton Town.

Stevington did their promotion chances a power of good with a 4-1 home win over Wilshamstead Reserves. Gavin White, Mark Wharton, Ben Walsh and Jon Devereux all on the scoresheet against a lone reply from Jeff Hall.

Still very much in the promotion hunt are Riseley Sports, they remain unbeaten on the road this season and fifth in the league table after winning 2-0 at bottom of the table Dunton Reserves.Jack Henman and Johnny Jeffreys netting the vital goals

Also winning on the road were Kempston Hammers Sports, for them it was a 4-1 victory at second from bottom of the table Flitwick Town Reserves who have now lost their last six outings. Nathan Evans with a brace plus Richard Garnham and Sanjeev Sandhu netting the goals which were only replied to by Town’s Kevin Higby.

Having lost their last two outings Eastcotts AFC returned to winning ways with a 3-1 home win over Westoning Reserves. Jon Hunt, Kaylan Wilson and Tony Milioti on the scoresheet against a lone reply from Gareth White.

Division Four

BEDFORD Park Rangers’ Division Four lead is down to two points after their 100 per cent away record was blown away. They were beaten 4-2 at Wootton Village where Lewis Aitkin (two), Tom Beattie and Rhys Fleck were on form against Rangers’ replies from Matthew Westwood and Jordan Wright.

With Thurleigh sitting the afternoon out, Marsh Leys take over second spot in the standings following their 3-0 home win over Caldecote A. Alex Clipson with a brace plus Jamie Frear netting the goals to give The Leys their sixth win on the bounce.

Fourth placed Stewartby Village are now unbeaten in their last eight outings after sharing the points in a 1-1 draw at fifth place Ickwell & Old Warden Reserves. Michael Darnell netting The Village goal against a home reply from Kevin Turner.

Having lost all of their previous 10 away outings, bottom of the table Dunton ‘A’ enjoyed a 2-0 win at Shefford Town & Campton ‘A’. Alex Harrison and Alan Fletcher netting the vital goals.

Clifton Reserves after two consecutive defeats returned to winning ways with a 4-1 home win over a Sandy Reserves side who had won their last three starts. Laurie Bambridge, Joe Marshall, Tony Norman and Mark Gearing all finding the back of the net against an own goal reply.

Also returning to winning ways for the first time in six outings were Bedford Panthers, for them it was a 1-0 home win over Goldington Hammers, Ben Nash, the goal hero.

Dinamo Flitwick lifted themselves out of the bottom two at the expense of the Hammers after sharing the spoils in a 3-3 home draw with Kempston Athletic. Dale Goldie, Richard Hudson and Jay Del Boyer were on the home scoresheet against a hat-trick in reply from Gary Whitbread.