Gardeners Arms reach Brian Craddock Cup final

The Spring-like Sunday morning was an excellent backdrop to a semi-final clash in the Brian Craddock Jubilee Cup at Jubilee Park. Last week Mile Road Casuals hosted a league game against Gardeners Arms losing 5-2, but this week’s cup game threatened to be a reversal of that result.

Mile Road came out and played some excellent football, leaving Gardeners on the back foot for most of the half. The Arms hardly threatened the home keeper and found themselves under the cosh over most parts of the field of play.

Mile Road found the Arms’ keeper, Nick Edenborough, in fine form riding his luck on a couple of occasions. It all looked a little different in the second half with Gardeners re-adjusting their formation and pushing more players forward from the outset. It was Mile Road who were on the back foot now, and after only four minutes of the half Gardeners Arms scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game when a shot came in from Elliott Brooker on the right which crashed against the bar.

The ball dropped to Lee Adams who cheekily back-heeled the ball into the net. Mile Road did not really put too much together on the approach to the Gardeners’ goal in response and there were only sporadic attacks some of which broke down through impatience and a couple of offside rulings.

Despite this Mile Road did test the Arms’ keeper but were thwarted especially by an outstanding save near the end. It was a game that should have had more goals, especially in the first half when Mile Road were on top, but it took just one to give Gardeners Arms a trip to the Cup Final.

Bumble-Bee Flitwick played M & DH Clapham from the division below in a Quarter Final tie in the Brian Craddock Jubilee Cup. Bumble-Bee were taken to extra time by Clapham before winning the game 3-2, and the Bees will now play Bedford Allsters this coming Sunday in the Semi-Final..

Atletico Europa sit on top of the Premier Division this week after beating Caldecote Young Boys two / nil away from home. Both teams had a shaky start but Caldecote’s Neil Giles had chances to open the scoring. There was no score at half-time but Atletico had rattled the Boys’ post before then.

Atletico came out the better in the second half resulting in a Jack Boyd thirty yarder just going wide of the Caldecote goal. With seventeen minutes to go Atletico broke down the home defence. Nathan Buckland parried a shot on goal, but the ball rebounded out to an Atletico player who netted. Paul Gower hit the Atletico’s crossbar trying to equalise but five minutes from the end of the game Atletico scored again and deservedly won the game.

Meltis Mexicans are second on goal difference in the table after their 3-2 home win against Haynes. The Mexicans went 2-0 up by half-time after goals from Lyndon Ingerson and Richard Cook. Jozwiak scored from a corner early in the second half but Haynes pulled one goal back.

Meltis then missed a penalty and Haynes came back to snatch a second goal four minutes from time, but Meltis kept their composure and took the two points after a ‘narrow’ victory, which could have been made much easier. Queensmen beat Constant & Co 2-0 at Bedfordshire University.

Queens were dominant and the first goal came on twenty minutes when Steve Goodridge smashed in a freekick. In the second half a lot of chances went begging for Queensmen but with twenty minutes to go Robi Goodman made the game safe with the second goal. Lawson Park Rangers left Esquires bottom after a five / one victory.

Sharnbrook Casuals won their twelfth game out of twelve in Division One after travelling to Dunton to inflict a 4-0 defeat.

Sharnbrook also boast six clean sheets out of the last seven games. Darren Wallinger and Jack Hoogstraten scored a pair apiece to collect the points, but Darren also missed a penalty by hitting the woodwork rather than the net.

21st Century Tigers are second and twelve points behind the Casuals after beating Kempston Hammers 3-1. Bottom club Stewartby let Harrold & Carlton ease their relegation worries with a 4-1 away win. Stewartby are now four points adrift.

Wootton Wanderers scraped a 1-0 home win against Eagle Heating in Division Two to remain top. Renhold had a welcome win in a 5-0 blasting of Cranfield and Houghton Conquest had little trouble beating bottom club Marston Reds 3-1.

Division Three appears to be boiling up to a great crescendo at the end of the season. Leaders Grafton Celtics went behind in their game against Meltis Rangers but recovered to win 5-2 in the end.

Bedford Panthers are keeping in touch at the top after beating Wells Stars 5-2, and Flitwick Eagles are just behind after a 7-3 feast at home to Old Boys. Eagles were clearly the better side in the first half going into an early lead from a throw-in situation.

Luke Morgan distracted two Old Boys defenders leaving Jack Farthing to hit a half volley at the back post into the net. Jack scored his second shortly afterwards after Greg Knox had done the donkey work drawing the Boys’ keeper before passing to Jack to head into an empty net. The same combination made the score 3-0 with Knox netting this time.

The score became 4-0 when a throw from Worboys was headed clear by a defender but Seward was on hand to lash the ball into the Boys’ net. The Old Boys scored their first goal just before the break.

The second half started with the Old Boys’ keeper saving a shot from Stafford, but from then on the Eagles seemed to lose their concentration and composure as the Old Boys scored two quick goals to bring it to 4-3.

Farthing pounced on a loose ball to score number five to complete his second hat-trick of the season. Substitute Ian Hammett came on for the Eagles and immediately floated in a corner for Morgan to head into the net.

Dan Stafford scored number seven after a lofted pass from Bamfield to complete the scoring. Bedford Allsters beat Dunton Reserves, who are bottom of the pile, the score being 4-1.

Bedford Cupids lost again to weaken their grip near the top of Division Four. Shillington Pirates beat the Cupids 3-0, leaving leaders Rose Biggleswade the comfort of pulling out a two point lead after beating Bird in Hand Lower Stondon 7-0.

Oakley Reserves beat Santaniello’s 3-2 in the midtable tussle. Oakley started the stronger but Santaniello’s came back at them and produced an excellent passing move which led to a deep cross to a waiting head which buried the ball in the Oakley net for the first goal of the match.

Dave Boddington scored a deserved equaliser for Oakley after Jason Smith had made an excellent run down the right, and a few minutes later it was 2-1 to Oakley when a pass from Matt Young fell to Justin Wickersham, who performed his classic pirouette to fire in off the post.

Santaniello’s scored again to level but the points were safe for Oakley when Chris Gaynor converted a penalty. Fox & Hounds Clapham are in with a chance of the title after their 4-0 victory over Bedford Albion, but BMC and Bellini’s can only look upwards from their perilous positions after a 2-2 draw.

Westoning Gijon & RC go relentlessly on at the top of Division Five.

They have won all 12 of their league games, this week disposing of Alfa Oakley 4-1. Sir William Peel stumbled again, earning only one point from their trip to near-bottom club AFC Kempston Town & BC, leaving the Peelers in touch with second placed Blackbirds Flitwick, who did not play, but out of touch with the probable champions Westoning.

AF Mato beat Oakley Wanderers 7-3 at Oakley to leave themselves just off the pace but in a respectable position in the table.

All the games in the Under 21 Division went to form with leaders Hitchin Town beating Luton Central 5-1 to remain two points clear of Barton Rovers. Barton beat Brickhill Wanderers ‘B’ 2-1. Barton grabbed the lead after a scrappy corner, Danny Pratt bundling the ball into the Brickhill net.

Barton dominated the rest of the first half and Simon Glass scored his first goal of the season just before the break. Brickhill employed the long ball in the second half and from one such attack they forced a penalty but the Barton keeper, Jason Davie, saved the spot kick. However, Brickhill scored their goal shortly afterwards but were unable to find an equaliser.

Man of the match for Barton was Simon Glass who could have scored more goals using his threatening left wing play. Dennis Mpinganjira had an outstanding game at left back.

In the other game played, Brickhill ‘A’ defeated Leighton Corinthian Seniors 4-1 at Russell Park, Bedford.

The Harrison Rowley Manager of the Month award this month goes to Robert Nash of Sharnbrook Casuals, and the League Manager of the Month award goes to Paul Robinson and Bob Wiles of Westoning Gijon Recreation Club. Congratulations to them.

This coming Sunday there is one Quarter Final and one Semi Final in the Brian Craddock Jubilee Cup. There are several League games to be played also.

Clive Milton