Rangers lift Beds FA County Cup

LAWSON Park Rangers lifted the Beds FA County Sunday Cup after beating the much-fancied AC Cadoza team from the North Home Counties League 3-1 at Ampthill’s Woburn Road ground at the weekend.

It’s not very often that a Bedford Sunday League side has lifted this prestigious trophy but Rangers did it in style, despite going down to ten men for the last 35 minutes.

From the start they pressed Cadoza and David Powell opened the scoring with a superb header at the far post. Samuel Bedingfield scored a second five minutes later when he rose to smack home a header from a corner kick.

Cadoza pulled one back just before the break while they came out looking the more lively sid in the second half. But ten minutes in there was a controversial incident resulting in the award of a penalty to the Luton side and the dismissal of a Rangers’ player.

It might have been all square but Lawson keeper Matthew Jones pulled off a fantastic save. The Rangers then settled again and could have scored more goals but it remained tight until David Powell made the tie safe with his second after carving through the Cadoza defence and onto a through ball from Charlie Betts.

Oakley did their best to keep the pressure up on Lawson Park Rangers in the Premier Division title race. While Rangers were in cup final, Oakley were beating Queensmen 2-1 in their final league game to stay top on goal difference but Lawson Park have one game left.

The decider will be away to Dunton this Sunday when a draw will be enough for Lawson Park to make it a league and cup double.

Division One leaders Meltis Mexicans didn’t play this week, but second placed Constant & Co picked up two more points at Newtown Rangers with a 5-1 victory. The top two both have a game left and a draw should be enough for Meltis to lift the trophy.

Constant could win it if they beat Old Hastingsburians on Sunday and, ironically, if Meltis lose to the same opponents the Sunday after.

Sharnbrook Casuals finished their season with a thumping 8-2 hammering by Kempston Hammers, but Casuals are safely in third place.

New Inn Biggleswade and Kempston Sunday will take the Second Division title race to the wire. New Inn buried seven goals against Ship Inn Bedford to remain a point ahead of Kempston who didn’t play this week. Tom Wallace and Barry Sells scored hat-tricks against the struggling Ship Inn team with Mark Franklin coming on as a substitute to score the other Biggleswade goal while the Ship did pull one back.

Harrold & Carlton are in with a slim chance of breaking into the top two after beating Sharks 11-1. Crown Flitwick ended their season with a 2-1 home defeat to Wootton Wanderers although both teams are safely out of trouble.

Caldecote Young Boys Reserves could be on top of Division Three as long as they win in midweek at Bumble Bee Flitwick. Long time leaders Renhold finished a few weeks ago and Cally have won their games in hand handsomely and now look favourites to complete the job of picking up some silverware. The Boys beat Old Boys 2-1.

At the bottom, Dunton Sunday Reserves are not yet out of trouble. They lost 2-1 to Flitwick Eagles and have only two games left to pick up some points to overtake Wells Stars to get into a safe position. Wells lost 5-1 at home to Bedford Allsters and the Stars also have only two games left to try and avoid the drop.

Long time Division Four leaders Gardeners Arms Biggleswade are the first club to clinch a divisional title this season. Their 2-0 win over Bird in Hand Lower Stondon was enough to put them clear of second placed Moor Lane Meltis.

Moor Lane still need some points to make sure of the runners-up position with Bedford Panthers still just behind and Clapham Sunday continuing to win their games.

Clapham beat Grafton Celtics 2-1 which has dented Celtics’ hopes of second place but Celtics still they have games in hand to do it although it’s very unlikely when considering the other clubs vying for the top positions.

Division Five sees a lot of football due to be played this month to resolve the title. Goldington Rangers are top with points in the bag with one to play. GNG Tigers and Shillington Pirates can both catch them with their games in hand while the Pirates have the advantage that they could lift the title if they win all their remaining games ... but Pirates have to play Rangers and GNG Tigers so their task isn’t going to be easy!

GNG and the Pirates both scored seven in their wins against AC Atletico and Kempston Wanderers respectively.

In the only other game in the division, Harrold & Carlton Reserves hosted Bedford Cupids and despite losing, H&C are safe from finishing in the bottom two by the skin of their teeth. On a dry, bumpy pitch the better football was played by the Cupids and that was reflected in their six goal haul. Nathan Dyer gorged himself on five with Stuart Ruggles getting the other one.

This Sunday sees Shillington Pirates playing Phoenix from Leighton Buzzard, in the semi-final of the Beds FA County Centenary Cup at AFC Kempston Rovers FC (kick-off 11am).

Tonight (Friday, April 15) the first League Cup Final of the season will be played when Kempston Sunday face Mowsbury Athletic in the Brian Craddock Jubilee Cup at Kempston’s Hillgrounds at 7.45pm and there will be a small admission fee to the ground for spectators.

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