It’s a stalemate

Sunday saw the top two in the Premier Division meet at Meadway.

Champions Nirankari Sports Sabha started the brighter but Chris Winder gave Bottles the lead after a goalmouth scramble before they had a purple patch.

Nirankari were level with a fine goal from Leeroy Williams soon after half-time after some sustained pressure. This only seemed to inspire Bottles, who came back at them, only to miss a penalty and a host of other chances, leaving the away side grateful to avoid their first league defeat of the season.

The semi-finalists were also known in the divisional cups.

In Division One, Richard Griffiths was the main man again as Pin Green eventually strolled past Coopers. He netted the opener before Michael Gwilliam equalised from a Danny Wardell corner. Martin Barrett's header hit his own player before Pin hit two before the break. Griffiths completed a hat-trick, while Sean Soards, James Pirie, Dave Baldwin, Ashley Bridge and Gazzan Afana completed the rout.

They will meet Peartree after James Khakpour-Smith bagged his fifth hat-trick of the season to take his tally to 22. They were two up before a Breachwood Lions consolation came when a Michael Weeks cross was met by the head of George Harrison, before the away side restored the two-goal cushion. They netted again through Michael Wenn before Lions substitute Ali Collins pulled another back.

A much-improved Aston Athletic found themselves two down at the break to MBDA thanks to Alan Kenney's header and Ade Barry's terrific volley from 20 yards. Barry added another, Tom Younger also hit two, while Jamie Campany joined him on 23 goals for the season to complete the scoring. Kelvin Starr and Stuart Clarke replied. They now await the winners of the Probuild/Colts OB tie.

In Division Two, Old Social gained a magnificent win over the 100 per cent league leaders FC Rising Sun who had captain John Hughes sent-off after 25 minutes for two bookings.

Martin Matthews (two), Leigh Mardlin and Stuart Archer netted as they won it in extra-time. Andrew Davis headed home Sun's first, before his corner saw Kyle Colley fire a bullet header in while their consolation at the end came as Luke Mitchell rifled the ball home from 25 yards.

They will play Newcotech for a place in the final after they overcame Emperors Head. Jason Drackford (two) and Steve Bannister were on target, while Dave Locke bagged the consolation.

Ricky Steadman gave in-form ProCladd the lead from a long-range deflected shot before Eddie Jackson slotted home for bottom of the table Triage. The game went into extra-time and Jim McGarry fired home a penalty before a shoot-out was necessary to seal Triage's first win of the season.

They will battle with Norwich Union who took the lead when Richard Bell was felled in the box and James Anderson coolly dispatched the penalty.

Crooked Billet levelled via Callum Gardiner before they went behind again when Dave Banks was brought down, Anderson repeating his trick.

The goal of the game came midway through the second half when Banks exchanged passes with Tim Russell, before finding Charlie Anderson, whose pass split the defence, allowing Bell to lob the keeper. Banks headed a fourth from Bell's cross before a late consolation by way of a Lee Falanga penalty.

In the Division Three Cup, White Horse found themselves 2-1 down to MBDA Res at Barclay School for the second time in 2007 but again won through.

They were in front through Andy Collier after a great move inside 10 seconds but a Steve Stapleton double turned it around for MBDA. Once Collier expertly equalised despite Frazer Triggs handling in the build-up, the home heads dropped. Pete Summers and Jamie Robertson gave the favourites a two-goal lead by the break. Darren Lovelock grabbed a late fifth before a superb Robertson free-kick finished it off.

Fox will tackle them next after Rob Lucas, Matt Arlick and Gary Henniker netted against AFC Stevenage whom they beat for the third time in 2007! They replied through a Joe Kalaiarasu free-kick.

Bottles Res missed a host of chances before top scorer Rob Duckworth gave them the lead from the penalty spot early in the second-half after a trip on John Saunders. Glen Day added a second as they went through despite a late consolation from MC Racing's Dan McAlpine.

Chequers looked to be facing them when Ricky Wilson's weak shot squirmed home. But Twin Foxes turned the screw in the second-half.

The equaliser had come just before the break thanks to Pete Duffy from a great Rob Smith cross. Two from Smith himself put them in control with the wind behind them, his second a cool finish from an acute angle. Two more from Duffy saw him complete his hat-trick, including one direct from a corner. In the last minute, Paul Jones rose above the defence to head home a Jason Aldridge free-kick for number six.

In more league action, Dun Cow got the better of Station in a tough Premier Division encounter. Due to a depleted side, last season's keeper Scott Waters started up front and it paid off within 10 minutes as he drove home the opener from 25 yards - but he pulled a muscle in celebrating!

Scott Mahoney then drilled in the second from an acute angle. Station rallied and were rightly awarded a penalty for a rash challenge by Ian Thorne, Marc Holmes netting. Two more penalties followed, another for Holmes and Adam Furness for Cow.

Bedwell Athletic went in front as Joel Mason netted a penalty. The remainder of the first-half saw the Old Red Lion keeper keep the score down before Liam Errington killed the game off with a fantastic finish on the hour. Mason then had a penalty saved before he somehow managed to miss the resulting rebound but then popped up to steer home a much harder chance from the edge of the box. The highlight of the game for the victors was the return to action of legend Richard McGregor.

Alan Collins and Alan Widdows each netted a hat-trick as Broadhall gained a surprise win. They also benefited from an own goal and Hermit of Redcoats' replies came from Bobby Dance (two, one from the spot), Craig Gilbert and Steve Gibbons.

In Division One, Royal Oak moved into fourth thanks to a Bryan Chalice hat-trick. Jack Izzard also netted as Stevenage Colts Old Boys' consolation came from Steve Bush.

Pig and Whistle are up to fifth after routing SCS (Ashley Reynolds). Ricky Lawrence (two), Scott Durham, Darren Bartlett, Steven Schumann, Grant Sullivan, Tom Montague and Jason Milburn were on the mark.

King Pin United moved up two places in Division Two as Carl Lingwood (two), James Wyatt and Lewis Littlechild were on target against Rapidsource, Dalziel Geary and Jason Haslam netting.

Ben Coles grabbed four for Rileys as they took advantage in the only Division Three game to move up three places to sixth. New signing Ben Collins (two) and Darren Matthews also scored, while Athletico Timebridge's own morning signing Daniel Carroll replied.

This weekend sees Dun Cow and Bedwell Athletic look for a place in the Herts Sunday Senior Cup semi-finals.

* Compiled by Darren Statto Jones

(statto@cssfl.co.uk, www.cssfl.co.uk)

RESULTS

Sunday, January 28

Division One Cup, quarter-finals: Aston Ath 2 MBDA 6, Breachwood L 2 Peartree 4, Coopers 1 Pin Green 8.

Division Two Cup, quarter-finals: Crooked Billet 2 Norwich Union 4, Emperors Head 1 Newcotech 3, FC Rising Sun 3 Old Social 4 (aet), ProCladd 1 Triage 2 (aet).

Division Three Cup, quarter-finals: AFC Stev 1 Fox 3, Bottles Res 2 MC Racing 1, Chequers 1 Twin Foxes 6, MBDA Res 2 White Horse 6.

Premier Division: Bedwell Ath 3 Old Red Lion 0, Bottles 1 Nirankari SS 1, Hermit of Redcoats 4 Broadhall 7, Station 2 Dun Cow 3.

Division One: Royal Oak 4 Stev Colts OB 1, SCS 1 Pig and Whistle 8.

Division Two: Rapidsource 2 King Pin Utd 4.

Division Three: Rileys 7 Ath Timebridge 1.

FIXTURES

Sunday, February 4

Herts Sunday Senior Cup, quarter-finals: Dun Cow v St Joseph's (MP), Oakview v Bedwell Ath (10.30).

KLM Challenge Cup, second round: AFC Proverbial v Broadhall (KG2).

Premier Division: Bottles v Station (RE4), Hermit of Redcoats v Nirankari SS (10.30, SP3), Old Red Lion v Mallard (PP1).

Division One: Coopers v Breachwood L (HP2), Pig and Whistle v Peartree (RE3), Royal Oak v Aston Ath (CP3), SCS v Probuild (PP5), Stev Colts OB v MBDA (Double-Header, 10.00, SP1).

Division Two: Crooked Billet v Emperors Head (KG3), Granby St George v Rapidsource (CP2), King Pin Utd v Newcotech (HP3), Norwich Union v Old Social (CW1), ProCladd v FC Rising Sun (CW4).

Division Three: Bottles Res v North Herts Celtic (KG1), MBDA Res v Fox (Barc), Rileys v AFC Stev (PP3), Twin Foxes v Chequers (10.30, SP5), White Horse v Ath Timebridge (10.00, SP4).

Invitation Cup: MC Racing (2v0) Pin Green (RE5).

(cup games kick-off 10.00, league games 10.15,

unless otherwise stated).