Leicestershire Sunday Intermediate Cup 1st Round
Sunday 7th October 2012
Scotlands Playing Fields, Forest Road, Coalville
For the first time since early July yesterday there was a Saturday without football. Not because of anything untoward, but that I was attending the East Midlands Food Festival in Melton Mowbray with the wife. This was a date that had been put in the diary for some time as we went to the event last year.
All was not lost as I still managed to get to a game this morning, helped with the wife working this morning as well.
The majority of first round county cup matches under the jurisdiction of the Leicestershire & Rutland Football Association are being played this weekend, though the county FA must be one of the worst run in this regard. The reason being is that despite knowing which clubs are to be entered in which competition they still gave the clubs less than two weeks notice. This causing problems not only for the clubs but for the fixture secretaries of the leagues themselves. Surely it is not too much to ask for the draws for the opening couple of rounds to be done before the respective leagues issue fixtures, like the Football Association do on a national scale with the FA Cup, Trophy, Vase, Youth Cup etc. I know one of the reasons given for the delay will be that of pitch shares, but if this happens then make one team play one week and the other the next. It is not difficult. Severely clutching at straws here but if anyone at the Leicestershire FA is reading this then I will be more than happy to get involved with next years draws.
The Sunday Intermediate Cup is one of five competitions organised by the county FA for open age Sunday footballers. The others being Premier, Shield, Trophy and Vase. The draw for round 1 is as follows:
Cross Keys Newbold (H) v Thurmaston WMP 2009 (A)
FC Union (H) v Birstall Stamford Reserves (C)
Market Bosworth 2000 (H) v Duke of Rutland Reserves (H)
Kirby Muxloe Rangers (A) v Westfield Wanderers (L)
Tin Hat (H) v Leicester Echos (L)
Enderby & District Social (H) v Sileby Athletic (C)
FC Hoskins (A) v Thurlaston Magpies [Sunday] (H)
Key: A - Alliance Football League; C - Charnwood Sunday League; L - Leicester Sunday League; H - Hinckley & District Sunday League
Before a ball had been kicked this morning Westfield Wanderers went through to round 2 following Kirby Muxloe Rangers folding a couple of days ago.
The Scotlands Playing Fields are literally just that - playing fields. Entrance is via drive on Forest Road on the south side of Coalville. If coming from Leicester go past the Bardon Quarry and Bardon Sports Club, and when at the 1st island take the first exit into Coalville. Forest Road is the first turning on the left, with the entrance to the playing fields on the left hand side before you cross the railway line.
Thurmaston started this game as favourites, having a 100% record in all competitions so far this season. This includes four league games and a match in the Arthur Moore Cup. Cross Keys meanwhile sit third in division one of the Charnwood Sunday League.
The home side came out of the blocks quicker and looked the better side early on, but with ten minutes on the clock found themselves a goal down. After good work down the inside right channel, the ball fell to Ant Morris who poked the ball home from a yard out. A couple of minutes later and it should have been all square, only for a Keys shot to strike the bottom of the left hand upright. This was the closest the home side came in the first half, and by the end of it were three down. Jamie Sharman (24 minutes) and a superbly struck free kick from Connor Packwood on 34 minutes giving Thurmaston a comfortable lead.
It should be said that players from both sides struggled with the autumn sun and clash of kits, with Cross Keys playing in red and Thurmaston in orange.
The second half was pretty much a non-event with Cross Keys unable to break the visitors defence down, while Thurmaston did not have to get out of second gear to secure the victory and a place in round 2. Luke Winfield made it 0-4 on 54 minutes with a shot across the Cross Keys keeper. The hosts got a deserved consolation goal with fifteen minutes left on the clock, only for Packwood to get his second of the game on 89 minutes to round off the scoring.
37 photos taken at the game can be viewed in the slideshow below:
No comments:
Post a Comment