Presidents Cup

PRESIDENTS CUP 2006/07 SPONSORED BY KALLKWIK (CHISWICK) PATH TO THE FINAL PRELIMINARY ROUND - SEPTEMBER 24TH Abbots Langley Mens club reached the last eight with a 6-2 win over old rivals Leavesden Green. Four goals from Dave Hewing including a first hat-trick helped the 2005 winners to an easy victory. The tie between two of the promoted sides from Division One saw Headstone Athletic overcome Selex Green 4-1 and the same score line saw North Bushey defeat Riverside AFC Royals due in part to two goals inside the first ten minutes. The final tie of the round saw The Reindeer win 3-1 against The Old Shepherd. QUARTER-FINALS - DECEMBER 3RD, 17TH & JANUARY 7TH Following Watford Eagles expulsion from the League in December, North Bushey progressed to the semi-final by default. On the pitch the two quarter finals played before Christmas saw two very close games. The holders Gadeside Rangers were involved, for the second time this season, in a high scoring cup tie with Colne Valley. Gadeside led twice at 2-0 and 3-1 before a late Valley fight back took the game into extra-time where a goal in the first period of extra time was enough for Gadeside to take them into the semi-final. Abbots Langley Mens club edged past Dalys 4-2 in another close affair. The final tie was played on the first Sunday of the New year and saw The Reindeer edge past Headstone Athletic by a single goal in the second half. SEMI-FINALS - JANUARY 7TH & 28TH Abbots Langley Mens Club made it through to their second Presidents Cup Final inside three seasons with a 3-1 victory over North Bushey. Bushey defied their League placing in the first half and caused Abbots plenty of problems before taking a deserved lead ten minutes before the break. They looked to have reached the break with their lead intact until they conceded a soft penalty deep in first half injury time. That goal knocked the fight right out of Bushey as Abbots scored twice in the opening seven minutes of the second half. Bushey battled back but their hopes of a first Cup Final appearance were ended when they missed a penalty twelve minutes from full-time. The second semi-final three weeks later between Gadeside Rangers and The Reindeer produced an excellent cup tie. The Reindeers new Player-Manager, Martin Nicholas, scored twice in the first half to give them a 2-1 lead at the break. Three minutes into the second half it looked like The Reindeer had booked their Cup Final place when Richard Ripley put them 3-1 ahead but Gadeside were unwilling to let their grip of the Cup go without a fight and they scored twice in four minutes to bring the scores level. The game flowed end to end but it looked like extra-time was on the cards until a final dramatic twist when, deep into injury time, Richard Ripley hit his second goal of the game with a deflected free-kick to send the holders out. PRESIDENTS CUP FINAL 2007 Sunday April 15th 2007 ABBOTS LANGLEY MENS CLUB FC 3 THE REINDEER FC 1 (HT 1-1) Abbots Langley Mens Club won the Presidents Club for a third time with a 3-1 win over The Reindeer at Kings Langley FC. The game was a lively affair with both sides having chances early on. Reindeer had an early goal disallowed for a hand ball before Abbots Dave Hewing had three good chances to give them the lead including a twenty five yard drive that keeper Dave Bushnell tipped around the post. It was to prove a vital save as a minute later The Reindeer went ahead when Dan Campbell broke into the area and blasted the ball beyond Terry Slaughter for a superb opening goal. The lead only lasted ten minutes when a Kevin Ford corner went in at the near post possibly taking a deflection from a defender, but Ford is credited the goal for the equaliser. Reindeer nearly snatched a half-time lead when Chris Reeves connected with a cross in front of the Abbots goal but he blasted over from close range with the goal at his mercy. On the hour mark Abbots re-took the lead when Dan OReillys cross come shot from the left wing flew over Dave Bushnell and into the net. Reindeer really started to apply the pressure in the final quarter of the game, searching for the equalizer with plenty of balls into the box but they didnt find anyone who could apply the final touch. With Reindeer throwing players forward, Abbots Lee Smith picked up a long ball, raced past a defender before smartly lobbing the ball over the advancing Dave Bushnell to make it 3-1 with eight minutes left. Teams: Abbots Langley Mens Club FC: Slaughter, Sc.Devereux (Symons 82), Cesaratto, Sp.Devereux, O'Reilly, Ford (Sheriden 61), Frost, Sookin (Brown 88 ), Smith, Hewing, Hicks. Sub Not Used: Collier. Goals: Ford (35 min), OReilly (60 min), Smith (82 min). The Reindeer FC: Bushnell, Mott, Devine, Newman, Reeves (Shields 72), Collett, Ripley (McDonald 63), Rudland, Davies (Mills 55), OKeefe, Campbell. Sub Not Used: Nicholas. Goal: Campbell (25 min). Referee: Jim Reeder. Att: 180.