Herts Ad Sunday League: AFC Rangers on the march to retain Knockout Cup title

Steve Bellard of Marshalswick Rovers scored his second treble of the season against Pinewood (Image: Archant)

With the wintery conditions proving to be a leveller, both teams needed someone to step up – and for Rangers that man was Jimmy Hill.

He grabbed the first of his four goals from the penalty spot although poor defending allowed Church End to equalise soon after.

Hill sent Rangers into a half-time lead thanks to his second, weaving around the Church End defence before slotting home for 2-1.

The second half started fast with Church End bringing it back to 2-2 early on.

Ian Hutchinson scored for Cannon Reserves as they defeated CHL (Image: Archant)

And then the game changed. AFC’s manager Ed King brought on ex-Precision boss, Chris Day, to stop the leak in defence and that is what he did.

It gave the team the confidence to push on and within minutes after the substitution, Hill headed home to make it 3-2 after a defence splitting cross by Chris Cutmore.

That was Hill’s first hat-trick of the season but he was not finished and made if four with another header.

Day made an important block to deny Church End an easy tap in before Cutmore made it 5-2.

Church End grabbed a consolation when Ross McAnlis gave away a penalty to make the final score 5-3.

Hill took the man-of-the-match award for Rangers along with Day although special mention goes to King for the substitutions that changed the game.

The orange ball was deployed in Division Four as Marshalswick Rovers beat Pinewood 5-2 in a good game considering the conditions.

Rovers were 3-0 up by half-time with two goals from Luke Tremlett and one from Steve Bellard.

The second half was more even but Bellard completed his second hat-trick in two games for Rovers.

Pinewood’s replies came from Andrew Alsop, the first via a penalty.

Cannon Res 2-0 win over CHL was their sixth success of the season.

The goals came Haydn Connell and Ian Hutchinson with Jack Stevens their man-of-the-match.

Results

January 17

Knockout Cup

Round Two:

Church End 3 AFC Rangers 5.

Division Four:

Cannon Res 2 CHL 0, Pinewood 2 Marshalswick 5.

Fixtures

January 24

Herts FA Sunday Senior Cup

Quarter Final:

Skew Bridge v Belstone, Phoenix v AFC.

Herts FA Sunday Intermediate Cup

Round 4:

Shamrock Rov v Stonewood.

Premier Division:

AFC Rangers v New Jacks, Nicholas Breakspear OB v Six Bells.

Division One:

Chequers Inn v Queens Head, Facelad v Brookmans Park, Garston v Church End, Tansley (Radlett Village) v Skew Bridge Res.

Division Two:

Brookmans Park Res v Wheathampstead Swan, Primary Care v Oaks, The Ridge v Wheathampstead ‘89.

Division Three:

Camp Victorians v Blackboy, Harpenden Colts OB v George Redbourn, Queens Head Res v Nicholas Breakspear OB Res, The Snug Bar v Cannon.

Division Four:

AFC Mymms v Pinewood, Athletico Quat v Stonewood Res, Brookmans Park ‘A’ v The Mill, Marshalswick v CHL, Vision v Cannon Res, White Horse v Royston Rangers.