‘Brenn’ guns down Birstall
RAMPANT MDH Knights were scoring for fun at the weekend as they marched into the quarter-finals of the E W Foster Cup with an 11-0 blitz of Birstall Rangers.
After pipping their visitors to promotion on goal difference last season, the Harborough side showed their improvement and took charge of the game from start to finish.
The deadlock was broken with David Brennan finishing a well-rehearsed corner routine before Tom Dunne raced on to a Dom Page pass to lob the keeper and double the lead.
Brennan and strike partner Sim Thomas added one apiece to make it 4-0 at the break.
The second half saw Knights really turn the screw and Thomas scored again before being replaced by Lee Stevens, who duly netted twice himself. Brennan bagged his hat-trick, then Simon Barby got in on the action.
Brennan bundled in his fourth goal of the game before a Stevens cross was diverted into his own net by a Birstall defender.
Eynesbury Rovers Res 3 Harborough Town Res 1
DEPLETED Harborough second string had to make positional changes to the entire defence from the previous week’s superb victory over unbeaten Bugbrooke, but that took nothing away from the quality of the hosts’ play.
Eynesbury dominated the first half, and Harborough were indebted to outstanding keeper Glen Giles, who made some spectacular saves, before Rovers finally took the lead in controversial fashion.
The goalie came for a cross and cleanly caught the ball before dropping it after a hard challenge. Despite this the referee waved play on and a goal was scored.
Harborough fell to pieces after this and it was a Giles one-man show that kept Rovers at bay – until, out of the blue, Town were awarded a penalty for a foul on Nick Stratton and Paul Lewis struck the equaliser.
Harborough re-jigged at half-time, and started the second period stronger and with more purpose. The game suddenly looked in the balance until Giles made a rare mistake and Eynesbury capitalised to retake the lead. And soon after that it was 3-1 when Harborough were caught on the break.
Harborough now turn their attentions to another difficult trek when they play away to improved Boston Town this Saturday.
Beaumont 5 Royalist 0
ROYALIST crashed out of the last cup competition they were still contesting with a well below-par display.
A couple of disallowed Andy Hiron ‘goals’ did nothing to aid the Harborough team’s cause against higher-placed opponents.
In the second half only fine goalkeeping from Richard Lenny prevented the scoreline looking shambolic.
North Kilworth 1 Fleckney 1
THE visitors took the lead on 50 minutes with a well-worked goal but Kilworth hit back ten minutes later when Marcus Keirle worked some magic and earned a point with a fine solo effort.
Meanwhile Kilworth’s reserves advanced to the semi-finals of the Chairman’s Cup at the expense of hosts Glen Villa.
They fell behind in the first minute but Richard Brown headed them level and second half strikes from Steve Tidmarsh and Connor Shaw clinched the tie.
Kilworth’s Sunday side were knocked out of their cup by a lower standard Desford United.
They were two down inside 20 minutes as Desford twice outpaced a returning Dave King. Luke Wedgbury pulled a goal back but hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Desford’s winger scored a 30-yard volley and Kilworth were out.
NPE 2 Little Bowden 0
BOWDEN lost away from home again against table-topping opponents NPE.
A goal in each half was enough to condemn Bowden to back-to-back defeats for the third time this season, although they will take heart from the manner of this performance, having had chances to take at least a point from the game.
From a neutral viewpoint, it would have been difficult in the early stages to know which team were the league leaders, with both sides having chances to take the lead.
NPE stepped up a gear midway through the first half and barrages of attacks came Bowden’s way. Jim Burton cleared a goal-bound effort off the line but the pressure told with a goal after a poor clearance.
Bowden switched off after the restart, and five minutes into the second half, the second and decisive goal was scored when the home side took advantage of the Bowden back line stopping dead in their tracks to appeal for a foul.
James Bramley-Brown and substitute Lee Thomas both squandered chances to reduce the deficit.
Bowden’s tough run continues this week against third-placed Pollards Crusaders.
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Weather for Harborough
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
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