Cup joy for super Colts

Oxhey United 1 Royston Town Colts U-12 4

THE long journey to Watford proved worthwhile for Town who eventually ran out 4-1 winners in this county cup game.

Town started well with Kieran Willis-Wright applying pressure down the right side of the park and feeding the ball through to Ellis King whose shot went wide.

Victor Falletta looked strong on the left and town dominated the right from where they forced a corner.

When taken Brennan was first to react, hammering the ball goalwards from his head, forcing the keeper to parry and pouncing on the spilled ball to put Colts in front.

The second half started with Town asleep. From the kick-off Oxley worked the ball neatly through the middle of the park to their pacey centre forward who made the most of his opportunity to level the scores.

Jolted into semi-consciousness Colts rallied their defence as Oxley, sensing a turn around, pressed forward.

Town conceded a free kick just outside the box. It was well struck by a United player and forced an excellent parried save from keeper Conner Long, his defence once again scrambled the ball clear.

With the storm weathered Colts midfield of Willis-Wright, Matt Brennan, Adam Sartini and man-of-the-match Jacob Leighton started to win their private battles and slowly the game turned.

A selection of fine shots from King, Willis-Wright and Sartini failed to break the deadlock. Leighton then attacked the left wing, broke clear of his markers, cut inside and fired low and left only to be denied by the woodwork.

In the dying minutes a Town corner was met by Garbutt, whose excellent header was gathered by the Oxley keeper leaving the teams level at full-time.

In extra-time Town continued to dominate a sweet ball to the feet of Will Heslam set up a thunderous left footer, which the excellent United keeper parried to no avail.

Moments later Brennan won the ball in midfield and passed to Heslam whose pin-point shot again found the target.

To cap a fine team performance Town sealed the game in the second half of extra time when Heslam again provided the finishing touch to claim his hat-trick and send Colts through to the next round.

Potters Bar U-15 3 Royston Town Colts 2

IT was agonisingly close, but Colts' run in the county cup came to end after extra time in Sunday's close-fought marathon at Potters Bar.

The skilful home side set out their stall early on, applying relentless pressure that necessitated some excellent blocking tackles from Royston's back line.

For 20 minutes the visitors struggled to get into the game while Potters Bar handed down a lesson in neat linking play, and the hosts' reward followed when they finally breached Royston's offside trap midway through the half.

The goal seemed to stun Colts into action and they responded in the best possible way.

Winger Dominic Oxenford took the ball to the byline and whipped in a looping cross to the far post, where Adam Jinkerson pounced in fine style to level things up.

The rest of the half was end to end stuff. Colts' keeper Tom Monti was repeatedly called into action as the hosts sought to restore their lead, and a succession of one-on-one saves kept Royston in the contest.

Colts counter-attacked when they could but efforts from Connor Barnard went high and wide.

On the stroke of half time, Royston's brave efforts were undone when their defence momentarily dozed off and Bar rampaged right through to take the lead for the second time.

After a talk during the break Colts upped the work rate early in the second half.

Barnard again came close before a tactical switch paid dividends. Oxenford moved alongside Barnard up front and minutes later received the ball from the right, then rounded the keeper from a tight angle and fired home to put Royston back on terms and take the match to extra time.

But there was to be no happy ending for the visitors.

Midway through the first period the ball rolled into a defensive melee and rolled out of it across the line, putting the hosts ahead for the third time; and this time there was no way back for Colts, despite some skilful runs by Ryan Ingrey and more shots on goal.

Royston Town Colts U-9 A 5 Bassingbourn 0

FROM the outset Royston were playing first class football. Superb team work with precision passes by Thomas McGee, Eamon Henderson and Bradley Calvert leaving it for striker Rhys Westbury to slot home the first goal.

Bassingbourn came back strong but some strong defending kept them out, and Westbury added another four to complete a fine morning's work.

Royston Town Colts U-9 B 2 Bassingbourn 0

FOLLOWING in the A team's footsteps, Colts B team played some superb football.

With new keeper Sam Chapman making some really brave saves, the score sheet was kept clean.

Colts first goal scored by a well struck shot by captain Jordan Howe, opened up the game.

A well-worked formation by Connor Eustace coming out of his area, sliding the ball through to Howe leaving it for Danny Mynott to slot in the back of the net.

Royston Town Colts U-11 3 HC Cougars 1

COLTS ultimately came out on top after an entertaining and closely-fought contest.

Few chances were on offer in the first 20 minutes, but no lack of spirit shown as both teams battled hard to gain an advantage.

Cougars' forward play was probing and well-organised, but the Colt's backline of George Coulston, Chris Barratt and Rob Brumby remained solid.

Colts broke the deadlock when Callum Turner scored from a nicely-judged and unselfish pass across the box by Liam York.

The visitors would have equalised soon afterwards but for a typically athletic save from keeper Will Hart. It was Hart's long clearance a few minutes later which set up the second goal - striker Thomas Robson collected and made a surging run clean through the visitors' defence - the first shot from close range was well-saved but the rebound allowed Robson a second chance with which he made no mistake.

Not long into the second half the home side made it 3-0 when Aaron Hanley put a classy finish on Robson's delightful through-ball, calmly side-footing it just out of reach of the diving keeper.

There was still plenty of Cougars fight left though, and one of their many penetrating moves finally paid off in some style - an accurate cross into the Colts' box picked out the only unmarked striker and it was deftly guided into the net.

When a minute later Cougars were awarded a penalty, alarm bells were starting to ring for the Colts, and it was with much relief that they watched it put just wide of the posts.

It was perhaps the wake-up call the Colts needed as protecting the lead became the priority, which they did ably to make it five wins from their last six matches.

Hormead Hares U-12 0 Royston Town Colts A 0

COLTS stretched their unbeaten run to seven games in this thrilling, if ultimately scoreless, encounter against fellow mid-table rivals, Hormead Hares.

Both teams battled well from the start and effectively cancelled each other out. Chances were few and far between although Colts enjoyed the lion's share of possession, Jack Bailey, Lucas Sekobawane, Sam Hunter and Conor Saggers seeing their efforts well saved by Hare's excellent keeper.

At the back Sam Cooper and Mitchell Kilroy were in fine form, denying Hares' room down the flanks whilst Harry Stafford and Jordan Hall kept things tight in the middle.