Press Reports

By

Bill Baldwin

Gravesend Football League Press Officer
Text Box: GRAVESEND FOOTBALL LEAGUE Results & Report for Saturday 4th October 2008. Mallinson Cup Round One Horton Kirby 2 v 6 Woodlands Athletic The Rising Eagles 1 v 4 Viewpoint Waterloo 2 v 3 Greenways Reserves Dampier Palmer Cup Round One AFC Welsh Tavern Reserves 5 v 2 Meopham Reserves F.C. Stone 1 v 2 Earl Grey (After Extra Time) Real Man of Kent 3 v 1 Oakfield Premier Division Swan Valley 0 v 2 Craggs Farm Division One Bean 2 v 0 N.K. Aces Meopham 3 v 6 Craggs Farm Reserves Peacock Celtic 3 v 4 Stone C & I Division Two Ash Green 3 v 3 AZ 82 Fleetdown ‘B’ 1 v 1 Culverstone United Hospitals Cup Competition  In the Mallinson Cup Round One, Waterloo were at home to Kent County League side Greenways Reserves at Kings Farm, Greenways had the advantage of the strong wind behind them in the first half and took a 2-0 lead into the second half, Clifford Hearn and Tony Bains scoring, Waterloo made the elements go in their favour in the second period of play, but against the run of play Greenways scored a third goal from Connor Chapman for a 3-0 lead, but Waterloo got back in the game when Ross Fegan got the goal of the game from a 18yd free kick which rocketed into the top corner of the Greenways net at 3-1, then Waterloo scored a second goal from John Ryder at 3-2, and the last few minutes were the best of the game, but Greenways held on for the 3-2 win. Holders of the Mallinson Cup, Viewpoint, were away to The Rising Eagles at Kings Farm and the Eagles shocked the Viewpoint team by leading at half time by 1-0, but in a wind affected game Viewpoint came into their own in the second half, scoring four unanswered goals to take the game by 4-1, Dave Goodwin getting a fine hat-trick and Karl Hotchkiss also scoring. Horton Kirby were making efforts to get into the next round when at home to Woodlands Athletic, but the Woodlands team had the same idea and held a 4-0 lead at the break, eventually running out winners by 6-2, their scorers being Dan Ingram (2), Darren Gowler ()2 and Will Lynch(2). The junior of the Hospital Cups, the Dampier Palmer Cup, had last season’s runners-up Earl Grey away to F.C. Stone at Knockhall Road, Earl Grey leading at half time by 1-0 from a fine goal by Aaron Spencer, but soon after the second half started F.C. Stone were level when Chris Rains scored, with the score1-1 at full time the game went into extra-time, in a fine end to end game throughout the winning goal came to Earl Grey, when from a long throw-in, Mark Isaac put into his own goal for a 2-1 win to Earl Grey for a place in the next round. On the windswept Thong Lane ground Real Man of Kent were at home to Oakfield in this cup, Kent leading by 1-0 at the break, and going on to win by 3-1, but in the 88th minute the Oakfield keeper was taken to hospital by ambulance following an injury. AFC Welsh Tavern Reserves were involved in a fine game at home to Meopham Reserves, Tavern taking a 3-0 lead in the first half, for the second half Tavern made three substitutions, but in the very first minute of the second half a Tavern Player got injured and they had to play the second half with ten men, but although Meopham pulled two goals back, Lee Halfpenney and a cracking goal from Lewis Read scoring, the Tavern team went on to win the tie by 5-2, Tavern scorers being Dave Collard 2, Asa Graham, Allan King and Danny May. There was only one Premier Division game played, that being at the Swan Valley ground when they were at home to Craggs Farm, in a fairly even game, Craggs opened the scoring in the first half with a Dimitri Blowers goal, the game continued in the same vein in the second half with Craggs getting a second goal from Craig Nightingale for the 2-0 win to stay top of the table . In the Division One game at Judson’s Rec’, Meopham were at home to Craggs Farm Reserves who held a 1-0 lead at the break, the Craggs team were just too strong in the second half, going on to win by 6-3, Meopham’s Tom Field getting the goal of the game with a powerful header. Bean a new team this season are having a fine start and they won a good game at home to N.K. Aces at the Glentworth Club, going ahead in the first half with a great headed goal from 20yds from Dale Chapman, Aces had equal chances in the first half but failed in front of goal, the Bean keeper, Scott Young keeping out the Aces shots, Bean took a 2-0 lead in the second half with an Andy Cross goal and then had the chance to make it 3-0 when they were awarded a penalty, but Andrew Cook missed the chance and the final score was 2-0 to Bean. The best game of the day was in this Division when Peacock Celtic were at home to Stone C & I at Thong Lane, in a seven goal thriller Stone took the lead in the opening period with a Gary Norman goal, this was levelled by Peacock’s Mark McKenna to make the score1-1, Stone regained the lead with a Tom Gibbons effort ,Peacock yet again getting level at 2-2 from a Paul Coulton goal, Stone took a 3-2 lead when Stuart Onyett scored, then Peacock were awarded a penalty from which Mark Lee converted to make it 3-3, the game looked to be going to the draw, but with five minutes to go up popped Gary Norman with the winning strike at 4-3 for Stone to take all three points, the win takes Stone to the top of the league. Division Two leaders, Ash Green, played hosts AZ 82 but found themselves 1-0 down when Matt Lacey put in a great chip over the Ash Green keeper from 25yds, Luke Vigors got Ash Green level at 1-1, but good work by AZ’s Anthony Rossi saw him win a penalty from which Tom Curtin scored for a 2-1 lead, Ryan Gregory got Ash Green level at 2-2, AZ 82 went ahead again from Curtin at 3-2, but Ash Green grabbed a point from the 3-3 draw with a third goal scored by Rob ‘Banana Boy’ Bradbury in a cracking game of attacking football. New team Fleetdown ‘B’ were at home to Culverstone United and in a tight game they shared the points in a 1-1 draw, Aaron Salter had Culverstone in front in the first half, Sam Pankhurst replied for Fleetdown in the second half. Viewpoint Reserves were involved in the Hospitals Cup Competition at home to Seven Acres Sports Reserves from the South London Alliance League at the AEI ground, and followed up the success of the 1st Team in the same competition last week as they ran out winners by 3-1 with goals from Steve Coyne (2) and Paul Waghorne.