Westbury Rangers bid to end long wait for cup win

12:00pm Friday 26th September 2008

Clubs have a week off from league action this Sunday as allbut one of the 65 teams are in action in the first round of thepresstoprint-sponsored Eric Hughes Memorial Knockout Cup.

The side missing out are Third Division Three Crowns United who lost out to Semington Rovers in last week's preliminary round. Just like last season's first round draw, which produced two all-Premier Division encounters, this season's draw has also generated two excellent looking games where top flight opposition will face each other.

One of those fixtures will see last term's beaten finalists Westbury Rangers A visit Holt and, after suffering the disappointment of losing out in the final, Rangers will face a tougher challenge this term of ending what is now a 36-year wait to lift the cup than they did last season when they suffered a 1-0 extra-time defeat against Crown Cosmos, who will not be defending the cup they deservedly won thanks to Dean Potter's stunning strike.

Crown Cosmos have withdrawn from the league so Rangers, along with a host of other Premier Division sides, will be among the favourites for Knockout Cupglory this term. However Shaun Gardiner's Rangers side face a tough challenge from the villagers who on current form could end up sending the visitors out at this early stage.

Rangers have lost both their games to date while Holt have won and lost two. Holt defeated Rangers 4-2 when the teams last met, with Rob O'Harrow scoring a hat-trick and how he would love to do the same again to book his team's passage to the final 32. The result is hard to call but on current form Holt should take the spoilsbut they may need extra-time before they claim their victory.

Winsley v Box Rovers

ANOTHER mouthwatering all-Premier Division clash is the one at Brown's Park at Freshford, where Winsley will host Box Rovers just a week after the teams met in the league. And with that game having been won 2-1 by Stuart Beeho's Box Rovers side they will be confident of claiming a quickfire double over Paul Ranger's men.

Rovers have been playing well this season but they will be well aware that they might miss out on the Premier Division title and Beeho could see the knockout cup as his team's best chance of claiming a piece of silverware for the first time since 2002.

Box have been beaten finalists on three occasions, the last being in 2003 when they lost to All Cannings in what was one of the worst ever finals in the league's history. After an uneventful 120 minutes Cannings beat Rovers 4-2 on penalties.

Rovers ought to progress to the second round with another narrow win but if they get things right they could end up scoring four of five goals to ease home.

White Hart Combe v Cooper Avon

THERE are a number of clashes involving sides from outside of the top flight that should whet the appetite, one of the biggest being the game between First Division heavyweights White Hart Combe and Cooper-Avon.

If the fixture lives up to all expectations it could be the match of the day as both teams are packed with quality players. When the sides met in Division Two last season both games ended in stalemate with the last meeting somehow ending in a goal-less draw. The chances of that scoreline being repeated are non-existent as the match has to produce a winnner at the first time of asking.

Although there is a good chance that extra-time and penalties might be required to find a winner it would be fair to say that Combe might just have the edge over the tyremen.

Combe's frontline of James Stone, Lee Fernandez and Craig Fullam will be a match for Cooper-Avon's back line, while Cooper-Avon's strike force of Simon Gillatt, Dave Macey and James Worsley will no doubt cause Combe's defence problems. The result will go down to the wire and Combe are tipped to send Cooper-Avon crashing at the first hurdle.

Rowde v Potterne

ANOTHER tantalising clash is the one at Sands Lane, where hosts Rowde welcome former sparing partners Potterne, who are now in the PremierDivision.

Rowde, led by Devizes Town's joint manager Kevin Whitbread, will be forced to leave out a couple of his own players for the head-to-head with his team's near neighbours as Devizes have a game on Tuesday night.

Potterne will also be missing a few key players who will also be involved with the Nursteed Road outfit in midweek so it is looking likely that both of the villagers will be far from full strength when they lock horns.

Rowde were beaten 3-0 and 2-0 by Lee Sanders's and Pete Huntley's team last term and it would be a massive shock if the visitors failed to register a third successive victory over their fierce local rivals.

Potterne will include a number of former Crown Cosmos players in their line-up and if they can get past Rowde, which they should do, and providing the draw is kind to them they may get to make a third successive KnockoutCup final.

The Ship FC v Steeple Ashton Rangers

WOODMARSH will stage the game between Lee Hayward's Premier Division outfit the Ship FC and his former club Steeple Ashton Rangers.

And if you are looking for an upset this could be the match that produces it, as the Ship are nowhere near the team who walked to the First Division title last season.

Hayward has been hit with a massive list of injured players and things don't seem to be getting any better. Although he hopes to sign on a number of youngsters ahead of the game against Nathan Holloway's side they might not yet be ready to step into what promises to be a crunch encounter.

Rangers are likely to have both Marc and Adam Sheppard available for the match against their former team-mate Hayward and if they take their league form into the cup game then the Ship will sink to Davey Jones's Locker without making an impact on the cup as they did last term when they made the last eight.

Carpenters Arms v Three Horseshoes Renegades

TROWBRIDGE-based Carpenters Arms began the defence of their WG Parr Trophy a couple of weeks ago with a 4-2 success over Audley FC, but they will face a tougher challenge if they want to progress further as their opponents, Three Horseshoes Renegades, have a very good chance of seeing off Chris Carr's side.

Lance Davis, manager of Bradford-based Renegades, hopes to have strikers Joe Taylor and Sam Jordan back and the pair were badly missed as Davis's side drew a blank last Sunday when they battled out a goal-less draw with Bromham.

The match is likely to be a very physical affair as both teams fight to keep their unbeaten records intact. The odds will favour the Carpenters, especially if hot-shot Matt Minnis plays, but they could be short of cover at the back as Steve Fox will still be out injured.

Renegades will always have a chance of causing a shock but they will have to raise their game for that to happen. But if luck is on their side and Carpenters are below-par then the visitors to Southwick might just nick awin.

Dog and Fox Ashley v The Cavaliers

PREMIER Division leaders Dog and Fox Ashley, who reached the final four last term before losing to Westbury Rangers A, begin this season's competition with a home game against Fourth Division strugglers The Cavaliers, who have failed to live up to their pre-season billing as one of the sides who were expected to do well.

This should be a David versus Goliath battle as the Dog and Fox are unbeaten in their four games to date while Cavaliers have lost all of their four matches. The result should reflect the gap in league standings between the sides and the Dog and Fox will be expected to romp to a convincing victory that could see them hit as many as eight goals.

FC Colerne v Hullavington

DIVISION Two side Hullavington take on Premier Division club FC Colerne atthe latter's Bath Road ground.

The home side have struggled for form in recent weeks and will be looking for a positive display when they lock horns with Matt Wilkins's outfit.

Colerne, who have lost their four matches to date this term, have not won a league match in 11 attempts and have failed to win at home since last December. That unwanted record looks as if it will be extended further by the visitors who have won both their games to date and have scored 18 goals in the process with the red hot Ed Wilkins scoring 10 of them.

Colerne fell at the first hurdle last term while Hullavington made the second round. With success expected on Sunday, and if the draw is kind to them, Hullavington have a good chance of making it into the last eight.

Westbury Rangers B v Old Road Tavern

BERNIE Court will take his Fourth Division side Old Road Tavern side to Meadow Lane where they will fancy their chances of increasing their winning league and cup run to four games with a victory over Westbury Rangers B.

The Chippenham-based Old Road side have yet to concede a goal in any of their matches to date and if they can keep things tight defensively for a fourth successive match then Rangers might struggled to break them down.

On paper Dave Griffin's side should have what it takes to see off what will be a determined challenge from their guests, who are improving all the time and as long as they can goalkeeper Fabian Prangle and Robbie Burton injury free they will have a good chance of beating most Fourth Division sides aswell as a number of Third Division ones.

Rangers are one of those who could succumb to a new-look Tavern side who believe they are on the verge of something big and if Court can help his side plot the downfall of Rangers then his team might be right in thinking that this could be the season they stop being the whipping boys and become a side for other clubs to fear.

Foresters Arms v North Bradley

HAVING beaten North Bradley 6-1 in their First Division clash at Awdry Avenue, Melksham, last weekend, Pat Johnson's Foresters Arms are set to meet Bradley again this Sunday.

The result should be a foregone conclusion and Foresters, who have yet to lose this season, should coast to a repeat of their previous result.

At the moment the teams are undecided as to where the match will be played. Foresters pitch share with Pig and Whistle United, who are also at home,and it is hoped that Bradley can accommodate Foresters as nobody else uses their pitch on a Sunday.

If as hoped the game does get switched it shouldn't have an effect on the outcome of the game as Foresters should prove to be too good for Tim Richards's side for a second time, especially as Bradley have not beaten their opponents since they first met in the division at the start of the 2006/07 season.

Semington Rovers v Southwick Wanderers

SEMINGTON Rovers reward for beating Third Division Three Crowns United in last weekend's only preliminary round game is a home match against Southwick Wanderers who, like Rovers opposition from last week, are in Division Three and like last Sunday, when Allan Clarke's side romped to a resounding 9-3 victory, they are likely to do the same in their first round match.

Rovers have Stuart Barber in red-hot form and it would be a surprise if he didn't get on the score sheet against a Wanderers side who will be missing Domonic Shepherd through injury.

Rovers should go into the hat for the next round and only a miracle of biblical proportions will deny them a place in round two.

The Crown Devizes v North Star A

WITH both The Crown Devizes and Rowde scheduled to use the pitch they share at Sands Lane, Mark Roberts's Second Division Crown side have switched their cup-tie to Priestley Grove, Calne, which is the home of their first division opponents, North Star A.

It should be an interesting contest between what should be two equally matched sides, even if they are separated by 14 places in the league standings.

Both sides have managed just one win from their outings to date and it would have to be said that of the two sides The Crown have probably had the hardest start to the new campaign. When things start to settle down they are likely to get their season up and running which could start with a win over Gary Elliott's Star side who, after making a good start, have gone off the boil and a fourth straight defeat is staring them in the face unless they can get a little bit of the magic that seems to surround their B team at the moment to rub off on them.

Trowbridge Town Supporters' Club v Corsham Park Rangers

THE Recreation Ground, Bratton, is scheduled to host the all-Third Division battle between Kevin Williams's Trowbridge Town Supporters' Club and visitors Corsham Park Rangers.

Both teams enter the game on the back of defeats and current forms suggests it will be very hard to pick the winner, as they are both very inconsistent and are likely to come up with a victory when you least expect them too.

The hosts have surprisingly collected just one point from their three games to date while Corsham Park are a little better off with two points from four games. The teams last met in the 2005/06 season when the honours were shared, with each team claiming a 4-1 success.

Since then both teams have practically rebuilt those sides however thesupporters' club still have goal scorers Nick Buckle and James Harman from way back then in their side and with a little more quality in their side and despite their poor start they are expected to progress further.

AFC Bell v Chippenham West End

IF it was a boxing match between Second Division high-scorers AFC Bell and Fourth Division strugglers Chippenham West End the referee would be likely to call a halt to proceeding after just a couple of rounds of what would be a very one-sided contest.

But, unluckily for the West End, this is a football match and not a boxing one so the referee will let it go the full 90 minutes by which stage West End will have been battered into submission as AFC Bell are liable to cut loose and hit them for double figures.

AFC Bell won 6-0 and 9-1 when the teams met last term and unless the West End, who have lost their four games to date, can somehow perform a miracle they will have little chance to deny Craig Townsend's side an easy passage into the second round.

AFC Calne v AFC Melksham

JASON Matthews, manager of First Division AFC Calne, will be hoping to have a few of his players back from injury and free of work commitments to face AFC Melksham at Avebury.

AFC Calne had to postpone against Carpenters Arms last weekend due to a shortage of players but with this being one of the hosts' toughest games for a while they will need to have the likes of Nathan West, Craig Fry, Dean Fry, Aaron Ward and Aaron Clegg and the rest of their better players available if they are to have any chance of stopping the AFC Melksham bandwagon from rolling on.

Mickey Hawkes's team are already in the first round of the WG Parr Trophy after they trounced Pack Horse Rangers 9-1 and even without Steve Pegler, who will miss the next three Sundays due to his wedding and then honeymoon, they should have plenty in the tank to embark on another possible cup run that's if as anticipated they overcome their hosts.

Lavington (Sunday) v Eastlands

THIRD Division leaders Lavington entertain Second Division Eastlands and the visitors are likely to face more heartache and another defeat at the hands of a Lavington side who have scored 15 goals in their three league matches to date.

Eastlands may have seen a number of new players arrive at the club over thelast couple of weeks and the return of a couple of ex-players, including striker Jason Roberts bodes well for the future, but this game could come a little too early for the new-look Eastlands side who will take a while to gel.

Adam Davey's side will have to keep an eye on Lavington's hit man Myles Hickton, but for once he is being matched by his fellow striker Craig Campbell so it could be a double dose of trouble for Eastlands as trying to keep both players on the leash will be an impossibility. If the duo get the chances, which they will do, then Eastlands should crash to a fourth loss of the season.

Corsham Centre A v Sutton Benger

TWO-time Knockout Cup winners Corsham Centre A should have very few problems in embarking on another cup run this season.

The winners in 2005 and 2007 have been drawn at home against Second Division Sutton Benger and Martin Bradfield's Centre side should coast home to anemphatic win. The Centre might not be the team they have been over the last few seasons but even through they are still missing a few players through injury and suspension they should still hit Benger for six to start what could beanother run to the latter stages.

Pack Horse Rangers v North Star B

SIMON Reid, manager of Third Division Pack Horse Rangers, must be thinking that he's done something wrong to upset the league's fixtures secretary as neither cup draw has been kind to the Chippenham-based side.

Pack Horse were drawn against high-scoring AFC Melksham in the WG Parr Trophy and suffered a 9-1 defeat and this weekend sees them comeface-to-face with Division Four leaders North Star B, who have scored 49 goals in just four games.

The Star, who go into the match at Stanley Park on the back of a superb 6-1 win over Melksham Jagerbar, might be nine positions below the Pack Horse in league standings but that will count for nothing as the Star should have Mark Dolman firing on all cylinders. If the prolific striker, who has scored 21 goals to date, is hungry for more goals then he could add a few more tohis tally as the Star should ease into the final 32.

Chippenham United RAOB v Corsham Centre B

THE only all-Fourth Division clash brings together Chippenham United RAOB and Corsham Centre B and from the 13 teams in Division Four, United are just one of two sides who have been afforded a home draw.

Corsham Centre have made a flying start to the season and have won all three of their games to date and have already qualified for the next round of the WG Parr Trophy after they saw off the challenge of Somerford.

Richard Thorne's Chippenham United side go into the match on the back of their first win of the campaign last Sunday but having suffered defeat in both their meetings last term United in all probability will slump to a third successive loss against a Centre side who look to be a lot better this season that they were in the last one.

Audley FC v British Lion

CHIPPENHAM-based Audley FC will be hoping that when Fourth Division newcomers British Lion arrive at Stanley Park on Sunday they will have lost some of the bite that have taken them to three wins on the spin in what has been an impressive start to life in the league.

Even though Audley are in Division Two they will go into the game as underdogs and for them to progress they are going to have to raise their game to have any chance of inflicting a first defeat on Adam Bewley's side.

Even though the Lion didn't have a match last weekend Bewley was a hero on the pitch last Sunday when he stepped in at the last minute to referee the match between Melksham Jagerbar and North Star B an action to which the league and both teams are truly grateful as his action saved the game from being postponed.

The Devizes-based Lion side ought to stroll into round two and if old timer Andrew Webster and his young starlets Jamie Lloyd-Davies, who has scored seven goals to date, and Kyle Braide are on form then Audley can expect a nearly exit from the competition.

However, in Chris Yeo, James McLaughlin, Craig Manley and Kieren Smith they have players who know where the target is and if they all click on the day they may just cause a surprise.

Biddestone Social v Somerford

HAVING claimed their first league victory over Corsham Centre A a couple of weeks ago, Premier Division Biddestone Social will see their cup opponents Somerford as light relief after what has been a tough start to the season for Danny Jones's and Dan Lardner's side who have come through their opening games with flying colours and full of confidence.

With Biddestone Social unable to use their pitch at Yatton Road the fixture has been reversed to Somerford, but even with home advantage the Fourth Division side shouldn't stand a chance against one of the top flight's bigguns who, if they have got their shooting boots on, could have a field day.

Somerford will be looking for damage limitation and if they can keep the score down below double figures it would have to be said that in a strangeway it would be seen as some kind of victory for the villagers, who are unlikely to see a fairytale ending as the Biddestone side, who are one of the favourites to reach this season's final, should ease past Gary Chandler's side.

Pig and Whistle United v White Horse

BOTH Pig and Whistle United and White Horse have made a solid start to the season and the match at Awdry Avenue, Melksham, could be one of those that might see the result go the way of the un-fancied side, who are Fourth Division White Horse.

The Westbury-based side have won two of their three matches so far and have kept two clean sheets, which is double the number they have achieved in the previous three seasons.

With a much tighter defence White Horse will be hoping their forwards can produce the goods that will lead to them shocking the Pig and Whistle who are expected to progress especially as they take some good form into the contest. If Steve Bridger can add to his quartet of goals from last week's 6-2 defeat of AM Villa then the hosts should have a safe passage into the next round.

Atworth United v Corsham United

FIRST Division Atworth United will host Third Division Corsham United who after last Sunday's 4-0 league success over local rivals Corsham Park Rangers might not be the pushover that many people would expect them to be.

The match should be an interesting one as both teams have made a nervy start to the new season and it would be fair to say that Atworth, who have taken three points from a possible six, have yet to reach the highs of last season, but with only three games gone they have plenty of time to improve.

Atworth's opponents may be 29 places below them in league positions but their new-look side are showing signs that they are slowly gelling together and this match will be a good test of their character and will give manager Kia Flack the chance to see how his team fair against clubs from a higher division. But having lost 14-1 to Potterne at the same stage of the competition last term Flack might not be happy with what he sees.

Atworth are no Potterne but they should make the final 32 but if Joe Pritchard's injured ankle can to stand up to another game and Dan Hughes can continue where he left off last week, when he scored a great treble against Corsham Park, then United should make Atworth work for their expected victory.

Miller Sports v Biddestone White Horse

IT'S Premier Division versus Division Two at the Beeches, Shaw, where hosts Miller Sports welcome Biddestone White Horse who will have a point to prove after their 9-1 thumping at the hands of Pheasant last Sunday.

The result must have come a shock to Matt Unwin's former table-toppers so they will be working extra hard to erase it from that memory and there won't be a better way of doing that than with a victory over a top flight Miller Sports side.

Biddestone White Horse could still be a little shell-shocked going into the game and should they fall behind to a couple of early goals then they may struggle to turn things around. But they should be all right and with Tamlyn Goodrich, Scott Fleming and Pete Dennett in their line-up it should see normal service resumed for Unwin's side who should have few problems in making it into the hat for the second round draw.

Affordable Mortgages Villa v Kings Arms

JOHN Dix will take his Fourth Division Kings Arms side to Westbury where they will face Second Division Affordable Mortgages Villa who should have few problems in making the final 32.

Villa's league form might not be the best but they should have what it takes to see off their visitors to Leighton.

The Kings Arms, who are already out of the WG Parr Trophy, have lost their two league games to date and will view this as a match that they are capable of winning despite the position of the two teams.

The Kingers are no strangers to causing an upset or two per season but it has to be said they are likely to come in the league rather than the cup.

But on this occasion they could get the better of their hosts who might think the game is won before it even kicks-off, and if they take that approach they could end up with egg on their faces.

Blue Circle (Sunday) v Bremhill View Social Club

CALNE-based Bremhill View Social Club make the long trek from north Wiltshire to west Wiltshire for their match at the Westbury cement works where they will face Third Division Blue Circle.

Martin Belcher's First Division Bremhill side collected their first win of the season last week when they beat Chippenham Sports and Social 4-1 and another good showing from Reece Allison could lead to another match-winning performance.

Allison scored a hat-trick in Bremhill's win and it looks as if he has taken over the goal scoring role from Dale and Mark Smith and TerryCox, who have yet to open their account for Bremhill this term.

If Steve Martin's Circle side want to have any chance of progressing they will need to keep a watchful eye on Allison and if they fail to keep him under control and his aforementioned strike partners break their duck for the season then the Circle's dreams of cup glory will be over for another season.

Maud Heath Sports v The Crown FC

HAVING suffered a shock first round exit in last season's cup competition, Premier Division Maud Heath Sports will be well aware that they can't underestimate Third Division Crown otherwise they could do to the Heath what North Bradley did to them last term when they claimed a surprise 2-1 win.

Andy Townsend's Maud Heath side have home advantage over Dan Sloan's Devizes-based outfit who go into the game on the back of their first win of the season, having beaten Trowbridge Town Supporters Club 5-2.

Sloan himself got on the score sheet as did Jack Fisher and Nick Harford who scored two a piece and with last term's top scorer Fisher starting with a bang things could get better for the Crown so Maud Heath had better watchout. The home team have their own goal-scoring gem in Darren Holcombe and if it comes down to a battle of the front men then Calne's Maud Heath are likely to have the upper edge that is if Holcombe can find another strike partner. If not then Crown have every possibility of sending their hosts out at the first round stage for a second successive season.

Pheasant FC v Bradford News

FIRST Division Bradford News may have thought that the first round draw had been good to them as they were drawn away at Second Division Pheasant, but a look at the current league tables will leave Mark Hurkett's Bradford side wishing they might have been given an easier tie.

When Bradford News arrive at Yatton Kennell they will lock horns with a Pheasant side who are flying high at the top of the table having won all three of their games to date and having scored 20 goals in the process.

The hosts, who beat Biddestone White Horse 9-1 last Sunday, will hope to take their excellent league form into the cup clash, which in the past hasn't always been the case. Despite doing well in the league they have failed to deliver in the cup competitions.

The newsmen will hope that this is another one of those occasions when their hosts freeze when they take on a team in a higher division, but if they don't then the News are likely suffer an early end to their cup adventure for a second season on the trot.

FC Bradford v AFC Lyneham

THE clash at Poulton playing fields between Second Division FC Bradford and Fourth Division AFC Lyneham has goals written all over it but unfortunately for Jason Raven's Lyneham side they are likely to be on the end of another heavy defeat.

AFC Lyneham have conceded 48 goals in their four games to date while FC Bradford have scored 17 in three matches and that includes a 5-1 defeat.

It would be fair to say that Bradford are lively around goal and Mark Robinson, Charlie Powell, Russell Francis and even Mike Embleton and Steve Bryant, who scored a double last Sunday, are all likely to get on the score sheet as are a few other Bradford players who will see this match as achance to chalk up their first goals of the season.

Sadly for Lyneham they will fly into Bradford dreaming of success, but they will leave having suffered a nightmare.

Westbridge Re-United v Biddestone Arms

MANY players of the newly-formed Westbridge Re-United side were part of the former Westbridge outfit who reached the final of the Knockout Cup back in 1998 when they were beaten 4-0 by Neston 81.

On their way to the cup final Westbridge produced a number of surprise results, taking out sides like The Borough, The George Lacock and Pickwick Unicorn, all of who were major scalps back in 98, and from the side who reached the final, players like Paul Bendell, Paul Daly, Tim Cross, Chris Styles and Simon Hillman to name but a few are back playing for Paul Vooght's side.

Westbridge might not go on to reach the final but they should at least make it into the next round with a victory over a Biddestone Arms side who, although they are in a higher division, are expected to suffer what wouldn't be a surprise loss as Westbridge have won all three games so far and canboast eight different scorers.

Bromham (Sunday) v Chippenham Sports and Social Club

JASON Bull takes his First Division Chippenham Sports & Social Club side to Third Division Bromham, where Ady Kember's side will have a very good chance of bringing a premature end to the Sports's cup run.

The visitors to the Jubilee Fields have yet to record a victory in any of their four games to date and are favourites to crash out of the cup, even though their opponents are 19 places below them and have managed only three points from a possible eight.

Bromham will hope that they can conjure up the same magic as they did last week when they claimed a goal-less draw against high-scoring Three Horseshoes Renegades. If they can do that then it will be the hosts who will take the win that will send them into the second round for a second successive campaign.

Christian Malford v Melksham Jagerbar

BARRY Holloway, manager of Fourth Division newcomers Melksham Jagerbar, is looking for his team to bounce back after last week's disappointing result against North Star B when they take on Second Division Christian Malford at Kington Langley.

Holloway plans to bring back three key players who all missed the 6-1 defeat against the Star. Skilful attacking midfielder Emilio Menghini will return and Danny Griffiths is in line to make his competitive debut.

They will be hopeful to start against Malford after Jagerbar's disappointing second half performance last Sunday.

Jagerbar's only doubt at the moment is influential captain Justin Messenger, who is struggling with a back injury and will leave it the last minute before making a decision on his availability.

Malford, whose last win came at the end of last September, will be hoping to claim an historic victory but the spoils should go to the Jagerbar who should ease into the next round.