ruc 0

Metropolitan Police strolled to a 4-0 win over the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) to win the

National Police Athletic

Association Cup Final for the fourth year in a row.

The RUC lacked match practice and found themselves up against a very experienced and professional side from the Metropolitan Police.

The game was also marred by a number of injuries early in the game. Terry Patterson for the RUC came off after only a few minutes with an injured ankle. Worse was to come soon after when Harry Love and Met Police defender Carl Naylor clashed heads resulting in both players being taken to hospital.

The opening goal came from a corner after only 11 minutes and decided the game.

The ball fell to poacher Jason Prins just outside the goal area and he turned on a sixpence and volleyed home. The Met began to dominate the game and John Montgomery in the visitors' goal was tested on a number of occasions including a 25-yard drive from Adam Rose which was just pushed round for a corner.

Rose was also unlucky not to score soon afterwards but Captain Joe Crawford somehow cleared off the line.

Minutes before half time a high cross was met by Met Police leading goalscorer Lee Cormack, who buried the ball in the back of the net to make it 2-0.

It was not, however, all one way traffic and Colin Young ,the RUC player/manager, was unlucky when a 25-yard effort flew just wide of the post.

The nail in the coffin came 15 minutes into the second half. John Montgomery came out to catch a 30-yard effort from Graeme Thompson only to misjudge the flight and allow the ball to slip through his outstretched hands and trickle over the line. If that was not bad enough he fell awkwardly and limped off, being replaced by substitute Iain Doherty.

Cormack was upended inside the penalty area in the closing minutes and made no mistake with the spot kick to score his second and bring the final scoreline up to 4-0.

End on a high

banstead

athletic 3

Cheshunt 0

Banstead ended their season on a high, with a comfortable 3-0 home victory last Saturday.

The victory was the Bs' seventh in their last eight league games, and saw them finish in the top ten.

The first half was evenly contested, with James Greenaway heading over from Geoff Taylor's free kick, and Cheshunt's Cox nipping between a hesitant Martin Beard and Kristian Sorensen before lobbing just over the bar.

On 45 minutes, however, Kevin Webb rose above Hilton to head Banstead into the lead after a cross from the left.

Shimell made a further great save from Adam, before Marcel Dennis was sent crashing in the Cheshunt box and Geoff Taylor buried the spot-kick.

The B's wrapped up the win in the 82nd minute, when Marcel Dennis' neat head-flick was volleyed in to the net by Kevin Webb - a spectacular goal from just inside the Cheshunt box.

Joy for Chess

chessington 2

banstead 1

Playing against a strong Banstead side in this hospitals' charity cup competition, Chessington were worthy winners.

A new centre back pairing of Darren Barnes and Richard Bryant were dominant throughout the whole game and goalkeeper West was rarely called upon to make a save.

The goals came in the 31st minute when Banstead were adjudged to have handled in the box and Richard Bryant converted the spot kick.

In the second half Chessington had further chances through Darren Smith but on 76 minutes Daniel Martin found space on the right.

He released Carl St Pier who drilled a low shot into the goal. Banstead replied in the 82nd minute when a deflected shot eventually beat goalkeeper West.

Hampton end season with up-beat victory

enfield 2

hampton 3

Hampton & Richmond Borough ended their second season in the Ryman League Premier Division with a 3-2 win away at Enfield.

The result also saw them ending the season in a

mid-table slot (13th) as predicted at the start of the season by chairman Victor Searle and manager Steve Cordery.

The final position is a notable achievement for a club with one of the smallest player squads and financial clout in the league.

The result was better than the game which had nothing riding on the outcome at all, apart from possibly pride.

The match took place on Hendon's bumpy pitch, as Enfield sold theirs to pay off debts.

The start was littered with elementary mistakes by both sides with defences, in particular already seemingly having packed their kitbags and gone on holiday already.

The pitch played a part in Enfield's opener after five minutes.

Danny Smith's back pass to Hampton goalkeeper James Courtnage took several bounces and changes of direction before skipping over the goalkeeper's foot as he attempted a booted clearance.

The ball ran on and

Enfield's James Bunn had the simple job of walking the ball into an unguarded net. The Beavers were quickly level when a blatant shove in the back spotted by the referee just two minutes later saw skipper Jason Shaw equalising from the penalty spot.

More mistakes followed in a scrappy period but Hampton took the lead in the 32nd minute with a true spark of class.

Awarded a free kick 20 yards out, Craig Maskell placed the ball on a

flat piece of ground, declined the referee's offer to move the defenders back and sent the ball wide of Enfield's goalkeeper Jerome John while the Enfield defenders were still waiting for the referee to move them back.

Very cheeky.

Hampton went 3-1 ahead in the 58th minute following an excellent interchange of passes between Maskell and Leroy Griffiths.

The final ball from Maskell gave Griffiths the opportunity to roll the ball under the keeper from six yards out.

Five minutes later and Enfield had pulled a goal back when they were awarded a penalty for a foul challenge, Danny Jones scored from the spot. Enfield tried to get the equaliser to salvage something from the game but it was Warren Williams for the Beavers who almost scored a fourth late on.

The season ended with Hampton's winning three of their last four games and looking forward to their third successive season at this level.