Goals galore as the Velocity Trophy kicks off in style!

By Ian Townsend

Five for Bowers, Casuals and Hornets- and two nine goal penalty shootouts in our League Cup competition. Here's our Round Up!

The Velocity Trophy will have new finalists this season, both holders and runners-up Billericay Town and Metropolitan Police being no longer with us, and the competition kicked off on Monday night with Aveley defeating Hanwell Town 2-0 thanks to a Tom Richardson double. The bulk of this week’s ties, in the Preliminary Round and Round One, were last night- and they brought us goals galore!

Last season’s North Division Runners-Up Bowers and Pitsea failed to score in their one and only league match, but made up for it in some style by walloping five past a Waltham Abbey side who scored five of their own at the weekend. Five different players found the back of the Abbotts net- Charlee Hughes and Max Cornhill in the first half, Martin Stokes, David Knight and Ben Sartain after the interval, with the visitors unable to reply.

Also scoring five were Corinthian-Casuals, who went behind to Westfield in the third minute- Brandon Diau with the goal- only for Max Oldham and Daniel Cunningham to fire two each in reply, before Shaun Brown finished things off six minutes from time. Horsham also hit five, at Hanbury Park, home of Haywards Heath Town- goals from Rob O’Toole, Tyrell Richardson-Brown and George Landais giving them a comfortable lead before an own goal reduced the arrears, but although Heath were able to get another goal back through Karl Akehurst the Hornets managed two more, Steve Metcalf and Chris Smith grabbing those to confirm a 5-2 victory. That said, the only prize that Horsham are desperate to receive from Velocity is the completion of their lovely new pitch, with their new ground scheduled to be ready before Christmas.

We had no more five goal hauls, but we did have two matches that saw six goals and then another nine in the penalty shootout! An Adam Cornell hat trick for Bracknell Town in a rip-roaring game against Kingstonian wasn’t enough on its own to give them victory, as an Elliott Buchanan double and Connor Dymond drew the K’s level. But with the scores level at 4-4 in the shootout, up stepped Kane Fitzgerald to fire the winning spot kick. Romford lost for the first time this season, but must be shaking their heads whilst attempting to work out how! Ross Elsom put home side Ware ahead early on in a topsy-turvey match, but Jonathon Nzengo equalised and Taylor Tombides put the away side ahead. Ware weren’t done, and Jordon Watson got an equaliser, but with fifteen minutes to go Nzengo found the net once more and surely that was that- only it wasn’t, Dave Cowley breaching the Boro backline in the very last minute. Ware then completed the turnaround with a 5-4 penalty shootout victory.

Uxbridge travelled to Soham Town Rangers and took the lead through Jabir Laraba in the ninth minute, only for Ally Conway to level midway through the half. Craig Tompkins restored the lead from the spot in the second half, then Laraba once more extended it, Sam Mulready’s last minute attempt proving only a consolation as Uxbridge progressed 3-2. Heybridge Swifts lost for the first time this season, a solitary Thomas Debenham strike the difference at Mildenhall Town, whilst a Sussex derby at the Enclosed Ground ended in a 2-1 win for Whitehawk- Lucas Rodrigues and Ky Marsh-Brown giving them a two goal advantage before a very, very late Dan da Costa effort reduced the arrears to no avail.

Whyteleafe hosted Bedfont Sports at Church Road, and a goal in each half gave them victory. Bradley Wilson and Gus Lukuni found the net.

In Round One, Ashford Town went a goal behind to Hayes & Yeading United in the tenth minute, and that was how the scoreline remained for the next eighty. Hassan Jalloh gave the away side victory. Enfield Town travelled to Canvey Island and another single goal away win was the outcome, Mason Tunbridge with it in the first half, whilst our final match saw an all Premier Division clash as Harlow Town entertained Potters Bar Town. The Scholars remain unbeaten whilst the Hawks still search for their first victory, as despite Charles Edwards putting the home side ahead in the first half two in three second half minutes from Bradley Sach and Ryan Forde sent Bar back to the Pakex happy.

Tonight, FC Romania play their first ever Velocity Trophy match, as they entertain AFC Sudbury.

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Where next?

A grand football match Mackerel Men to host World War 1 football re-enactment for veterans charity
Witham's James Gang to march on Coggeshall But don’t tremble or lock up your valuables, it’s all for charity!

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