Watford Sunday League

FOUR first-half goals from Steve Stratford set Watford & District SFL up for a 5-3 victory over a useful North London & South Herts side at Tesco County Club, Cheshunt on Sunday morning (January 20).

A lively start to the game saw the WSL side, beset by late withdrawals, take the lead with a superb header from Stratford that arrowed into the top corner after a inch-perfect cross from Matt Bowen.

An equaliser soon followed from the Cheshunt captain, but WSL regained the lead minutes later with a replica of the first goal only for Cheshunt to level things up again with only 16 minutes played.

Stratford, the Hammer and Bovingdon centre forward, completed a sensational opening to the match when he claimed his hat-trick after unselfish play from James Keen.

Watford and Stratford's fourth soon followed to give Terry Hows' side a 4-2 half-time lead and Stratford his seventh goal in his last two outings for the rep side.

Some sloppy defending gifted Cheshunt their third goal, five minutes after the break, before Keen saw an instinctive volley crash against the bar.

Watford finally killed an entertaining game off in the last minute of the game with the goal of the game. Bowen received the ball in the far-right corner surrounded by two Cheshunt defenders. With seemingly nowhere to go he managed to trick his way between two defenders and drive into the box, before taking everyone by surprise, hitting an unstoppable shot across the face of the goal into the top corner.

Rickmansworth Town, from Division Three, continued their recent run of cup success by edging past Premier Division outfit Beaver Sports by one goal to nil in the fourth round of the Turner Trophies Challenge Cup.

A brace form in the in-form Mick Whearle went unrewarded as Watford Labour came from behind twice to defeat Watford Irish 3-2.

In Division One, Mill End Rangers ended Watford Wanderers unbeaten record with a 4-2 victory in what was their best performance of the season.

Meanwhile, a goal from Steve Oliver was enough to give Red Lion Bushey all three points in a tight match against Mill End United and Glenn Sports twice came from behind to defeat Watford Town 3-2 and leapfrog their opponents in the table.

Has Ocusta captain Lee Fitzgerald set a new Watford Sunday League record for

the most penalties conceded in a season? That was the question his team mates were asking as he gave away his sixth penalty of the campaign in Ocusta's 5 -1 victory over Old Parmiterian's.

In Division Two, Danny Quarman hit five goals as Hammer Reserves crushed Elsums 6-1, while Old Fullerians maintained the pressure on the teams at the top of the table with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Nascot Wood.

Sun Postal bounced straight back from last week's disappointing cup exit with a 4-0 win over Martin Bakers.

Old Garston Boys ground out a gritty 2-0 win away at Watford Irish Reserves to maintain their healthy position in Division Four.a

After conceding 15 goals the previous day, Red Lion Bushey Reserves keeper Niall

'Steptoe' Johnson feared his back ache from picking the ball out of the net could get worse against Langlebury OB Reserves, but Red Lion showed what they can do when all the team is fully committed to go into a 2-0 lead.

Goals from Glenn Coniam and a rare Jerry Sullivan goal gave Red Lion hope but Langlebury showed their battling qualities to get back to 2-2.