Sunday 26 September 2010

Willenhall Town

Another of my favourite cup competitions gets underway today with the Preliminary Round of the FA Sunday Cup. The venue is Noose Lane, long time home of Willenhall Town, although financial difficulties mean they are now tenants to Sporting Khalsa, with all signage at the ground in the name of the new owners, and even the goal nets and corner flags are in the yellow and blue Sporting Khalsa colours.


Festival Sunday League side Hundred Acre are today's home team, entering this competition for the first time in a number of years after returning to their league's Premier Division and securing a third place finish last season.


The visitors, Plough Barflys from the Nottinghamshire Sunday League, are making their competition debut, but they too achieved a third place finish in their league's top flight last season, and it is a league with recent pedigree in the FA Sunday Cup, with Scots Grey lifting the trophy in 2009.


Hundred Acre almost make a flying start, with chances in the first couple of minutes, but the visitors weather the storm, and hit back to take a 12th minute lead, David Marlow heading an Aaron Potter cross back across the goal and in off the post.


Hundred Acre respond quickly, their assistant manager and former Scotland international and Birmingham City striker, Paul Devlin providing the cross for Nathan Gough to head in a 21st minute equaliser, and just four minutes into the second half they take the lead, Justin Jackson doing well to control and finish from an awkwardly bouncing ball after a Rob Rencher corner is only half cleared.


From that point on the game is all about Plough Barflys chasing an equaliser, with Barry Payne seeing a shot blocked on the line by Michael Murray, and Corey Nightingale putting a good chance over the bar after keeper David Rimmer had been at full stretch to deal with David Marlow's cross. However, when Charlie Niblett's header hits the bar with just three minutes to go, it is clear it is not going to be their day, and Hundred Acre hold on for a 2-1 victory to see them through to the next round.