FA Carlsberg National League System Cup
Third Round
Saturday 19 January 2008 & Saturday 26 January 2008
Click here for fixtures

The lure of European football became a little closer for the players and officials of the Amateur Football Combination and Midland Combination following their recent away victories in the Third Round of The FA Carlsberg National League System Cup.

The AFC earned their Semi Final berth following a marathon penalty shoot out victory over the Guernsey Priaulx League, finally winning 10-9 following a 2-2 draw after extra time. 

The match went ahead at the Cycling Track in St Sampson after a week of torrential rain in the Channel Islands and it was the visitors that started the brighter of the two sides with Peter Eguae and Leon Smith both causing problems up front however, their early fire died and the home side ended a goalless half the stronger. 

The second half was a tense affair with both teams pushing forward looking for a goal to break the deadlock.  With eight minutes remaining, the visitors took the lead when Eguae broke into the box and lifted the ball over the head of Pattimore in the home goal. The goal looked to have won the tie but the home side drew level in the second minute of stoppage time when Leighton Chainey powered home a header from a McGrath corner.

The first period of extra time picked up where the match ended with both teams looking for, what they hoped would be, the winning goal and it was the home side that went in front on the stroke of half time when Dave Rihoy broke into the box and skipped past two defenders before slipping the ball past Bryson in the AFC goal. 

The home side then had a glorious chance to seal victory when Dominic Heaume found himself running clear into the box where he latched onto a cross from Rihoy, but to the dismay of the home supporters he blasted a volley wide of the goal.  This miss was to prove costly when three minutes later, the AFC drew level when Eguae scored his second by heading home a flick from Jones following good work down the left by Smith.

So it went to kicks from the penalty mark where there followed 18, almost perfect spot kicks, with both keepers being given little chance to make a name for themselves until Holdsworth dived to his left to push away the Islanders 10th kick, taken by home keeper Pattimore.  Holdsworth then picked himself up and calmly dispatched the winning kick much to the delight of his team mates.

The second tie took place in bright but cold conditions at Wroxham, where the Anglian Combination played hosts to the Midland Combination and it was the visitors that ran out fairly comfortable winners by 4-0.  The home side were clearly not going to be brushed aside though and in the early stages, they picked up three yellow cards for over zealous tackles. The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute when Jermaine Smith was brought down as he turned a defender and the referee awarded a penalty which was converted by Elliot Nash. 

The visitors continued to have the bulk of the play and increased their lead in the 42nd minute when hesitancy in the home penalty area allowed the impressive Darren Coles to steal in and lift the ball over the head of Corston in the home goal.

It was obvious that the next goal would be crucial and so it proved, as the visitors were awarded a second penalty when Smith was brought down by Neil Prior. 

The home side were incensed when referee Simon Essex awarded a spot kick, claiming that the tackle took place well outside the penalty area.  Matters were made worse when Prior’s tackle earner him a second yellow card and he was sent off. Scott Oliver, however, kept his cool to fire home from the spot.  It was at this point that, down to ten men, the home side began to push forward and had their best spell of the match without really threatening Leech in the visitor’s goal. 

However, the game was made safe in the 87th minute when Smith broke clear from the half way line and slotted the ball past Corston to seal a comprehensive victory and book a semi-final tie away to either the Liverpool County Premier League or holders the Isle of Man league (left), who meet Merseyside on Saturday. 

The fourth Quarter Final tie also takes place on Saturday with the Southern Amateur League hosting the Dorset Premier League at Potters Bar Town FC with the winners again having home advantage against the Amateur Football Combination in the semi final.