2023-24 Eric Hand Challenge Cup Final

The leagues oldest trophy has new winners after Cassiobury Rangers defeated North Watford 6-5 on penalties after a thrilling ninety minutes which saw the team’s level after a 2-2 draw.

Rangers bounced back from their disappointment of defeat in the Chairman’s cup final seven days before to take the trophy but they where taken all the way by the new County Cup winners and league champions for a fourth straight season North Watford.

Corey Botten was Rangers star player as he produced a man of the match performance, he was one of two changes from their starting eleven the previous week, having been unavailable the previous week, he and Guy Hamilton replaced Jayden Chamberlain and Taylor Osunsedo who both dropped to the bench. For North Watford it was a much changed starting eleven for their county cup triumph, with just seven players starting players retained.

It was Rangers who started fastest and they went ahead after seven minutes when Corey Botten raced through the North Watford defence from the right-hand side and slid the ball under the advancing David Brown just inside the far post. Four minutes later Botten almost doubled the lead when a curled free-kick was tipped away superbly by David Brown. North Watford then started to impose themselves on the game with Mohammed Ali Khan and Gurkan Gokman causing the Rangers defence plenty of problems, and after thirty one minutes Gokman was brought down just inside the area for a penalty, he opted to take the kick himself, but could only fire the ball high over the bar, but after a period of heavy North Watford pressure then drew level three minutes before the break after they where awarded a second spot kick. The spot taker was changed this time with Ashley Lewis taking the responsibility and he made no mistake to take the teams level in at the break.

North Watford then had a dream start to the second half, when just thirty seconds into the half, centre back Daryl Brown from just inside his own half, caught Rangers keeper Zak Green off his line, as his long range lobbed effort dropped into the net. Four minutes later Sam Afelobi almost doubled North Watford’s advantage but his low shot from the edge of the area, came back of the left-hand post and bounced away to safety. Twelve minutes into the second half, Rangers drew level after Nathan Page broke down the left and pulled back from the by-line low to the near post for Myles Shahidi to score from close range. Rangers had the better of the exchanges for the remainder of the half, although North Watford also had their chances to win it as well the two teams couldn’t be separated after ninety minutes and so the first time in the leagues history the final went straight to a penalty shoot-out rather than extra-time being played first.

The penalties from both sides where all expertly taken with the first ten kicks all finding the net which was enough to take the shoot-out into sudden death. Rangers Aidan Lesslie scored the first of the penalties in sudden death, it was then down to North Watford’s Sam Afelobi who failed to score by firing his kick over the bar, and that was enough for Rangers to take the Trophy.

Cassiobury Rangers: Green, Callanan, McDougall (Shahidi 90+4), Botten, Craggs, Burch, Shahidi (Lesslie 71), Mortimer, Henley (Osunsedo 61), Hamilton, Page. Not Used: Chamberlain, R. Ladmore, M. Ladmore.

North Watford: Dav.Brown, A. Enajar, Speer, Afelobi, Mullane, Dar.Brown, Khan, Gladdy, Y. Enajar, Lewis, Gokman Not Used: Ahmed, Fowlie, Stalboushin, Alexander

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Division One

Champions Forza Watford ended the season with a 3-1 win over St Josephs Reserves.  The scores where level at half-time, after Mitchell Tearle equalised with a back-post header for Joes Reserves. Forza’s goals came from Giuseppe Delgaudio with a brace and one from Braden Pope.

Division Two

Hertfordshire Athletic gained the required three points to take the title, although it would have a 21-0 defeat for them to lose it. They made to fight for the three points though by Watford Youth Sports 2nd before running out 4-3 winners.

Sports who themselves have finished the season in an impressive third place held a 2-1 lead at the break, Matt Ingram scoring the Athletic goal with the Sports goals coming from Deion Lowe and Oliver Frost, either side of it. In the second half, Chris Frater slipping Josh Greengrow in who slotted past the keeper to level the game, and they then took the lead five minutes later with an almost identical goal, this time Ed rogers slipping in Jack Mclaughlin to slot home. Tom West then found Daniel Linfield who controlled the ball before firing past the keeper for his first goal of the season. Sports pulled back a goal late on through Gabriel Wright.