Hellenic Almonds aim for another last-eight place
ALMONDSBURY embark on another trek into the unknown tomorrow, knowing a golden opportunity to reach another cup quarter-final is up for grabs.
Four days after booking a place in the last eight of the Gloucestershire FA Trophy, Neil Bailey’s inform Division One West charges enter the town of Princes Risborough in Buckinghamshire to take on Risborough Rangers Reserves for a third round Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup tie (3pm).
With potential silverware in the offing for Almondsbury on no fewer than four cup counts, the Field supremo insists he will leave nothing to chance, despite the divisional difference between the sides: Risborough’s second-string are stationed in a mid-table berth a section beneath the Almonds in Hellenic Division Two East. Nevertheless, Bailey said: “We’ll go into it in good form. We beat Newent 7-0 in the league and followed it up with a 5-0 win at Tytherington, perhaps not so unexpected given their difficult situation. And really we should have won by more.
“We then had to face Lebeq United at home in the GFA Trophy on Tuesday night and that presented an entirely different test for us as we knew they possessed some good players and came into the tie top of the County League.
“There was no way we could go into that one complacent off the back of two big wins, but we played really well again and it means we can enter Saturday’s Challenge Cup match in good shape.”
Bailey’s midweek caution was understandable as Lebeq levelled up Ashley Knight’s opener for Almonds to enter the interval in 1-1 deadlock, until Knight added a second to his tally and Alex Bisp hit a killer third goal to send the hosts through to the quarter-finals.
“The county competition is one we really want to win, but this Saturday is important too as it’s the Hellenic League’s main cup tournament,” said Bailey, who can recall new goalkeeper Jamie Merry to his line-up after a spell out.
There are reasons to be cheerful too for Thornbury Town, who tomorrow host lowly North Leigh United , who were crushed 10-1 by Almondsbury last month.
The Mundy Fields fliers have won eight of their nine Division One West games so far, although Thorns boss Andy Davies said: “We really can’t afford to go into it anything other than professionally. We’re third in the table and only three points off the top, so we have to make sure Easington and Chel- tenham Saracens above us don’t get away from us now.”
Thornbury approach Saturday’s contest with belief levels brimming after another splendid week reaped a 2-0 league win over Malmesbury Victoria – veteran Mark Viner scoring with a side-on volley in that one - followed by Tuesday’s 3-1 Perpetua Floodlit Cup second round defeat of Division One East promotion contenders AFC Aldermaston, again on home soil, courtesy of Asher Budd’s brace and Marcus Wormwell’s opener.
Troubled Tytherington host Malmesbury Victoria desperate to ease their relegation worries.
Despite Saturday’s 5-0 mauling by Almondsbury there had been genuine reason for hope at the break as Rocks’ social media platforms pointed out: “It was a great effort, first half, coming in at halftime goalless.”