BAKER’S RECIPE REAPS REWARD
BELPER United will play at Step 5 for the first time in their 101-year history after beating hosts Hinckley 1-0 in the Division One play-off.
In front of a crowd of 811, Richard Hanshaw headed the all-important goal from a corner from Ryan Baker in the 49th minute of an extremely tight game.
After their play-off semi-final loss at Hinckley last week, Hucknall Town boss Andy Graves has stunned player and officials alike by handing in his resignation.
His departure comes as the Yellows prepare to move in September to a new ground at Aerial Way.. His assistant Paul Stevenson has also left.
Graves took over in 2013 when the club, once in Conference North, was in financial trouble.
The club thanked the pair “for their commitment and dedication to Hucknall Town” and “wished them all the very best for the future.”
Premier South Lutterworth Town have appointed former Kirkby Muxloe boss Will Andrew as their new manager.
Andrew replaces Josh Dixon, who stepped down at the end of the season after eight years and winning three promotions.
Dixon has stepped down one level to take over the reins at Division One Aylestone Park.
Andrew’s backroom team may include goalkeeper Warren Butlin as coach.
COMBINED COUNTIES
■ WALTON & Hersham won the Cherry Red records Premier Challenge Cup after beating Southall 2-1.
Harry Mills gave the Swans the lead in the 26th minute when he netted from a 20-yard free kick.
Carl Pearce levelled three minutes after the break, but Mills restored the lead with a 55th-minute penalty which was awarded after he had been fouled.
London Lions won the Esoteric Recordings Division One Challenge Cup semi final 5-4 on penalties after drawing 1-1 with visitors Sandhurst Town. The Lions had been given a walkover into the semi-final after Bedfont & Feltham withdrew.
Fleet Town are through to the final of the Southern Combination Challenge Cup following their 2-1 win on penalties at Reading City after a 1-1 draw.
Ascot United lost their Berks & Bucks Senior Cup final to Reading Under 23s 4-0. Nahum Melvin-Lambert scored twice and Ajani Giscombe and Imari Samuels once each, as the young Royals won the cup for the first time since 1995.
Elsewhere, Pete Ruggles has taken over as manager of Guildford City after seven years in charge Sheerwater.
Ruggles lifted Sheerwater from the bottom of Division One to the top half of the Premier Division, winning the championship and promotion along the way.
ROBIN JONES
HELLENIC LEAGUE
■ GIANT killers Pershore Town completed the treble when the beat Malvern Town 1-0 in the Smedley Crooke Memorial Cup Final at Redditch United’s Trico Stadium.
In their ninth victory over higher level opposition this season, Division One Pershore won with Jordan Jones’ firsthalf header.
Premier outfit Malvern had not played since April 15, while Pershore had already won two cups this season.
On Monday, Pershore beat Premier side Roman Glass St George 5-2 to lift the Bluefin Sports Supplementary Cup in the final at Bishops Cleeve.
Pershore went 3-0 ahead with strikes from Jones and Sean Cooke and a James Baldwin penalty. Roman Glass pulled it back to 3-2 with goals by Liam Harding and Louis Ward before Jones and Roland Krol made sure.
In the final of the Bluefin Sports Challenge Cup, at Bishops Cleeve later that day, Premier side Cribbs beat Division One Hereford Pegasus 1-0 thanks to a third-minute George Kellow goal.
James Reid has been promoted from assistant manager at Fairford Town to take over the reins of the Premier outfit.
Ex-boss Jody Bevan has become their first-ever director of football, with overall responsibility all the club’s sides. Reid will be assisted by reserve team boss Sam Farr and Lee Randall.
ROBIN JONES
NORTHERN LEAGUE
■ WITH CARLISLE CITY promoted as second division champions the focus fell on the play-off final to see who would join the Cumbrians in the top flight.
Heaton Stannington hosted the final in front of a record crowd of 1,091 at Grounsell Park, and made home advantage count. But they needed stoppage-time to do it.
They hadooked their place in the final after a 2-0 win over Easington Colliery, while Tow Law Town had triumphed at Boldon CA by the same score in the other semi-final.
Tow Law led at the break with a 16th-minute penalty. Boldon keeper Dan Regan got a hand on Tommy McAloon’s spot kick but couldn’t keep it out.
Stannington levelled just before the hour when Dan Stephenson slotted the ball past Lawyers keeper Lewis Graham.
There was then late heartbreak for Tow Law when The Stan scored a dramatic 94th-minute winner, captain Ryan Bailey, brother of Gateshead midfielder Owen, finding the net to spark joyous scenes at the Newcastle club. The win puts Heaton Stannington into the first division of the Northern League for the first time.
The Ernest Armstrong Memorial Cup final between Newcastle University and Ryton & Crawcrook Albion at Birtley Town on Friday will bring the curtain down on the 2021/22 Northern League campaign.
JEFF BOWRON
SOUTHERN COUNTIES EAST
■ SHEPPEY UNITED completed a remarkable quadruple as they lifted the League Challenge Cup on Monday, beating Crowborough Athletic 5-2 in the Final at Chatham’s Bauvill Stadium.
Skipper Billy Bennett put them ahead on 39 minutes. Dean Grant doubled the advantage two minutes after the break.
And Grant grabbed his second midway through the second half, before Lucas Murrain pulled one back for the Crows in the 73rd minute.
Jefferson Aibangbee restored the three-goal advantage two minutes later. Murrain made it 4-2 in the 85th minute.
The outstanding form of striker Warren Mfula has been vital for Sheppey in the run in, so it was appropriate that he completed the scoring in the last minute.
After manager Harry Hudson’s departure in March, Glebe still secured a best finish of third place and have appointed Luke Rooney as their new boss.
PAUL CARTER
SOUTHERN COMBINATION
■ MIDHURST & EASEBOURNE earned promotion to step five next season after securing a 1-0 home win against Shoreham in their Division One play-off final on Saturday.
Marcus Bedford was the match-winner for the home side as his goal with 15 minutes left proved to be decisive.
It was a game of few chances and after Midhurst took the lead Shoreham were ultimately unable to find an equaliser in the dying minutes.
Midhurst will feel their promotion to step five is fully deserved after they finished the Division One season as runners-up, five points behind champions Roffey.
The two sides met in the final after Midhurst had edged their way past
Epsom & Ewell in a semi-final last weekend and Shoreham had done the same with a 2-0 away success over Seaford Town.
RORY HAYWARD
WESSEX LEAGUE
■
BROCKENHURST won the Russell Cotes Cup following a dramatic final at Grigg Lane on Tuesday night. The game finished 4-4, with the Badgers lifting the trophy 5-4 on penalties.
Silvano Obeng and Mitchell Speechley-Price put Brock 2-0 up on 27 minutes but Hamble Club’s James Nagle scored on 37 minutes and James Ovington equalised a minute later.
Obeng put the Badgers’ ahead midway through the second-half and Kieran O’Donnell made if 4-2 on 71 minutes.
However, Kelvin Robinson reduced the deficit with five minutes remaining. And Charlie Wagstaff salvaged an equaliser, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, only for Brockenhurst to win the shoot-out.
On Thursday night, Alresford Town were also trophy winners and they beat higher division opposition, Basingstoke Town, 1-0 in the final of the North Hants Senior Cup at Whitchurch United.
DAVID LAWRENCE
MIDLAND LEAGUE
■DARLASTON Town needed a 96th minute strike from sub Kieron Miller to secured their place in the Premier Division with a 2-1 win over Stapenhill.
Jake Pearson gave them the lead in the 68th minute. But George Teeney’s close range effort on 86 minutes looked likely to force extra-time.
However, Teeney received a second yellow card for his celebrations, before Miller’s decisive intervention.
Darlaston boss Dean Gill dedicated “everything” to striker Leon Taylor who died last November after being taken ill at a game.
He said: “I had lads out there today who were with him when he was ill. So to win today is extra special.
“I thought the win was well deserved on the day and also because of the way we have played all season
“I was delighted for Kieron. His strike today was worthy of winning any game.”
ANDY MITCHELL
NORTH WEST COUNTIES ■
CHARNOCK RICHARD booked their place in the Macron Cup final, two goals from Nathan Nickeas seeing off visitors Skelmersdale United.
Skem made a dream start when Mike Howard handed them a first-minute lead from close-range and they held on until midway through the second half.
Then on 65 minutes, a powerful header from Ash Young sent Nickeas through on goal and he made no mistake.
The winner came nine minutes from time, Nickeas scoring on the break, before a late Kenny Strickland effort thumped the Charnock bar.
They will play Isle of Man who beat
Holker Old Boys 2-1 last night.
Cammell Laird 1907 reached the Division One Cup on penalties after a 2-2 draw with visitors Ilkley Town.
Nathan Hunt bagged a brace for the Yorkshire side with Kieran Hamm and Ryan Smith on target for the Camels.
DAVID LAWRENCE
WESTERN LEAGUE
■
WELTON ROVERS are heading to the Premier Division after a battling 1-0 win at Warminster Town in their Division One play-off final.
Joe Garland’s second-half goal separated the sides at the end of what had been a tense tussle of few real chances.
The Greens made one change from their midweek semi-final defeat of Wincanton Town with Lewis Hunt coming back into the side following suspension.
And the visitors had the better of the limited first half chances with Courtney Charles and Cam Allen going close.
Toby Cole had a glorious chance to break the deadlock early in the second half when he was sent in on goal only for Warminster keeper Sam Thomson to deny him with a brilliant double save.
In the end it took a set-piece to decide the tie, Lewis Russell’s free-kick finding Garland who powered his shot into the bottom right-hand corner.
DAVID LAWRENCE
SOUTH WEST PENINSULA
■ PREMIER EAST champions Torpoint Athletic completed the double with a 3-1 win over St Blazey in the final of the Walter C Parson League Cup.
Skipper John Heveran hit two and Ryan Richards one. Ollie Brokenshire pulled one back from the penalty spot.
Long-time leaders Okehampton Argyle ended their debut season by with a 1-0 win at Honiton Town on Monday, their 30th league of the season. Luke Mortimore was on target. Argyle finished third behind Brixham.
Sidmouth Town finished second bottom with a 3-1 win at Torridgeside.
Liskeard Athletic left it until the last Premier West fixture of the season to claim runners-up spot with a 4-1 local derby win at Dobwalls.
James Lorenz bagged a brace before two penalties, by Nick Aplin and keeper Luke Gwilliam, made sure.
ROBIN JONES