Cup holders Old Windsor march on as League Cup returns after winter break

Old Windsor FC pictured after winning the league cup. Credit: East Berkshire League

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The East Berkshire League season resumed on Saturday after the Winter Break and there was no Christmas hangover for the higher-league teams which all progressed in the League Cup competition.

Old Windsor F.C have won the League Cup for the past two seasons and this year bid to become the first-ever team to lift the famous silverware for a third consecutive time.

The Os had a potential banana-skin tie at home to a Prospect F.C side that is bidding for promotion from Division One this season, and the lower-league team were only a goal behind at the break. Joseph Allen broke the deadlock with his 13th goal of the campaign.

Old Windsor will no doubt be keen to retain the silverware this year and write themselves into the history books by doing so, and they went through the gears in the second half to put the tie to bed.

Sam George doubled the lead four minutes into the second half at the Old Windsor Recreation Ground, before Harry Farnan came off the bench to mark his first appearance of the season with a brace inside the last 20 minutes. Lazarus Akunekwe was another substitute to find a route to goal late on in the second round tie.

The reward for Old Windsor is a mouthwatering tie in the Quarter Finals at home to Langley F.C Reserves, the current clear leaders of the Premier Division.

Substitute, Owen McCarthy, scored twice in the success at Kedermister Park to take his goals tally for the season to 11 in 10 appearances. There were further goals from Ross McGarvie, Troy Whyte and sub, Aarandeep Sandhu.

Mortimer F.C Reserves were beaten 5-0 by Langley F.C Reserves in the Ascot & District Cup competition before the Winter Break, but on this occasion the visitors were able to bag a consolation goal through sub, Joe Milsom.

Britwell F.C won the League Cup as a part of their historic treble-winning season in 2022-23, and The Steamteam rolled into the Quarter Finals this time around with a 5-0 success over Sandhurst Royals.

Daniel Molloy twice struck the back of the net at The Chicken Ranch, with Jack Alder and Cheyenne Cripps both also finding a route to goal.

There was one all-Division One tie in the Second Round of the League Cup on Saturday and Eton Wick made the perfect start to the New Year with a 7-0 romp against Frontline F.C Reserves.

Orren Oliver was the chief destroyer with an impressive four-goal haul whilst Nathan Strachan, Billy Batterby and Mark Payne-Welch also scored in the rout at Haywards Mead.

Britwell will host Eton Wick in the Quarter Finals of the League Cup on Saturday 24 January.

Joao Caboz was the catalyst for the win with a pair of goals, while Kojo Antwi and Yaqoob Ayubi were also on target at Sandhurst Memorial Park: Gryf making it back-to-back away wins in the league.

Goals from Jamie Curling either side of the break were not enough to prevent Sandhurst from slipping to a 12th consecutive defeat in all competitions, a run that started after their win in the reverse fixture with Gryf on the opening weekend of the season.

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Saturday 17th January (2pm kick off unless stated)

Berks & Bucks F.A David Grainge Junior Trophy Fourth Round

F.C Bracknell v Wraysbury Village (1.30pm)

Westwood Wanderers Reserves v Mortimer Reserves

League Cup Second Round

AFC Dukes v Old Windsor A (1.30pm)

Ascot & District (Fielden) Cup Second Round

Datchet v Old Windsor Reserves (1.30pm)

Old Windsor v Britwell (1.30pm)

Premier Division

Frontline v Prestwood

Sandhurst Royals v FC Baylis United

Division One

Bracknell Aces v FC Cayman

Eton Wick v Frontline Reserves

Prospect v Sandhurst Rovers