2013-14 UCL REVIEW

Sileby put aside poor league form to go through 2-1 at Codicote with goals from Luis McCoy and Lewis Entwistle, while Danny Wright and Jack Burrows saw Harborough to a 2-0 victory at Barrow Town. A Michael Byrne hat trick took Desborough through 3-0 against Teversal while AFC Rushden & Diamonds blitzed Hoddesdon 5-1 with two goals apiece for Russ Dunkley and Fazel Koriya and one from Alex Deakin. The first batch of exempted clubs joined the competition in the First Round, but it was an immediate exit for two. Woodford, struggling at the foot of Division One, were predictably well beaten by AFC Rushden & Diamonds, who ran in six unopposed goals at Byfield Road, Russ Dunkley, Nathan Liburd, Alfie Taylor, Matt Gearing and two goal Fazel Koriya all featuring on the scoresheet. League champions Holbeach crashed 5-1 at Blaby & Whetstone but Huntingdon did progress, beating Thetford 3-0 at Jubilee Park with Niks Savalnieks, Declan Rogers and Jamie Graham the marksmen. Two Michael Byrne goals and one from Mark Forbes gave Desborough a 3-1 verdict at Hucknall, while Oadby stunned higher grade hosts Retford 1-0, Courtney Meade’s goal taking the Poachers through. Eynesbury also saw off step 4 opposition, goals from Tom Coles, Jack Weeden and Steve Smith securing a 3-1 victory at Diss. Harrowby’s run ended at Graham St Prims while Boston Town made their exit at Long Eaton and there were home defeats for Stewarts & Lloyds against Loughborough University, Harborough against Cleethorpes and Sileby in extra time against AFC Mansfield. The Second Round brought two more exempt sides into the fray. Wisbech avenged a defeat at Gornal the previous season with a dramatic 6-3 extra time success on their return visit. Tom James scored three, Danny White two and Callum Reed one in the Fenmen’s success. Spalding breezed past hosts Walsall Wood 3-0 with Danny Hussey, Andy Tidswell and Mark Jones on target, but the late introduction of substitute Garfield Robinson, suspended with a previous club under another name, would end the Tulips’ Wembley dreams. Ten man AFC Rushden & Diamonds went through 4-2 at AFC Wulfrunians with an Alfie Taylor double and singles from Russ Dunkley and Arron Parkinson. Huntingdon needed a replay to get the better of AFC Mansfield, Ben Seymour-Shove the matchwinner in a 1-0 Jubilee Park success. It was the end of the line for lower grade duo Oadby and Eynesbury, beaten 3-0 at Alvechurch and 1-0 at Tring respectively. Desborough also made their exit, 3-0 at Blaby & Whetstone. Round Three brought Huntingdon’s best Vase run to an end with a 2-1 reverse at Congleton but Diamonds defeated Graham St Prims 2-0 at the Dog & Duck with goals from Matt Gearing and Deven Ellwood at the end of each half. Wisbech inflicted a second defeat by UCL opposition on Walsall Wood, a late Tom James goal giving the Fenmen a single goal verdict. Round Four brought a couple of surprise results. Diamonds froze on the day against lower grade St Andrews at the Dog & Duck, and paid the price with a 2-0 defeat in front of 948 fans. Wisbech travelled to Ashington, Diamonds’ conquerors the previous season. Two Tom James goals, the second a spot kick, gave Wisbech a famous 2-1 success. In Round Five the Fenmen again travelled as underdogs, but again emerged victorious with the scalp of Thurlow Nunn tabletoppers Hadleigh under their belts. The returning Jon Fairweather made an instant impact with the first Fenmen goal and James won it with another late penalty. The draw for the quarter finals saw Wisbech handed a fifth away draw in a row, and this time round they left the Wembley trail, beaten 1-0 by a Sholing side which went on to win the competition. Callum Reed was twice denied by the woodwork as luck deserted the Fenmen on the day.

Fifteen member clubs shared prize money of £29,400 from their successes in the competition, with Wisbech’s four away wins earning them £7,200. AFC Rushden & Diamonds collected £3,600 and Huntingdon £2,100.

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