Best is not enough

PULFORD produced their best performance of the season – but it was still not enough to prevent them from crashing out of the Chester & District Junior League Under 16s Cup.

Under-strength Pulford made the best possible start to their quarter-final clash at home to Newton Athletic when Nathan Evans broke free on the left and opened the scoring with a classy finish.

But tiredness caught up with the hosts after the break and Newton ran out 3-1 winners.

Malpas & District sealed a semi-final spot by winning 4-2 on penalties at Waverton.

The last-eight clash had finished 3-3 after extra-time with Charlie Horrocks (2) and Ollie Gibbens on target for ice-cool Malpas.

Despite goals from Stuart Swift and Sam Parsons, and a man-of-the-match performance from Chris Taggart, Park Saints lost 4-2 at home to a Vicars Cross Dynamos side who will be joined in the last four by Princes Villa after their 9-0 home victory over Chester Nomads.

There were Division Two wins for high-flying Newton Athletic Eagles, 5-2 at Westminster Park, Elton Youth (Mason Brandrick; MoM Jordan Gregory), 1-0 at Blacon Youth, and Hope Farm Rangers, 3-2 at Rossway United.

Helsby, Waverton and Groves Athletic booked their places in the Under 15s Cup semi-finals.

Helsby needed penalties to beat visiting JFC Boughton (Ben Gregory, Liam Blake) when the tie ended 2-2 after extra-time.

Waverton were 2-1 winners at Saughall Colts but Upton fell 4-3 at home to Groves.

Quarter-final cruise

CHESTER Nomads stormed into the Under 14s Cup semi-finals with a 6-0 home success over JFC Boughton.

Nomads are joined in the last four by Newton Athletic Youth after their 2-1 triumph at Groves Athletic.

Goals from Jack Evans and Jack Rowlands swept JFC Boughton to a 2-0 win in their Under 13s Cup quarter-final at Blacon Youth.

Joe Layder was the man of the match as Waverton Hornets beat Waverton Bees 1-0 thanks to a scrappy Luke Sawney strike set-up by Jack Watson.

Princes Villa are the third team through to the semi-finals after their 1-0 home victory over Malpas & District.

Waverton Wasps won 6-1 at Groves Athletic in Division Two while MoM Harry Sharp inspired Hoole Hornets (Allessandro Maletta 2, Alex Lee-Colding 2, Sam Wynn-Hughes) to a 5-0 home success over Vicars Cross Dynamos in Division Two.

Unstoppable Blacon

BLACON Youth remain on course for a dream double after they won their Under 12s Cup quarter-final at Chester Nomads Colts 6-1.

Trey Lattie, Kennan Beaumont (2), man-of-the-match Thomas Rose (2) and Lewis Coppack did the damage, with Robert Armatage replying for battling Nomads.

Joining Blacon in the semi-finals are Upton and Ellesmere Port after they won 3-2 at Princes Villa and 3-1 at home to Westminster Park respectively.

Malpas & District (Damon Taylor, MoM Patrick Horrocks) were 2-0 winners at home to Vicars Cross Dynamos in Division One.

Ben Tideswell hit a hat-trick as Elton Youth powered to a 4-0 Under 11s Cup quarter-final victory at Upton.

Sam Coleclough completed the scoring for Elton, for whom Sam Parry was man of the match.

Driven on by MoM Brandon Burrows, Blacon Youth (Jake Tonge 3, Callum Barlow 2, Sam Ward, Harley Bennion, Kieran Ball, OG) won 9-1 at home to JFC Boughton (Jordan Mather).

Completing the semi-final line-up are Vicars Cross Dynamos (Kit Tillotson 2, Joe Cody, Kieran Davies, Jack Weckerle, MoM Wyatt), who were 6-0 winners at Waverton Jets, and Groves Athletic, who edged their way to a 4-2 victory at Princes Villa.

Westminster Park Tigers lost 2-0 at Hope Farm Rangers in Division Two.

Newton march on

NEWTON Athletic showed why they lead the way in Under 9s Cup B with a convincing 9-1 home victory over Vicars Cross Dynamos.

Dan Nixon, Jack Roberts, man-of-the-match Dan Goodchild, Josh Scully and Matt Osborne shared the Newton strikes, with Harry Johnson offering the Vicars Cross consolation.

Other Cup results: Princes Villa 4 Chester Nomads 0, Malpas & District Reds 0 (MoM Nathan Ackerley) Christleton Newscene 3, Saughall Colts 0 (MoM Lewis Wilkinson) Blacon Youth 2 (Joe Thompson 2; MoM Thompson/Bradley Miller).

Shield results: Newton Athletic Eagles 2 (Ben Harris, Ben Jones; MoM James Pickering) Elton Youth 4 (Ryan Spencer, MoM Jamie Douglas, Nick Jackson, Matthew Collins), Malpas & District Blacks 1 (MoM Louis Richardson) Westminster Park Lions 1.