On a wet and windy day, Long Crendon advanced to the fourth round of the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup with a comfortable 6-1 victory over Wingrave of the Aylesbury & District League.
Harry Pettingell returned to the starting line-up in the only change from the win over Chinnor.
Crendon got off to the perfect start as they scored with less than a minute on the clock when a swift move saw the ball fed to James Hawkes and he hit a trademark drilled effort past the motionless Wingrave keeper. Conditions then worsened and Crendon had a shaky ten minute spell where they gave the ball away a few times in their own half, however George Collingwood in the Crendon goal was never really troubled. Midway through the first half, Harry Pettingell was slotted through and he finished in composed fashion to double the lead.
Half-time: 0-2
The wind subsided a bit after the interval and Crendon took complete control of the game. In truth it was the Archie Pettingell show as he completed a 20 minute hat-trick, bringing his personal tally to five goals in the last two games. First he slid home to make it 3-0 from brother Harry’s cross, before he made it four with a calm finish. He then completed his treble with the sixth goal, blasting home after Wingrave were unable to clear their lines effectively. In between came probably the two goals of the game – for Crendon, Eliot Farley produced some dancing feet and a clinical finish after great work from Oli Lethbridge, who led the line unselfishly all afternoon. At the other end Wingrave got their consolation when Taylor Brown, who’d been a handful throughout, scooted clear and chipped Collingwood.
All in all though a more than satisfactory performance and a second successive six goal haul to put Crendon into the hat for the next round.
Full-time: 1-6
Next up this Saturday is a trip to Chalvey Sports as the side returns to league action looking to keep up their flying start to the season.
Team: Collingwood, B Sykes (Hardy), Bonwick (Russell), T Lethbridge, A Farley (c), Brownsword, E Farley, H Pettingell (T Sykes), Hawkes, A Pettingell, O Lethbridge.