Bluebells turn on style (From Stroud News and Journal)

Bluebells turn on style

Senior Amateur Cup semi-final King's Stanley 5 Charfield 0 AFTER last week's disappointing result, the Bluebells took a break from their league programme and entertained Charfield in the semi-final of the Senior Amateur County Cup.

Stanley started at pace and the difference between the league status of the two sides was soon evident with the home side always looking the more creative and the visitors struggling to exert any real pressure on the Stanley goal.

Stanley keeper Martyn Pearce was a spectator for most of the first half other than having to react smartly to turn away a fierce shot following some slack defending.

By contrast the young Charfield keeper was having a torrid time at the other end as Stanley piled on the pressure and it came as no great surprise when after 15 minutes Lee Davis opened the scoring as he drifted in to head home a cross from a corner kick.

Five minutes later Jon Whittaker headed home number two following a deep cross from wide on the Stanley right flank by Russell Chamberlain.

Goal number three was not long following and was the best of the game, when Craig Hampson made one of his characteristic surging runs from the halfway line, down the right, before laying the ball off perfectly to Lee Pritchard who rounded the keeper before striking home from 15 yards.

From this point on the game was all over as a contest and in the second half Stanley laid siege to the Charfield goal and only some wild finishing and a couple of fine saves by the young keeper prevented a score into double figures.

As it was the Bluebells did add two more with a very well taken goal by Tim Haddock and with some ten minutes left by substitute Marcus Ashmead, who side-footed in from close range after the keeper was unable to hold onto a fierce shot from Haddock.

This was a good all-round team performance from Stanley who will now meet Broadwell in the final.

Arthur Shipway Cup quarter final Cirencester United 1 King's Stanley 8 THE following day Stanley travelled to meet Hellenic Division One side Cirencester United and demolished them by eight goals to one as they turned on a superb display and gave their opponents a lesson in taking chances.

The Bluebells were 5-0 up at half-time with goals from Russell Chamberlain, Lee Davis, Tim Haddock, Chris Holpin and Jon Whittaker and then added three more in the second period with two from Lee Pritchard an a second for Chamberlain from the penalty spot, to book a place in the semi-final and round off a successful weekend.