Rovers do a league cups double for the fourth time in 20 years

Hemel Hempstead Rovers beat The Engineer Harpenden 2-0 on Tuesday night to win the West Herts Senior Cup at Hemel Town’s Vauxhall Road ground.
West Herts Senior Cup winners Hemel Hempstead Rovers with the Peace Shield at Vauxhall Road on Tuesday night after beating The Engineer Harpenden 2-0 in the final.West Herts Senior Cup winners Hemel Hempstead Rovers with the Peace Shield at Vauxhall Road on Tuesday night after beating The Engineer Harpenden 2-0 in the final.
West Herts Senior Cup winners Hemel Hempstead Rovers with the Peace Shield at Vauxhall Road on Tuesday night after beating The Engineer Harpenden 2-0 in the final.

It was a fitting end to a successful season for Rovers, who finished as runners-up in the West Herts Premier Division and won both of the West Herts league cups in the same term for the fourth time in the last 20 years.

Rovers started in quick fashion on Tuesday to try to unsettle the Engineer’s defence and controlled the game for the first 20 minutes.

Fit-again winger John Edey created numerous problems for Engineer’s back-line and it came as no surprise on 10 minutes when a superb through-ball from full-back Dan Perry found Charlie Rance to neatly chip the Harpenden keeper from 12 yards to put Rovers 1-0 ahead.

Later on Edey sustained another injury which resulted in him being substituted and with it some of the sharpness to the Rovers’ attack.

Engineer tried to get back into the tie but found Rovers’ keeper Callum Woods in fine form.

After half-time the pattern continued with Engineer working hard but lacking a cutting edge up front.

Rovers were still creating the better chances and although Engineer defended well, eventually the second goal arrived thanks to Marcus Tower. He received the ball 25 yards out and after a quick change of pace, outran a defender before driving a low strike into the bottom right corner.

Two well-taken goals were enough for Rovers to lift the Watford Peace Hospital Memorial Charity Shield, while Rovers’ full-back Perry won the man of the match award.

In other results in the West Herts leagues on Saturday, Croxley Community drew 2-2 at home with Tring Athletic A and hosts Glenn Sports beat Kings Sports 7-3 in the Premier League.

In West Herts Division One, Croxley Community Reserves defeated Global AFC 4-0 at home, Hunton Bridge were 3-2 home victors over Tring Town AFC and Oxhey A lost 7-1 to visitors Harpenden Rovers Reserves.

Tomorrow night (Thursday) sees the final of the St Mary’s Challenge Cup between Oxhey Jets and Berkhamsted FC at Hemel Hempstead Town’s Vauxhall Road ground(7.45pm).