The line up of the semi-finals of the CML Cup, the knock-out cup competition for the Sunday League teams, was finalised at the weekend after the second leg games of the first round.
Triple Crown Wanderers held a 3-1 lead going into their return match against MC Devils at the TE McField Annex in George Town. Ben Silveira had Wanderers best chance in the first half but stumbled at the last moment. Ricoh Brown fired a sizzling shot for Wanderers in the second half. Devils now had a mountain to climb to rescue the tie and Fran Donoghue did his best with an audacious shot from 40 yards but it went wide and Wanderers won 4-1 on aggregate.
Harry’s FC had a 2-1 first leg lead over the CML Claymores and that was increased by Dan Stuber. CML soon after got a penalty when McIntosh was upended and veteran goal scorer Alan Johnson coolly stroked home.
After the interval Harry’s retook the lead when Floyd ‘Irons’ McKenzie’s persistence paid off when his third attempt at goal reached home for his 21st of the season. In the last minute of the game CML’s Rob Crocket showed extreme bravery by putting his head where some players wouldn’t put their boot. Crockets headache must have been eased slightly by the sight of the ball nestling in the goal which made the tie 2-2 but Harry’s went on to the next round 4-3 on aggregate to face the Wanderers.
Prison went into their tie against Agua FC with a slender 3-2 lead from the first leg – but full credit to Agua who, after a dream start with two goals in the first ten minutes, managed to turn the tie around.
First Luciano De Riso opened the scoring and Davide Casanova followed up to make it 2-0. Prison’s Joseph Wright reduced the deficit just before the break and tied the aggregate scorers at 4-4.
Agua grabbed the initiative after the break when recent signing Michael McLaughlin endeared himself to his team-mates with two strikes to win 6-4 on aggregate.
There was no giant killing cup performance predicted from the Old Boys in their tie against Boca Juniors. Already 4-0 down from their first leg, Boca completed the job with another victory, this time by 3-1. Holding a two goal lead at half-time thanks to a Carlos Welcome brace within the space of five minutes, Boca extended their lead in the second-half when Henry Mitchell fired home. Old Boys did manage to grab a consolation in the last minute when Tommy Gribbin poked home a loose ball.
The two semi-finals, Wanderers versus Harry’s and Boca against Agua, will be played over two legs on 18 March and 15 April, with a place in the 6 May Cup final at stake.
Related Videos
