Reading YMCA earned a semi-final tie at Slough Heating after a comfortable 5-1 defeat of Wycombe League side Hambleden.

YM started fast and took an early lead when Drew Tipper played in the returning Sam Jennings who fired in at the near post.  The lead was soon doubled when Jennings headed into the path of Naz Edmunds who slammed a volley into the roof of the net.

Hambleden were playing with a lone striker and hardly threatened with almost the entire half played in Hambleden territory.  YM seemed to have made the game safe on the half hour when a drilled Tipper free-kick was back-heeled into the net by Johnny Adey.

At 3-0 up, YM were looking to hammer home a big win in the 2nd half but instead it was Hambleden who took the game to their opponents as they finally showed what they were capable of.  They pulled a goal back within 10 minutes after a goalmouth scramble and should have added another shortly afterwards but the Hambleden midfielder shot wide.  Keeper Chris Rackley was then forced to make a superb save to deny the home side a goal.

Eventually Hambleden ran out of steam and YM put the result beyond doubt when David Givens was released on the right hand side and showed real quality to chip the ball over the keeper and into the top corner.  With Hambleden's morale completely destroyed, YM could have added several more goal in the closing minutes but added just one more, and the goal of the game, when a pinpoint cross from Givens was chested down by Edmunds onto his thigh before smacking a powerful volley into the net.

READING YMCA: RACKLEY, LEE, M LEMM, MCGIVERN, C LEMM, EDMUNDS, ALLEN, A TIPPER, JENNINGS, KASONDE, ADEY. SUB: EDWARDS-HOLMES, GIVENS, FROUD

LEMMY'S MOM: NAZ EDMUNDS

Steve Daly put on a wing masterclass to guide YM Rapids to a comfortable 3-1 win over Berks County Sports Res. YM were lucky to get the game on due to the Pangbourne pitch being a total mud bath but there was just enough grass to be able to play and the Rapids took full advantage to move up to 4th. Boss Tim Sidwell welcomed youngster Hayden Brown in to defence, with Dan Sutton returning up top.

Unsurprisingly the game started off with both teams going at each other in extremely difficult conditions, but with both teams trying to play football is was a thoroughly entertaining encounter. Steve Daly opened up his box of tricks after 20 minutes and ghosted through the mud and Berks CS defence to fire a shot that the sports keeper could only spill back to the tricky winger, and he clamly slotted home to make it 1-0. YM were pouring forward at every opportunity with Chris Leach enjoying a fine game at right back overlapping Daly every few attacks. On the YM left Steve Woodrow was rolling back the years to deliver some outstanding crosses that just eluded Ilsley and Sutton. On 30 minutes YM committed men forward for a corner and paid the price with sports hitting YM with a classic counter attack and excellent finish to level the scores. Special mention has to go to Chris Leach who gave the ball away on the half way line and chased the sports player back to put in the tackle of the season which was a clear case of 'win the ball or get a red card'. It was an unlikely source however that restored YM's lead on 35 minutes. Daly was once again involved waltzing past 2 sports players and squaring for Sidwell who rolled the ball back to Darren Cornell to lash home a 25 yarder with his left foot low to the keepers left. Hayden brown was enjoying a fine debut at the back making some crucial tackles as Ym went in 2-1 to the good.

The second period was dominated by YM who tried to close the game out from the off. Daly and Leach were maurading down the right creating havoc everytime they went forward and it was the latter who grabbed his first Rapids goal for what seems decades when he lashed home a shot after overlapping Daly once again. Leach powered in to the box and slammed the ball home from a tight angle to give YM breathing space and net his first goal in just over 8000 appearances for the young men. the rest of the half was all YM with Brown, Leach, Ilsley and Evans restricting sports to a handful of opportunities that James Phillips dealt with, to which the YM back 4 have become accustomed. YM huffed and puffed for the remainder of the game with heavy legs and poor finishing but overall it was a good performance in difficult conditions.

Rapids Boss Sidwell squelched 'I thought we played really well today considering how boggy it was. Both teams tried to play football and the game was played in great spirit - one of the more enjoyable weeks in local football. Special mention to Hayden Brown who had a fantastic game at centre half and would have been MOM were it not for the wonder show Daly put on today. On his day I dont know a full back that can deal with him'

YM RAPIDS: PHILLIPS, LEACH, M ILSLEY, BROWN, EVANS, WOODROW, SIDWELL, CORNELL, DALY, A ILSLEY, SUTTON. SUBS: NANGLA (Replaced Sutton 60)

SIDDERS MOM: STEVE DALY