Paul Cartmell Memorial Trophy 1st Round results

Four of the top five in the league make it through and Nil Satis have a second chance against the holders.

Athletico Phoenix 1 v 2 San Dimas High School
Cheese Makers 3 v 0 Claymore Athletic FC
Markian United 3 v 5 Fred West Landscape Gardening Xi
Mega Buck Bandits 1 v 3 Trusted By Millions
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum 1 v 1 Real Muppets
The Wateringhole Society 2 v 4 The Fabulous Artisans
Wheel Madrid 2 v 1 Aardvark Abacus
YTFIB 0 v 4 The Cow-Faced Juniors

Replay

Real Muppets 3 v 0 Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

It’s probably the done thing to start with the holders so let’s do that. More than 80,000 fans were at Nil Satis Stadium to see this one and they witnessed a goalless first half. Raheem Sterling tapped in at the start of the second period to put Ryan ahead but Paul’s star performer Matt Doherty grabbed the clean that means Nil Satis have a second chance.

Two teams from last year’s bottom-half made it into the last eight. Cheese Makers continued their great start to the season disposing of Claymore 3-0. Diminutive midfielder Ryan Fraser notched a first-half brace for Matthew and Glenn Murray’s injury time penalty snuffed out any hope of a Clive comeback. Wheel Madrid also franked their early season form when they put away the Aardvarks 2-1. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg hit a bullet 10 minutes from the break to send Wheels in ahead and James Maddison, one of the best draftees so far IMO, put away a cool penalty with a couple of minutes left to double the lead. Jamal Lascelles' clean reduced the deficit for Ady but there was no equaliser.

The league leaders made it back to back wins over the Phoenix but it was tighter this time. First half close-range goals from David Silva and Romelu Lukaku (off his belly!) had San Dimas but Marko Arnautovic puled one back to make it a shaky last half hour for my team but I hung on. Trusted also repeated a win from week four but it was more comfortable for Beef against Mega Bucks this week. Dave had taken the lead too through another stunning Wilf Zaha effort but Andre Gray levelled the match before Trusted went ahead in injury time thanks to Erik Lamela squeezing home a shot from an acute angle (does anyone ever score from an obtuse angle?) Conor Coady’s clean made it safe for Beef.

Game of the week was Markian v Fred. Leroy Sane hasn’t had much of a look-in this season but opened the scoring for Fred inside two minutes. Eden Hazard made it 2-0 but a minute later Chris Smalling hooked in to pul one back. A Hazard shot was deflected in to make it 3-1 on 44 minutes but Gylfi Sigurdsson powered home a header in injury time to send the game in to the break with only one goal separating the sides. Danny Ings spot-kick made it 3-3 but Hazard completed his hat-trick from the spot 10 minutes from time to give the Gardeners the lead again and this time there was no Markian comeback and Ryan Bennett’s clean made it 5-3 at the death.

The Artisans won the battle of Goddard Park against the Wateringhole Society. New signing Sol Bamba had Kiran in front on 16 minutes but Ben hit back before the break, Gio Wijnaldum’s header on 39 minutes making the game level. It was 2-1 Artisans when Roberto Firmino reacted quickest to tap in after a ball came back off a post but the lead only lasted seven minutes before Raul Jimenez found the bottom corner from 15 yards. The game was settled by cleans in Ben’s favour. Patrick van Aanholt and Kyle Walker giving their team their first win of the campaign. The CFJs cruised into the quarters at YTFIB. 0-0 at the break Chris and Co’s team went into another gear, Mesut Ozil passing in on 58 minutes and then Willian unleashing a goal of the month contender seven minutes from time. Two cleans made the win look even more comprehensive.

In the replay - the Muppets left it late but their reign as PCMT holders continues after a triple clean sheet win over previously unbeaten Nil Satis.