Slimbridge to head to Shortwood and Tuffley to host Hallen in GFA Trophy Quarter Finals
The Quarter Finals of the Gloucestershire FA Challenge Trophy are all set after the exploits from Round Two, with Shortwood United vs Slimbridge the stand-out tie.
Luca Kapadia scored four as Slimbridge ran out 5-1 winners against Longlevens, in our featured game, on Tuesday night.
Kapadia scored two carbon copy goals in the opening twenty minutes, sweeping home left footed after being picked out with cutbacks from the left hand side of the box.
Both sides had made changes to the line-ups that faced off in the league just four days prior, but Longlevens in particular, had made wholesale changes after two crucial Hellenic Premier matches in the next week.
Cam Williams was replaced just after the half an hour mark as a precaution, and two goals in three minutes before half time killed the game as a contest.
Kapadia chased onto a ball forward and clinically dispatched past a hesitant Harvey Moroney to secure his hattrick, before Josiah McKayle got the ball out of his feet inside the area and drilled into the bottom corner to stretch the Swans’ lead at the interval.
Longlevens would pull one back after the break though, with wing back Sam Kelly produced a replica of his goal at Slimbridge on Friday – catching out Gav Jones with exactly the same cross that he produced that night.
But Kapadia would go on to have the final say in the end, capitalising on Moroney and Longlevens trying to play out from the back.
Slimbridge will head to Meadowbank to play Shortwood United after Wood’s Wednesday night’s win against Hartpury University.
Goals from Dan Gayner, Elliot Martin, Jack Gardiner and Keegan Bowes saw Marcus Foxwell’s side run out 4-1 winners.
This week also saw Hallen book their place in the Quarter Finals, beating Shirehampton 2-0 on Tuesday night thanks to a brace from Cory Thomas-Barker.
They will head to Tuffley Rovers, who also secured their spot with a 2-0 win, with late goals from Hubert Zatorski and Gino Valenti enough to see of Cheltenham Saracens last midweek.
Goals from Leighton Blacker, Oli Bradbury and Patrick Otoo-Mensah helped Fairford Town set up a trip to Longwell Green Sports, after winning 3-1 at Newent Town last Tuesday night.
AEK Boco will play host to reigning Gloucestershire County League winners, Avonmouth, in the fourth Quarter Final after their wins against Oldland Abbotonians and Chipping Sodbury Town, respectively, back in November.
The ties will be played in the New Year, with the games yet to be added into the calendars.
The GFA Challenge Trophy Quarter Final Draw (dates and times TBC)
Longwell Green Sports vs Fairford Town
Tuffley Rovers vs Hallen
Shortwood United vs Slimbridge
AEK Boco vs Avonmouth
READ MORE: Check out this Sunday’s Women’s fixtures in and around Gloucestershire right here
