Luca to the four as Kidlington advance in the cup

Luca Sykes scored four goals and his fourth hat-trick of the season to help Kidlington progress to the semi-finals of the U9 Red Cup at Grove's expense despite being a man short in the second game due to a number of players being ill.

Kidlington just edged a tight but extremely fast-paced first game against a strong Grove septet. The visitors took the lead in the first half in spectacular style, Callum Rolfe volleying home from distance following a pin-point pass from midfield superstar Ben Stewart. Kidlington kicked off the second half 1-0 up, but Grove won the ball and returned it straight into the goal with an excellent passing move finished brilliantly by Jack Sevell to level the scores. Kidlington took the game courtesy of midfield powerhouse Marcus Tranter whos seemingly endless running was rewarded as he followed up a Ben Owen effort. The victory was sealed by a brilliant save late on by visiting keeper Archie Devlin, with a little help from the crossbar (twice), when a Grove equaliser had looked inevitable.

Six-man Kidlington mounted a defensive rearguard action in the second game, in which right back Joe Keighery was outstanding and Benjamin Merrill had a great game deputising in goal. The visitors counter-attacked brilliantly however, with the redoubtable Luca Sykes scoring four times, three brilliant solo efforts and one following an exceptional pin-point long-range diagonal pass from Ethan Couling. Scott Ballard finished well for the home team to equalise early on in the game, but from then on the away defence held firm and Sykes goals saw Kidlington come out on top.