2003/4 was an up-and-down season for the Rocks. At times they seemed somewhat indestructible – with a 5-0 win against Barking & East Ham United, a 4-0 win over Chesham United, a couple more 3-0 triumphs in the Ryman Division One (North) and a 6-0 victory over Chelmsford City’s youngsters in the East Anglian Cup. They ended up finishing the league campaign in 12th place, halfway down the division, with 19 wins and 16 defeats scattered around.
The F.A. Cup brought a great deal of success, with United getting through the pre-qualifying round and then three qualifying rounds before finally coming unstuck against Woking just before the first set of big boys come in as part of Round One Proper. In the Essex Senior Cup they showed that they have a decent record in penalty shoots outs by defeating illustrious opponents 4-3, before bowing out to eventual finalists Aveley 5-6 from twelve yards.
The Rocks managed to win games in most competitions, and with a decent league run, can be happy as they start out their first Southern League Division One (East) campaign. With a little more consistency, there is no reason why they cannot replicate the local cup success that they enjoyed last time around.
Ryman League Division One (North) |
16/08/03: Thame United (h) W3-1 Cartlidge, Burns, Martin) 19/08/03: Hemel Hempstead Town (a) L2-3 (Mully, Cobb) 23/08/03: Yeading (a) L0-4 25/08/03: Chesham United (h) W4-0 (Cobb, Holding 2, Mully) 06/09/03: Arseley (a) L0-1 09/09/03: Aveley (h) W3-1 (Mully 2, own goal) 20/09/03: Waltham Forest (a) W1-0 (Barry [p]) 23/09/03: Great Wakering Rovers (h) W2-0 (Marsden, Greaves) 30/09/03: Wivenhoe Town (a) W1-0 (Barry) 07/10/03: Barking & East Ham United (h) W5-0 (Lee 2, Cartlidge, Cobb 2) 18/10/03: Uxbridge (h) L0-1 21/10/03: Boreham Wood (a) L0-4 08/11/03: Dunstable Town (h) L0-1 15/11/03: Oxford City (a) W1-0 (Cartlidge) 22/11/03: Berkhampstead Town (h) L0-1 25/11/03: Cheshunt (a) L1-4 (Bilton) 06/12/03: Barton Rovers (h) W2-1 (Ansell, Cartlidge) 20/12/03: Hemel Hempstead Town (h) W1-0 (Blaney) 27/12/03: Tilbury (a) D0-0 24/01/04: Uxbridge (a) D0-0 03/02/04: Enfield Town (h) W3-0 (Penn, A. Martin 2) 07/02/04: Oxford City (h) L1-2 (Burns) 09/02/04: Enfield Town (a) D1-1 (Ansell) 14/02/04: Dunstable Town (a) D1-1 (Holding) 17/02/04: Thame United (a) D0-0 21/02/04: Harlow Town (a) D0-0 24/02/04: Yeading (h) W3-2 (K. Martin, Mully, Burns) 28/02/04: Berkhampstead Town (a) W4-2 (Cartlidge, Greaves 2, Ansell) 02/03/04: Cheshunt (h) L1-3 (Ansell) 06/03/04: Great Wakering Rovers (a) W3-0 (Greaves, Budge, Martrin) 09/03/04: Leyton (h) W1-0 (Budge) 13/03/04: Waltham Forest (h) W3-0 (Ansell 2, Burns) 16/03/04: Wingate & Finchley (h) L0-1 20/03/04: Barking & East Ham United (a) L0-2 27/03/04: Wivenhoe Town (h) L2-3 (Greaves, Blaney [p]) 30/03/04: Wingate & Finchley (a) D0-0 03/04/04: Arseley (h) D1-1 (Greaves) 06/04/04: Wealdstone (a) L1-3 (Dwyer) 10/04/04: Chesham United (a) L1-5 (Greaves) 12/04/04: Tilbury (h) W2-0 (Greaves, Budge) 17/04/04: Aveley (a) D0-0 19/04/04: Harlow Town (h) W1-0 (Holding) 24/04/04: Barton Rovers (a) W3-0 (Burns 2, Holding) 27/04/04: Boreham Wood (h) D3-3 (Marsden, Budge, Dwyer) 01/05/04: Wealdstone (h) L0-2 |
F.A. Cup |
30/08/03: PREQ - Hanwell Town (a) D2-2 (Harrison, Martin) 02/09/03: PREQr - Hanwell Town (h) W6-3 (Blaney 2, Cartlidge, Barry, Holding, Dwyer) 13/09/03: QR1 – Staines Town (h) W2-1 (Cartlidge, Martin) 27/09/03: QR2 – Sittingbourne (a) W2-1 (Cartlidge, Mully) 11/10/03: QR3 – AFC Sudbury (h) D1-1 (Cobb) 14/10/03: QR3r – AFC Sudbury (a) D1-1 [W4-2 pens] (Cobb) 26/10/03: QR4 – Woking (h) D1-1 (Martin) 28/10/03: QR4 – Woking (a) L0-2
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F.A. Trophy |
01/11/03: R1 – Wealdstone (a) L0-5
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Essex Senior Cup |
04/11/03: R3 - Bowers United (h) W4-1 (Cobb 2, Harrison, Cartlidge) 09/12/03: R4 – Dagenham & Redbridge (h) D0-0 [W4-3 pens] 12/01/04: R5 – Aveley (h) D2-2 [L5-6 pens]
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Bryco Cup |
18/11/03: R1 – Billericay Town (a) W2-1 (Cobb 2) 03/01/04: R2 – Wingate & Finchley (h) L1-2 (Holding)
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Essex Anglian Cup |
02/12/03: R1 – Chelmsford City (h) W6-0 (Lee 3, Greaves, Tumbill, Cobb)
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Essex Thames-side Trophy |
27/02/04: R1 – Maldon Town (a) W2-0 (Holding, Cobb) 24/03/04: R2 – Barking & East Ham United (h) L1-2 (Cartlidge)
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Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com