HERTS FA CENTENARY TROPHY SEMI-FINAL

LONDON LIONS 3 LETCHWORTH GARDEN CITY EAGLES 1

The visitors were not phased by playing their higher league opponents, and they held their own for long spells on a windswept day, when the conditions prevented the Lions from find their stride on a sodden pitch at Rowley Lane.

The hosts welcomed in Ross Weinrabe for an impressive return to the club, and Nick Landesberg returned at the heart of defence.

The first half stalemate saw manager Andy Landesberg demand a higher tempo after the interval and also retain possession better. Whilst this was immediately taken on board, the home team fell behind to a shock goal. An Austin Lipman back-pass caught a puddle and stopped short of Weinrabe - a gift which the Letchworth striker duly took with aplomb.

Lions were not to be undone however, and after missing a host of presentable opportunities, Burchell equalised soon after, with a cheeky nutmeg.

The Lions looked to have weathered the metaphorical, and literal, storm. A place in the final looked back on after a dramatic minute. Landesberg put the hosts in charge with a firm header after a dangerous inswinging corner.

And the win was complete when Lions won the ball back immediately from the restart - Burchell received a pass on the run from Bolle and side-footed calmly into the corner as Lions notched two goals within a key minute of the game.

Lions will now look to retain the trophy they won for the third time last season. They will take on promotion rivals – and next weekend’s opponents – Baldock Town in the final at Hemel Hempstead on March 20.

Following the win, Lions were named the Spartan South Midlands League Division One team of the month for January. The team won five of their six games, including reaching the Division One league final.

LIONS: Ross Weinrabe, Adam Lipman, Adam Harvey, Tyler Smith, Charlie Rubin, Nick Landesberg, Adam Burchell, Jake Furman, Adam Bolle, Austin Lipman, Adam Burchell, Jordan Marks. Subs: Jake Rinsler, Jack Mattey, Sam Hammerton 

SCORERS: Burchell 2, Landesberg

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ross Weinrabe