NETHERTON are on the march for cup success once again.

They won the Barlow Cup in 2008 when in Division II and in their quest to win it again, they enjoyed a stunning 4-3 win over Division I side Lepton Highlanders.

After 30 minutes Netherton were two goals to the good.

The first came from a Danny Smith header and the second was a spectacular goal from Matt Devlin.

The ball was cleared from a corner and Devlin chested it down and volleyed it into the top corner from 25 yards.

By the half hour it seemed the tide had turned.

A handball on the line resulted in Netherton being reduced to 10 men and their lead was halved as the penalty was converted.

Lepton scored twice early in the second half to lead 3-2 and the game looked beyond Netherton.

However, they pulled level when Josh Harling equalised from close range.

The winner came 10 minutes from time when Tom Heywood’s cross-cum-shot found the top corner of the net. ŠŠ

Netherton will now face another Division I side in the second round having been drawn against Britannia Sports.

Another surprise in the Barlow Cup came when Division II rivals met at Honley with high-flying Berry Brow the visitors.

In October Brow won 3-0 when the clubs met in the league, however in the cup that previous result and a 15 point gap in the league table counted for nothing.

Kyle Silkstone gave Honley the lead, which was extended by Craig Vant, who scored for the fourth successive week.

Berry Brow’s Ben Dobson reduced the deficit just before half-time.

It could have been 3-1 to Honley when Nicky Lee got round the Brow keeper, but his shot hit an upright.

Honley were then put under severe pressure, but their defence held out and the game was settled late on when Vant netted his second.

Division III outfit Dalton Crusaders, with two wins in the County Trophy, were no match for Division IV leaders Shelley in the Groom Cup.

Shelley’s 6-2 win puts them through to the last eight of the competition and they are aiming to complete a League and Cup double.

Looking at the records, Shelley won’t be winning out of turn.

Their reserves won Reserve Division III nine years ago, but the first team last won a trophy in 1987.

However, they could repeat the performance of 1961 when they completed a Groom Cup and league double.Š

There were four matches played in the first round of the Richardson Cup and all of them went to form with Kirkheaton Rovers, Newsome WMC, Upperthong and Scholes all progressing.

In the second round Westend Reserves were drawn at home to Honley Reserves and won through 4-2.

They are currently second and third in Reserve Division II with almost identical records, but Westend went on to repeat their early season victory.

Honley took an early lead through Jordan Booth and held it until Marcus Paul equalised from close range two minutes before half-time.

Paul scored a second to give Westend the lead and further goals from Luke Robertson and Mark Thwaites gave the Salendine Nook side a comfortable three-goal cushion before a late goal from Matt Hirst made it 4-2.

In the Gee Cup, home advantage turned out to be a major factor.

Six of the first round ties and one match in the second round ended in home wins.

Perhaps the best performance was by Kirkheaton A, who narrowly beat Cumberworth A 3-2.

It turned out to be a good day for District League teams in the two Sheffield Cups.

Hepworth Utd won 3-0 at Rycroft Sports in the Challenge Cup and in the Junior Challenge Cup, three sides won through – Scissett, Skelmanthorpe and Cumberworth all progressing.