Oakham United beaten in the cup by Coates Athletic

Oakham United were finally beaten by their top rivals this season Coates Athletic, losing 4-2 in the quarter-final of the PFA Senior Cup on Saturday.

The Tractor Boys beat Coates 5-2 on the opening day of the PDFL Premier Division season and have generally had the better of the sparring between the two heavyweights in their encounters this year.

Just last weekend the pair played out an entertaining 1-1 draw at Barleythorpe Road which means that while Coates, who combined with Whittlesey during the off-season, are top of the league by a point second-placed Oakham’s fate is now in their own hands if they can win their game in hand.

On Saturday Danny Dance, Liam Harrold, Adam Piergianni and Jake Pell scored for Coates at Feldale Field.

Robbie Dance and Ben Easson were on the mark for Oakham.

The semi-finals will be an all-Premier Division line-up after the two remaining Division One sides were knocked out of the competition on Saturday.

AFC Stanground went down 1-0 at holders ICA Sports, while Wisbech Town Reserves were beaten 3-1 at Deeping Rangers Reserves.

Ashley Capes scored the only goal of the game for ICA, while Conor Pilbeam, Matt Sapprow and Bradley Sprouse were on target for Deeping.

ICA now host Netherton in the semi-finals later this month. ICA beat Netherton at the quarter-final stage last season.

Netherton pipped Pinchbeck in a repeat of the 2013 final on Saturday. Stephen Mastin and Jake Sansby scored the goals in a 2-1 win.

Coates face Deeping Rangers Reserves in the semi-final, and will now be favourites to reach the final which is traditionally played at Peterborough United FC in May.

Results:

PFA Senior Cup quarter-finals

Coates Athletic 4 (Dance, Harrold, Piergianni, Pell), Oakham United 2 (Dance, Eason).

Deeping Rangers Reserves 3 (Pilbeam. Sparrow, Sprouse), Wisbech Town Reserves 1.

Netherton 2 (Mastin, Sansby), Pinchbeck 1.

ICA Sports 1 (Capes), Stanground 0.