THE players of Higher Folds are being hailed as the Magnificent Seven.

Last Saturday's all Division One Quarter Finals clash in the Davenport Cup with Leigh Avenue turned out to be a stormy affair with FIVE players sent off.

It took just 10 minutes for the high feeling between the two camps to come to the fore and invite severe intervention from the match official who sent off Fold's Paul Berry and Avenue's Craig Faulkner.

On 20 minutes Trevor Riding followed, to be joined five minutes later by Brian Twist and five minutes after the interval Kevin Harris became the fifth player in the game to be shown red and the fourth from Higher Fold.

It was now seven against ten and Avenue had taken a one goal lead through Paul Banks on 20 minutes. On the hour mark, ten minutes after being reduced to seven men, Neil Clayton levelled and incredibly with fifteen minutes left he put Fold 2-1 up.

The game was far from over and in the 90th minute Avenue were awarded a penalty. Steve Ackers somehow kept his nerve to take the game into extra time. Against the odds, and greater numbers, a place in the last four was sealed for the league and cup double chasers when Clayton completed hit hat-trick on 110 minutes.

What a game - but the disciplinary repercussions for Higher Folds have yet to unfold!

In the other ties played Division Two Fir Tree Rangers toppled higher ranked Leigh Sportsman 2-1, second half goals from Phil Buxton and John Bailey coming either side of a strike from John Pilkington.

Howe Bridge Mills almost repeated the giant-killing act taking the lead three times at home to Division One Britannia before going down 4-3. Phil Sizer scored on 15 and 28 minutes with Mark Cunningham and Dave Shacklady levelling for the visitors. Aaron Walker again put Mills in front eleven minutes into the second half but this was cancelled out by Dave Bullough on the hour mark. On 74 minutes Mark Bretherton got the goal which put Britannia through.

The all Division Two clash between Sir Charles Napier and Atherton C&N was postponed.

Shock

Moonraker produced a shock in Division One, winning 6-3 away at table-toppers Royal Oak, Steve Marsh leading the way with a hat-trick, adding to individual strikes from Steve Anderton, Wayne Pitchford and Scott Mulcrow. Oak's scorers were John France with two and Lee Cambray.

In Division Two, Hag Fold WMC's hopes of catching current leaders Atherton C&N received a jolt by being held 1-1 at home by Courts B. It could have been worse as the Atherton side's equaliser to Matt Disley,s 25th minute opener only came in the 90th minute from Austin Smith.

Damien Atherton scored four in Sailors and Soldiers 7-2 home win over Atherton Royals, Steve Hennis, Paul Morris and Mick Lyons getting the others with Tony Young and Alan Ball on the mark for the losers. Goals from Stuart Molyneux (2) and Dave Grayson saw Three Crowns B to a 3-2 away at Mechanics Arms, Jason Halliday and Stuart Neill scoring for the home side. Horns Inn celebrated a 3-1 victory at bottom side Asda Golborne with goals from Andy Tipping, Chris Burgess and Paul Jones, Dave Wood getting the home team's reply.