Back at Holloways Park after a three-week absence, Beaconsfield Town Buffalos hosted Radnage Raiders Spartans in the second round of the High Wycombe Sunday Football Combination Challenge Cup. With a two-division gap between the sides, Beaconsfield were clear favourites on paper but having been knocked out by lower-tier opposition last season, the squad knew better than to expect plain sailing.

A change of competition allowed for some minor rotation in the starting eleven, with George Michell and Maximus Rees coming into the attack for Jordan Alleyne-Angell and Martin Filipov. Sunny Sanghera anchored the midfield in place of Faz Zaker-Zadeh, while Luke Smith made a welcome return to partner Eraldo Semanaj at centre-back. Keiran Kurd once again captained the side.

The Buffalos started brightly and took the lead after just eight minutes, as Michell set up Tom Stables to nonchalantly lob the Radnage goalkeeper. Already dominant in possession, Beaconsfield soon doubled their lead when Michell finished off a neat Rees assist, placing his strike low into the bottom corner. Just five minutes later, it was three for the hosts as Michell intercepted a sloppy backpass, rounded the keeper, and rolled the ball into an empty net for his second of the morning!

Four first-half substitutions somewhat disrupted Beaconsfield's rhythm, and as Radnage grew in confidence, a loose pass out of defence allowed an opposition attacker to collect the ball on the edge of the box and curl a strike into the top corner. Although the Buffalos took a 3-1 lead into the break, the contest was far from over.

Reminded of the fragility of a cup tie, Beaconsfield made a fast start to the second half and restored their three-goal lead in the 47th minute when Jack Gilmartin set up Stables for his brace. The number 9 had multiple opportunities to complete his hat-trick from dead-ball scenarios, missing out by a matter of millimetres, before being withdrawn just after the hour mark.

Alleyne-Angell was next on the scoresheet. Pressing high to force an error from the Spartans' last man, he won the ball back and raced through on goal to make it five. Filipov then curled a sublime free-kick into the top corner for a sixth, before Michell, who had somehow already missed two golden opportunities, rounded off the scoring to complete his hat-trick and reach a historic 100th goal as a Buffalo! A magnificent achievement for a true club legend.

A resounding victory that reflected a dominant performance throughout, most importantly securing the Buffalos' place in the third round of the Challenge Cup.