03/09/2026
A STUNNING free-kick that would be a Goal of the Season contender in ANY competition, was the standout moment in Thursday’s Rotherham Charity Cup win for Groves Social.
When Jack Earp lined up a direct strike from at least 30 yards out, it seemed the ambitious side of fanciful.
But his left foot strike was as clean as you could see and it went arrow straight, at pace, right into the far top corner with barely an inch to spare inside both bar and post.
It edged Groves back in front and they went to beat Swinton Ring O’Bells 3-2 at Conisbrough to earn a place in the quarter-finals.
Groves led through a fine strike from Liam Squires after 20 minutes but Ring O’Bells were level three minutes after half-time from a Tom Lambert penalty.
Nathan Walsh was unfortunate for Ring O’Bells when a splendid effort came back off the inside of a post.
Earl’s cracker made it 2-1 on 65 minutes and Harley Pratt stretched it to 3-1 ten minutes later but Ring O’Bells kept knocking on the door and Elliott Harrison’s 87th minute header set up a tense final.
*The quarter-final line-up so far is Brinsworth Whitehill v Wickersley CC; Westville v Thorpe Hesley Village; Groves Social v The Gate Inn.
Marquis await the winners of the AFC Lord Nelson v AFP Press Box match which had to be called off this week and is being rearranged.
*Last season’s Charity Cup winners Brinsworth DC have reached the Montagu Cup Final after beating The Gate Inn 5-4 on penalties after it ended 1-1.
They will play ‘Mont’ holders Wickersley CC who knocked them out of this season’s Charity Cup. The final is on Easter Monday, March 29th.