Weekly News Report

Match Round-up for 29 November 2008

New boys star as Benson ease through in John Fathers Shield
(Report by Andy Wells)

Recent signings Nick Skiller and Adam Cowling, alongside skipper Joe Flower, were impressive as Benson A.F.C. finally cracked Minster Lovell’s resolve to win 3 – 0 in the Oxfordshire F.A. John Fathers Shield 3rd Round.

In the first minute, Cowling came close with a back-post header just over the visitor’s goal and Benson dominated the opening exchanges. Two goalmouth scrambles should have led to Benson taking the lead but good approach work generally was often thwarted by stubborn defending.

Minster Lovell very nearly struck in a rare breakaway when Leo Haines cracked a shot just over the Benson bar, while Joe Flower saw his fine effort tipped over the bar by Chris King, just before half-time.

Cowling hit a close range shot over the bar as the ball dropped to the far post from a corner-kick and Dan Lucas hit a screaming drive against the Minster crossbar, as Benson continued to press after the interval. King made another fine low save from Skiller and it seemed that the visitor’s goal was leading a charmed life until Jim Oliver picked the ball up on the edge of the penalty area and drove a shot into the right-hand side via a slight deflection in the 59^th minute.

Photograph © Andy Wells

Benson A.F.C.'s Andy Hayes (far left, red & white stripes) gets up to head the ball just over the bar.

Andy Hayes made a vital interception to prevent an certain equaliser at the far post with the goal gaping and Skiller settled the game with a fine headed goal, from Oliver’s cross, in the 75^th minute. Flower had a shot ricochet off King and on to the post but Benson extended their lead when Chris Smith spectacularly headed into his own goal from Skiller’s accurate cross.

In the North Berks Cup, Saxton Rovers came through 4 – 0 against Division 2 Marcham but Drayton went out 2 – 1 to Didcot Casuals as Lee Newport’s first-half goal was added to by Tom Fisher, before Rob Powell pulled one back for Drayton.

A pulsating game at Wootton & Dry Sandford, saw the visitors A.F.C. Wallingford take the lead in the 67^th minute, with a long shot from Tommy Hammond. Steve Ashman added a second for Wallingford ten minutes later to make it 2 – 0 while Wootton could not force a way through, despite striking the bar twice and forcing several saves from the visiting keeper.

Long Wittenham Athletic raced into a healthy lead before being made to hang on a bit in their entertaining 6 – 3 win over Uffington United. Danny Osborne (3), Andy Mariott, Andy Taylor and Chris Bowler netted for Wittenham with Uffington hitting back through Mark Wiseman, Nick Frost and John Gould.

Holders Ardington & Lockinge, finally getting a run of form, were made to work hard by Division 3 leaders Botley United, before going through 2 – 1. Chris Potter scored from the spot for Botley, while Chris Roche’s third goal in successive games and Gareth Fenton won the tie for Ardington.

Saxton Rovers Reserves emphatically won their Nairne Paul cup tie against Harwell Village, who played with only a ‘scratch’ 10-man side throughout, as Jamie Dutton (5), James Hawthorne (3), Jamie Gaff, Craig O’Connor, Neil Pether and Mike Quinan scored in a 13 – 0 rout.

Big scores too in the North Berks League Cup; Stanford in the Vales Reserves won 8 – 0 against a forlorn Challow United Reserves with a first-class hat-trick from Gzregorz Krawczyk, Max Kelly (2), Richard Eltham, Dean Grimes and Jamie Gregory.

Dean O’Hagan (3), James Head (2), Ryan Phillips (2) and James Bye scored as Coleshill United ‘A’ won 8 – 1 against Hagbourne United Reserves, with Gary Bayliss scoring a consolation..

East Hendred Reserves won 2 – 1 against Marcham Reserves with Ashley Simmons and Pat Rush’s 20-yard lob taking the tie for Hendred.

A dramatic win on penalty kicks saw Kennington United Reserves go through against Didcot Casuals ‘A’ after extra-time. The sides were locked at 0 – 0 on 90 minutes, before a last-gasp equaliser from Daryl Harper for Didcot took the sides to the spot kicks, which were won by Kennington 6 – 5.

To League action now and Crowmarsh Gifford came from two goals down to win 4 – 2 against Harwell Village. John-Robert Willis and Matthew Aplin hit early goals for the visitors before Paul Hannigan pulled one back before half-time.

Steve Gesner, returning from another lengthy injury lay-off, netted the equaliser before goals from Phil Hedges and Hannigan’s second from Gesner’s cross sealed the points.

Another side with lofty ambitions are Faringdon Town, who cruised to a 4 – 0 home win over bottom side Harwell International. Goals from Garry Sutton (2), Dan Courtney and Paul Hulme saw Town move into third place in the Division 1 table.

In Division 2, Faringdon Town Reserves also moved back up to third place as they won a seven-goal thriller against Sutton Courtenay by 4 – 3, thanks to strikes from James Tyler (2), Robbie Harrington and Craig Whittle.

Warborough & Shillingford moved away from the bottom places with a 3 – 1 win over Grove Rangers. Grahame Dallaway and Adam Oram put Warborough in control before Alex Eltham hit back for Rangers. Russell Thynne sealed the game with a goal twenty minutes from time.

Drayton Reserves edged to a 3 – 2 away win over Harwell International Reserves to move to the top of the Division 3 table but it’s the form of unbeaten Shrivenham ‘A’, now third, that has caught the interest of neutrals. They liked the new clubhouse facilities at Childrey United but went on to spoil the opening celebrations by whipping the home side 5 – 1 and in style; Neil Sutton (2), Paul Sanders (2) and Matty Howe scoring for Shrivvy with James Wilkins replying for Childrey.

Coleshill United Reserves are in fourth place after a 7 – 0 win over Blewbury Reserves; Chris Ayres (2), Shane Blake (2), Mike Soule, Brad Hillcoat and Martin Suter netting for the home side.

Grove Rangers Reserves picked up their first win, with a 3 – 1 victory over neighbours Ardington Reserves. Dean Worthington scored twice to give Grove a 2 – 0 interval lead, then Jamie O’Sullivan claimed the third with a downward header before Tom Eatwell pulled a goal back.

In Division Four, Hagbourne United drew 2 – 2 with leaders Faringdon Town ‘A’, with Dave Proctor (2) getting both Hagbourne goals and Stuart Sears and Lee Moss scoring for Faringdon. What was unusual about this game was that there was a father and son lining up for both sides – Trevor (44years) and Stuart Sears (17) for Faringdon and Ian (44) and Liam Jones (17) for Hagbourne.

Meanwhile, Benson A.F.C. Reserves have five games in hand as they moved to within a point of Faringdon, after a 3 – 2 win at Challow United. The Benson marksmen were Ian Abbot, Tito Rodriguez and Jody Martin with Andy Caven and Eamonn McGowan hitting the back of the net for Challow.

Its thirteen goals for Kevin Oakes for the season, as he grabbed a brace and Gareth Cole another for Didcot Casuals Reserves in their 3 – 2 win against Steventon Reserves.

In Division 5, only one game was played as Uffington United Reserves rebounded from last weeks narrow defeat to win 4 – 1 at home to Long Wittenham Reserves. Dale Bird, Martin King and a David Roberts brace for Uffington and Andy Dix for Long Wittenham.