NBFL-News16

North Berks Football League Roundup

12^th December 2009

(Phil Annets)

Faringdon Town kept the pressure on Saxton Rovers at the top of North Berks Division One with a hard fought 4-1 victory at Drayton. Paul Hulme, Peter Soane with a penalty, Derren Harrington and Richard Evans all scored for the visitors whilst Rob Powell netted for Drayton for whom Dan Curran had missed a penalty when the score was 0-0. A Tom Srawley hat-trick maintained Wootton and Dry Sandford’s fine recent league form as they came from behind to beat bottom of the table Warborough and Shillingford 3-1 for whom Phil Margetts scored. Crowmarsh Gifford move up to third in the table following a 1-0 home win over Lambourn Sports with Andy Allum scoring the winner.

In Division Two Childrey United made it four wins on the bounce following a convincing 6-1 win at Lambourn Sports Reserves and move up to second in the table. Dan Hogan hit a hat-trick with Wayne Hogan, Tom Weeks and James Wilkins also on the scoresheet. Steve Crame netted the consolation for the home side. Benson AFC let slip a two goal lead as they were held 2-2 at home by Grove Rangers. Lewis Ryland with a spectacular 25 yard volley and James Oliver had put Benson two up only for John Newton and Alex Lynch to score second half goals for the visitors.

Bampton Town won their sixth consecutive Division Three match this time 4-2 at struggling Shrivenham ‘A’. George Seacole hit a hat-trick along with a Dan Oyston goal, with Barry Ives and Tony Cacchio netting for the home side. Bampton move up to second and close behind them in third is now Faringdon Town Reserves following a 2-0 win at bottom placed Harwell International Reserves via goals from Lee Ruddle and Matt Hickson.

In Division Four Faringdon Town ‘A’ move up to second following their fourth successive league win this time 2-0 at home to Hagbourne United thanks to goals from Matt Curtis and Mike Marsh. Uffington United and Challow United shared the points in an eight goal thriller as a Kevin Edwards brace and goals for Aaron Williams and Devan Bryan for the hosts were cancelled out by a James Bowsher double and goals from Eamonn McGowran and Simon Parker for the visitors. James Hicks hit a hat-trick for East Hendred Reserves as they thrashed Marcham Reserves 6-0. Tyrone McGill, Nicky James and Mark Baring also scored. Appleton Stars continue to struggle in this division this time going down 9-0 at Grove Rangers Reserves for whom Igwasi Owusu-Asomaning scored a treble, Luke Wilkins hit a double, and John Wells, Jamie O'Sullivan, Chris Medlock and Mario Andrade all scored, too.

There were goals aplenty in Division Five as the league leaders Bampton Town Reserves won 11-1 at Hagbourne United Reserves with Dan Paintin hitting the net an amazing eight times. Steve Caton, Chris Allinson and Aiden Necchi-Ghiri also registered for Bampton whilst Ben Jeffreys hit the solitary goal for the hosts. Didcot Casuals ‘A’ hit Stanford-in-the-Vale Reserves for six and leapfrog them in the table. Ben Chaffey netted a hat-trick, Alan Bertram scored twice and Danny Lawton grabbed one in an easy 6-0 win. Benson Lions Reserves move up to third following a 5-0 win away to Warborough and Shillingford Reserves. Dave Jones hit four goals for Long Wittenham Athletic Reserves as they won 7-0 away at bottom of the table Challow United Reserves. Stuart Saunders, Dan Osbourne and Dean Harrison completed the rout. Tom Holloway grabbed a hat-trick for Steventon Reserves as they won 6-1 at home to Hanney United Reserves. Alan Donnelly, Dave Neal and Kevin Allen also scored for the home side whilst Juan Joshua netted for the visitors.

In the third round of the Berks and Bucks Junior Cup Hanney United produced an excellent performance in defeating Reading League Division Two side Turnpike Sports, conquerors of Grove Rangers in the previous round. Despite going one down early on Hanney outplayed their opponents and James Bishop with two, Joe Ledbury, Jason Maynard and Dave Laye all scored well taken goals in a 5-3 victory. In an all North Berks League affair Second Division Marcham thrashed top of the Third Division Kintbury Rangers Reserves 6-1 thanks mainly to four goals from Phil Stokes. Will Westell and Kevin Armstrong both also scored for Marcham, whilst Jake Shearsby hit the consolation for the visitors. Harwell International won a tight encounter at East Berks League Division One outfit Stoke Poges 1-0 after extra time with Mike Yardley netting the winner.

Elsewhere it was a gloomy picture for North Berks League sides. Botley United went out 3-2 on penalties after a stalemate against another East Berkshire League Division One side Old Windsor. Sutton Courtenay went down 4-0 at home to Wycombe and District Premier League side Stokenchurch, whilst Steventon lost 6-1 away to Reading League Division One team Sandhurst Devels Reserves. Derek Palfrey scored for Saxton Rovers Reserves as they lost 4-1 at home to Reading League Premier Division side Wokingham and Embrooke Reserves. Steve Alder netted the consolation for Stanford-in-the-Vale as they were thrashed 6-1 at home to Hellenic League Reserves Division One side Finchampstead Reserves. Despite dominating their match Long Wittenham Athletic went down 3-2 at home to Reading League Division One side Woodley Reserves.

In the second round of the Nairne Paul Trophy Fourth Division Coleshill United Reserves produced a minor upset beating Third Division Benson AFC Reserves 2-1 at home. James Glock and Pete Byrne hit the net for the hosts whilst Carl Fisher netted for Benson. Similarly, Fourth Division Didcot Casuals Reserves also beat Third Division opposition in the shape of Wootton and Dry Sandford Reserves by 4-2. Dan Knapp, Ben Higgins, Tom Fisher with a penalty and Luke Hammond all scored for Didcot.

Hanney United produced a cool, composed display in dumping their Reading League Division Two opponents Turnpike Sports out of the Berks and Bucks Junior Cup.

Hanney were slow to start and neither side produced much in the way of goalmouth action in the first quarter of an hour, but soon after Turnpike won a free kick on the left hand edge of the Hanney area and Chris Maja headed in the resultant kick, carrying on from where he left off in their second round victory over another North Berks League side, Grove Rangers.

This goal seemed to wake Hanney up and the remainder of the half was dominated by their controlled football. Hanney had several chances to equalise: a goalmouth scramble in the 36^th minute resulted in a corner; James Bishop dribbled into the area two minutes later, laid on the ball to Nathan Page who blasted over the bar; finally a great move in the 35^th minute saw Page play the ball into the path of Dan Gibbard running down the left wing who crossed first time on the run. The Turnpike keeper could only stretch and softly punch the ball straight to Joe Ledbury who coolly blasted it back into the far corner of the net.

Hanney almost took the lead on the stroke of half time as Gibbard’s free kick was headed on by Craig Payne to Joe Ledbury who’s first time shot was palmed over the bar by the Turnpike keeper. However, Hanney didn’t have to wait long in the second half before taking the lead. A first minute free-kick on the left hand edge of the ‘D’ was expertly placed into the bottom right hand corner of the net by their captain Jason Maynard. Just short of the hour mark Hanney made it 3-1 as James Bishop picked up a loose ball 20 yards out, shaped himself and curled a lovely shot into the top right hand corner.

Ten minutes later a lapse in the Hanney defence allowed Turnpike substitute Mark Davies to play the ball into the box for Billy West to calmly score under the advancing Karl Smith. However, James Bishop scored from an almost identical move to his first goal five minutes later, this time stepping past two defenders before curling the ball into the top left hand corner from 20 yards. This time there was no way back for the visitors and in the 83^rd minute James Bishop’s long cross was met by substitute Dave Laye at the far post who slotted home to make it 5-2. A late lobbed goal by Luke Johnson was merely a consolation for Turnpike as it is Hanney who march on to the fourth round.

Faringdon overcame a stiff challenge to their 100% record from a strong Drayton team to keep the pressure on Saxton Rovers at the top of North Berks League Division One.

In fact Drayton should have taken the lead when a clumsy challenge resulted in penalty for them after only ten minutes. However, the Faringdon keeper Chris Webb saved with his feet from Dan Curran’s poor penalty which was hit straight down the middle. Three minutes later Drayton paid for that penalty miss as Faringdon opened the scoring through Paul Hulme.

Though Drayton were playing the better football Faringdon always seemed quicker to close them down and break with the ball. It was from one such break that a Drayton defender, chasing the Faringdon forward, tripped and toppled into the attacker conceding a penalty, this time for Faringdon. The visitors did not make the same mistake as Drayton as Peter Soane scored low to the left. Drayton had shouts for a goal before half time after a shot hit the bar and bounced down on the line, but the referee deemed it had not crossed the line.

With the half time team talk still ringing in their ears Drayton started the brighter in the second half and their persistence was rewarded with a goal in the 64th minute by Rob Powell. An equaliser looked on the cards, but a defensive error allowed Derren Harrington to get between defender and keeper to head a bouncing ball into the net for the third Faringdon goal. As Drayton got caught chasing the game it was wrapped up in the 78th minute with a well worked goal scored by Richard Evans.

This match is well summed up by the old cliché a game of two halves. In an uninspired first half Warborough took the lead through the only goal of the half,scored by Phil Margetts.

Wootton were level two minutes into the second half when a 50 yard move involving six players ended with Tom Srawley heading home Ben Taylor's right wing cross. Srawley added two more goals for Wootton first on the hour mark deflecting home Damien Dodds' shot and then five minutes later heading in from Tommy Larman's cross.

Wootton are now unbeaten in five league games and move up to fourth in the Division One table.