Weekly News Report

North Berks Football League Roundup

23^rd January 2010

(Phil Annets)

Saxton Rovers opened up a six point lead at the top of Division One with an eighth straight victory, this time 3-1 at home to Harwell Village thanks to three well taken headers by Paul Churchouse, Paul Druce and Adam Greenaway. Harwell got a late consolation from a deflected Lee Fuller free kick. In the division’s remaining two matches, both games went against the form book. Drayton produced a fine 4-3 victory at previously unbeaten AFC Wallingford with doubles from both Joe Brewerton and Rob Powell. Matt Rolfe, Tom Collins and Craig Duncan scored the goals for Wallingford. Didcot Casuals made it two home defeats on the trot for Crowmarsh Gifford coming away with a 2-0 victory thanks to strikes from Ben Sutton and Tom Fisher.

In Division Two none of the top three were in action allowing ground to be made up by the chasing pack. Grove Rangers ran out 6-2 winners at home to Botley United with Alex Lynch grabbing four goals along with one apiece from Chris Whitworth and Paul Broadis. Benson AFC picked up three points with a 2-0 home win over bottom of the table Coleshill United with Rob Lyons and captain Joe Flower on the scoresheet. Lambourn Sports Reserves crashed to a 4-0 home defeat to Saxton Rovers Reserves for whom Eddie Reed netted twice alongside James Hawthorne and Derek Palfrey.

With Division Three leaders Kintbury Rangers Reserves in cup action Benson AFC Reserves took full advantage to join them on 20 points at the top of the table with a tight 2-1 victory at Drayton Reserves. Iain Oram’s goal for the home side was cancelled out by goals from Pete Ashman and Kris Ray for the visitors. In the Division’s only other match Harwell International Reserves remain rooted to the foot of the table following a 4-2 home defeat to Wootton and Dry Sandford Reserves. Jason Eudell netted twice for Harwell whilst Jon Dunbar, Ben Taylor, Chris Shahab and Tom Srawley all scored for Wootton.

In Division Four the top two sides went head to head at Tucker Park as Faringdon Town ‘A’ and Stanford-in-the-Vale shared the points in a one all draw. Ross Edwards scored for Faringdon and Dan Pugh replied for Stanford. The only other match in the division to beat the weather also ended in a draw with East Hendred Reserves and Challow United sharing six goals. James Hicks scored twice along with Nick James for East Hendred, with Martin Turnbull netting twice for the visitors along with an own goal.

In Division Five, Bampton Town Reserves extended their lead at the top of the table following a comprehensive 9-1 victory at home to fourth place Benson Lions Reserves. Dan Paintin continued his fine goal scoring form netting four times along with a double from Nathan Beckett and goals from Matt Sharp, Lloyd Hancock and Tom Madden. A Simon White penalty was Benson’s sole reply. Stanford-in-the-Vale Reserves leapfrog Didcot Casuals ‘A’ into second place following their 3-0 home win over their promotion rivals. Richard Eltham, Martin Bungay and Kane Harding were all on the scoresheet. Elsewhere Sutton Courtenay Reserves ran out 5-4 winners in a nine goal thriller at home to Uffington United Reserves with Grzegorz Krawczk netting a hat-trick for the winners along with goals from Dave Otero and James Ivey. Stuart Burson with two, John Gould and Joe Courtney scored for Uffington.

In the Berks & Bucks Intermediate Cup 4^th Round NBFL Division One side Faringdon Town went through 4-3 on penalties against last year’s runners-up Steeple Claydon of the North Bucks and District Premier League. The match ended up 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time with Gary Sutton scoring the goal for Faringdon and Peter Soane hitting the winning penalty. Faringdon have now beaten both last year’s finalists and now face a tough quarter final trip to Hellenic League Division One East league leaders Wokingham and Emmbrook.

In the Berks & Bucks Junior Cup there was a mixed bag of results for NBFL teams. In the delayed 3^rd Round all NBFL tie 2^nd Division East Hendred ran out comfortable 7-2 winners at 3^rd Division Harwell Village Reserves. Paul Gholami and Kenny Rawlins scored for the home side whilst Lee Hodges netted four times for the victors along with two from Mike Farrelly and one from Sam Powell. East Hendred now face an away trip to Mitre from the 3^rd Division of the East Berkshire League. In the 4^th Round a Dan Sayer hat-trick helped Hanney United to a 5-2 victory at home to North Bucks and District League Division One side MK Wanderers Reserves. Jason Maynard and Joseph Ledbury also scored for Hanney who now have an away trip to Old Windsor of Division One of the East Berks League in the 5^th Round. Elsewhere, Marcham went down 4-2 at East Berks League Division Two side Richings Park with Stuart Armstrong and Wes Coster scoring for Marcham, whilst Harwell International lost 4-1 at home to Highmoor / Ibis Reserves of the Reading League Premier Division despite Mike Yardley having given them the lead. Simon Rees was sent off soon after for handling the ball on the goal line, and despite Harwell’s best efforts they finally succumbed in the last half hour.

Harwell International's Mike Yardley (Red shirt) brings the ball under control before scoring the goal that gave his side a brief lead in the County Junior Cup tie against Highmoor/Ibis Reserves.

In the Oxfordshire FA John Fathers Shield 4th Round NBFL interest in the competition was finally ended as Benson Lions went down 3-1 away to Witney and District Premier League side Hailey, with J Evans scoring for the Lions.

In the Nairne Paul Trophy 2nd Round there was an all Division Three clash between Kintbury Rangers Reserves and Shrivenham ‘A’ with the league leaders surprisingly going down by three goals to two after extra time thanks to an Anthony Cacchio double and a Harry Heath strike for Shrivenham. Rob O’Hagan and Mick Canning scored for Kintbury.

Detailed Reports (x2)

Berks & Bucks Junior Cup 4^th Round (23^rd January, 2010)

Harwell International 1 Highmoor / Ibis Reserves 4

(Andy Wells, NBFL Council Member)

Valliant Harwell Crash Out of the Cup

Harwell International finally succumbed to a 4 - 1 home defeat against Highmoor/Ibis Reserves of the Reading League Premier Division in the 4th Round of the Berks & Bucks Junior Cup, having battled for over an hour with only ten men following the sending off of centre-back Simon Rees.

Harwell took the lead after 15 minutes, when Mike Yardley fired in from the edge of the area, but the visitors hit back immediately to force a fine save from Craig Griffiths. The ball rebounded to a Highmoor player whose shot was handled on the line by Rees, resulting in a penalty award and his automatic dismissal. To make matters worse Griffiths took a bad knock on the knee in closing down the shot and could not continue. Substitute goalkeeper Tom Davies was unable to keep out the spot kick smashed in by Highmoor keeper Dominic Green.

Harwell fought hard against opponents who played the ball around to feet well and were unlucky to see a free-kick strike from Lee Chapman hit the left upright. However, the five-week layoff and the extra man took its toll, and Harwell conceded three goals in the last 30 minutes.

North Berks Football League Division One (23^rd January, 2010)

Saxton Rovers 3 Harwell Village 1

(Phil Annets, NBFL Media Relations Officer)

Heads Saxton Win

Competitive football returned to the North Berks League after more than a month of cancelled fixtures due to adverse weather conditions as Saxton Rovers took the opportunity to open a six point gap at the top of Division One with three well taken goals.

After a subdued first half where neither side capitalised on glorious opportunities to open the scoring, (Gareth Fenton for Harwell and Danny Parry for Saxton in particular should have netted), it was Saxton who came out in the second half with renewed vigour. Just after five minutes after the re-start Garry Hartley produced an excellent cross from the left hand side right on to the head of Paul Churchouse who converted with a well placed header.

Harwell Village never really got going in the second half and before the hour mark Saxton had doubled their lead when Danny Parry’s corner was met at the far post by a bullet header from Paul Druce. Saxton eased off after the second goal allowing Harwell to come back into the game and twice they went close to pulling a goal back. However, with just under 20 minutes remaining Saxton made it 3-0 with yet another headed goal. Paul Churchouse produced a brilliant run deep into the right hand corner of the pitch and sent over an inch perfect cross for Adam Greenaway to head past Simon Matthews in the Harwell goal.

With three minutes remaining Harwell did get a consolation goal when Lee Fuller’s powerful free kick from the left hand edge of the box was deflected into his own net by Matt Shelton. However, Saxton went on to claim all three points to make it eight wins out of eight at the top of the table.