Woodley United lost out in their home match to Spartans Youth in the Combined Counties Division One.
On a warm afternoon in front of a decent size crowd, buoyed by members of the u12 youth section being match day mascots and taking part in a half time penalty shootout, it was a case of deja vue from the previous match with United levelling the scores only to concede the winning goal very late in the game.
Spartans started brightly, forcing two corners early in the game. but the first goal attempt fell to Woodley’s Alfie Ward in the eight minute when he found the side netting after receiving a pass from Kai Stubbs-Alleyne.
The game entered a lull with much of the play in midfield with the occasional attempt at goal. Woodley’s Enow Ojung enjoyed a couple of dangerous runs down the left wing, but Woodley were unable to capitalise on his crosses into the penalty area.
For the visitors right back Luis Oliveira enjoyed success getting forward and saw one shot go wide of Lewis Hoy’s right-hand post.
The opening goal came in the 41st minute. Elijiah Carter’s shot from the edge of the home penalty area was pushed onto the crossbar by Hoy but fell to the unmarked George Stow to tap into the net from inside the goal area.
United were fortunate not to fall two goals behind, four minutes after the second half started when Bendie Idikayi saw a shot hit the goalpost and go out of play for a Woodley goal kick.
75 minutes into the game, Woodley levelled the scores after good play enabled Ward to score his second goal in as many games.
Mackenzie Creech and Ward both saw freekicks comfortably gathered by away goalkeeper Zak Abdulhadi before the match winning goal was scored by Stow in the 89th minute following a free-kick into the hosts’ penalty area that Hoy was able to parry. The ball fell loose allowing Stow to poke the ball into the net despite the best efforts of Eden Downes to clear the shot.
Woodley United: Hoy, Darcy (Patel), Goodchild, Creech, Downes, Barr (Podgorski), Ward, Holliday (Adebayo),
Stubbs- Alleyne (Ainsworth), Birchmore (Preedy), Ojong
