United leave Virginia Water high and dry!

United progressed to the second round of the Reading Invitation Senior Challenge Cup for the first time in three seasons and in doing show brought Division One East high flyer’ Virginia Water’s unbeaten eleven game run to an end.

Woodley started strongly playing good passing football in the hosts’ half that saw Owen Davies and Danny Horscroft fire over the cross bar in the opening five minutes and Callum Samuel-Harman narrowly failing to connect at the far post from a Jordan Goddard free kick in the twelfth minute.

Briggs was blocked by home keeper Matt Jones for a corner that resulted in Davies again shooting over the cross bar and Briggs steering the ball wide of the upright on twenty five minutes.

Water’s first worthwhile effort came on the half hour when Adam McNamara’ deflect shot was stopped by Alex Reed. This gave the home side heart who enjoyed the final stages of the first have with Reed gain denying McNarama who was becoming an increasing threat to the visitors.

The half ended with Sam Guze, who had enjoyed the opening period, shooting wide.

The second half was notable for Water’s most likely root to goal being the long throw by Finn Evered which on more than one occasion United scrambled clear or in the case of Jake Baker put wide when unmarked in the sixty fifth minute in what was his first touch as a substitute.

The hosts started the first period of extra time lively that saw a goal mouth scramble end when a player strayed off side and a corner in the fourth minute cleared. Reed did well to block Steve Williams with his feet in the eleventh minute of extra time when one on one in what was the hosts’ last worthwhile attempt of the game.

Three minutes later Davies put man of the match Brigg through on goal. The forward rounded Jones but saw his shot hit the upright and rebound into play where the oncoming Horscroft scored from inside the goal area.

With Woodley managing play well in the second period of extra time Virginia became increasingly frustrated which culminated with Evered being dismissed in stoppage time, two minutes after Davies had secured the victory with his first goal for the club following good play from Marvin Hinds and Briggs pass splitting the defence to leave the midfielder with just Jones to beat from twelve yards.

Reed, Porter (Barley), Goddard, Ledger, I Kamara, Cooper, O Davies, Guze (A Kamara), Briggs, Horscroft, Samuel – Harman (Hinds) Sub not used: Wilson