Eden with a brace

Woodley travelled to play Holyport who were fifth in the table so a tough game was expected.

As expected from a team who are prolific scorers, Holyport started the game brightly and immediately put pressure on the Woodley defence. One shot went just wide from the edge of the area and Warren Baxter, Andrew Nunn, Dan Jewell and Jim Nightingale made timely blocks and tackles to limit the direct threat on Oneal Garnes’ goal.

The game had an edge to it too with both sides clearly up for the contest, but it was Holyport who ran the first thirty minutes until Woodley created the best chance of the half. Carl Davies slotted Eden Peters through on goal, but his shot was weak and straight at the keeper.. This gave the visitors encouragement as Holyport started to look vulnerable in defence and soon after Luke Williams struck the post from a tight angle and Chris Hatton fired the rebound marginally wide from the edge of the area.

Half-time came at a bad time for Woodley as they were having their best spell of the game.

Holyport came out in search of the opening goal and Garnes had the busier opening moments, but nothing that fully stretched him and it was Garnes who had an assist for the opening goal. His place kick put the Holyport players out of the game and Williams raced into the area and was surprised that the home keeper stayed on his line as he fired into the far corner on forty seven minutes.

Woodley were buoyed and Holyport rocked as this time Williams turned provider to whip a delightful ball across the goal for Peters to add the finishing touch too four minutes later. Woodley made it three goals in six minutes when Peters got the ball from a heavy touch in the home defence and as the ball sat up twenty five yards out, Peters smashed a dipping volley into the back of the net. Town were in dream land and it could have been 4-0 moments later as Davies outstripped the defence.

Holyport pushed men forward for the remaining twenty five minutes and did pull a goal back with twenty minutes remaining through Dan Rapley, but Woodley saw out the remaining minutes fairly comfortably to register their first win this season against a top five side in Hellenic Division 1 East.

With one defeat in five matches, confidence is growing looking towards the Christmas period and next up Finchampstead at home.

Garnes, Baxter, Nunn, Edwards (Cripps), Nightingale, Hiscock, Jewell, Hatton, Peters (Wilder), Davies, L Williams