Much changed Town lose out to Old Woodstock

With eight changes to the line-up that started last time out, it was Woodley who started on the front foot. Max Brown sliced an effort from a tight angle on the left wide before a Kyron Hylton shot missed to the right. Continuing to press forward, Carlton Cox saw his chipped ball into the Old Woodstock box gathered by George Wood in the visitors’ goal before Waring could get on the end of it.

It was against the run of play when captain Jack Dunmall gave his team the lead following an awkward bounce playing into the sun that caught the Town defence flat footed and the forwarded lopped his effort over Dan Smith.

The lead was doubled on eighteen minutes when a Rob Johnson corner from the left caught in the wind and was inadvertently punched into his own net by Smith.

After their bright start, Woodley were starting to struggle with the combination of Johnson and Dunmall causing Town all kinds of problems. A good run by the latter saw him pass to the former on the left side of the Woodley box; composing himself he tried to bend a shot into the far corner. Unable to generate the necessary curve the shot was straight at Smith.

Town tweaked their tactics after the break with Max Brown joining Hylton up front and Waring dropping back into midfield. The first shot since the restart fell to Town; Andres Rodriguez blazed over from outside the box.

Woodley were then nearly presented a great chance to half the deficit when an under hit back pass fell to Hylton. The Town striker got to it just before Wood who did enough to cut off the angle and was able to save with his feet. An hour gone and Woodley was now back on top; dominating possession but missing the guile to create a clear cut chance.

The shots continued to be fired at Wood's goal but without him really being tested. A Jordan Goddard free kick sailed over before Brown sliced wide after good hold up play by Hylton. It took till the seventieth minute for Smith to make his first second half save when; Dunmall forced the Woodley keeper to pull off a smart save from the right side of the box.

Four minutes later the visitors increased their lead on the counter attack when a drive from just outside the box by Jack Kennedy found the bottom corner.

With the game winding down Town’s man of the match Rodriguez forced Wood into his hardest save of the afternoon with a powerful drive. Brown was the first to react but his cross across goal was too strong for Hylton to get on the end of.

As the game entered injury time Old Woodstock got their fourth when Johnson expertly lobbed over Smith. Then deep into added time salt was added to Town's wounds when another Johnson strike took a massive deflection and found the bottom right corner.

After a difficult week the score was harsh on Woodley who showed good character and had spells of the game when they dominated possession.

Smith, Titcombe, Goddard, Brookling, Burt, Gonzalez, Rodriguez, Cox (Philliperon), Brown, Hylton, Waring Sub not used Maycock