United start new year with heavy home defeat

Due to consecutive postponements, Woodley United were finally able to play their first game of 2016 today. Unfortunately they were up against a decent Headington side who ran out comfortable winners.

After an even start to the game, it was the visitors who registered the game's first chance; Aftab Hafiz saw his acrobatic effort miss to the right. Sixty seconds later Woodley debutant Ben Hitchins got down well to turn behind a drive from twenty yards.

Thirteen minutes in and Headington went ahead when Tom Payne headed in a free kick from the right. The away side continued to create chances; a corner from the right was only cleared as far as Hafiz who saw his sweetly struck shot inches away from finding the top left corner. Headington pressed on. Hitchins pulled off another decent stop to deny Payne; the ball fell to Yannick Nkwanyuo who smashed his shot from the right side of the box wide.

Woodley had to wait to the mid way point of the half before they registered a shot. Ryan Szram had his effort blocked; the ball ended up at the feet of Mark Ingram who saw his shot from twenty five yards deflect behind off a Headington defender. Moments later United tested Harry Jenkins for the first time when a Tim Green shot from a very tight angle was comfortably dealt with by the Headington stopper.

Nine minutes before the break the visitors doubled their lead when Nkwanyuo turned home a corner. The final action of the first half saw a third Headington goal disallowed in controversial circumstances. Paul Alder saw his free kick on the right wing curl directly into the far corner; fortunately for Woodley the linesman had his flag up.

HT Woodley United 0-2 Headington Amateurs

Before the second half got underway Woodley made a change. Sam Skehan replaced Green.

Headington started as they had ended the first half with more pressure. Carl Bloomfield missed from close range before Luke Cuff dragged his shot wide from ten yards with the goal at his mercy.

The pressure from the away side showed no signs of letting up. A miss hit from Ben Green fell to Bloomfield who skied his shot then a Cuff shot from the right flashed across the Woodley goal .

Just past the hour Woodley made a second change when Zack Pearce came on for Szram. United then had a short spell of pressure that saw Seun Odusanya test Jenkins after getting on the end of a Skehan knock down before a long range free kick from Conor Creegan was straight at the Headington keeper.

With nineteen minutes to go Amateurs made sure of the three points when Ben Green converted a penalty into the top right corner following a trip on Bloomfield.

Woodley tried to get back into the game; a Tyrone May free kick was dealt with by Jenkins then the home side produced the move of the match. With the ball deep in their own half United countered at pace. Skehan, Odusanya, Luke Titcombe all combined before a right wing cross from Pearce was cleared.

More Headington pressure followed. Woodley captain Titcombe did fantastically to cut out a right wing cross before we nearly bore witness to a wonder goal. Picking up the ball twenty yards from goal Ben Green juggled the ball with both feet before firing off a volley that just missed to the right.

With a minute to go the visitors got their fourth when Payne slid in Bloomfield; one on one with Hitchins, the Headington forward beat the United goalie with a low shot.

Into stoppage time Woodley nearly got a consolation when Matt Brookling sent Odusanya clear on the right. The United striker rounded Jenkins only to see his shot clip the bar.

FT Woodley United 0-4 Headington Amateurs

After the game Woodley manager Jock Mowat had this to say 'I can't fault the boys efforts, they worked tirelessly today. We were just missing that killer instinct in the final third'.