No Christmas cheer for the 1st team

As a contest this match was decided in the opening quarter of a hour as defensive frailties coupled with a lack lustre performance saw United conceded three goals as Bicester Town went top of the league with this win.

A mistake by Oli Bridges allowed Kieran Scott a free run at goal after only two minutes with the lively winger planting the ball past United custodian Pete Davies. Matt Leigh responded drilling his free kick direct at Bicester’s keeper Ryan Watt before Davies denied Scott his second. However, a well worked move passing the ball across Woodley’s penalty area allowed Jordan Weaver to extend the lead on seven minutes.

Going forward United looked promising with a good move involving Pete Wareing and Dan McLeod-Walker resulted in Rupen Limbu seeing his effort cleared before Bicester’s Weaver scored the visitor’s third goal on fifteen minutes.

United responded well with Limbu seeing his shot following an indirect fee kick being blocked and Wareing hitting the upright only to be flagged off side while Watt was called on to make two good saves late in the half as it look certain that Ryan Szram would score on both occasions. However, the hard work of competing with the visitors after the poor start was undone in first half stoppage time with substitute Charlie Bateman passing to Murray Nicholls to score from close range.

The opening period of the second half was end to end with Watt denying Wareing and McLeod-Walker putting a free kick wide while Davies denied Weaver his hat trick. With the hour approaching Jason Prpa’s pass split the home defence for Dan Bone to run onto and score the game’s final goal. However, Chris Burt was required to clear in his own goal area after Scott had rounded Davies.

The final twenty minutes saw Woodley show their best intensity of the game following Sam Skehan’s introduction up front with good width being shown on both flanks but the closest a goal came was a shot hitting the Bicester cross bar and Matt Leigh blazing an effort from distance over the visitor’s goal.

Davies, Brookling, Leigh, May, Bridges (Odusanya), Burt, Szram, Titcomb, Wareing, McLeod-Walker (Ingram), Limbu (Skehan). Subs not used, Pearce, Mowat