10 man Hungerford win by odd goal in five

For the second successive week Town found themselves unable to take advantage against a side reduced to ten men and paid the price for twice equalising only to allow the opponents to regain the lead immediate through defensive frailties.

Oxford Utd loan signing Jamie Connor made his debut for the home team and was nearly an instant hit only to see his early shot comfortably dealt with by Hungerford custodian James Foster. The visitors responded immediately when a forward was allowed a free header over the cross bar from a free kick.

Hungerford centre back Gareth Brown conceded a foul in the Woodley half on seven minutes and from the resulting free kick Brown was adjudged to have struck Danny Isaiew and was dismissed from the game.

Undeterred by the loss of a player, Hungerford kept good defensive shape attacking on the counter which required a timely intervention from Warren Baxter for a corner while Jim Nightingale and Nick Edwards in quick succession saw their shots cleared off the visitors goal line.

Further drama occurred on thirty two minutes when Impy Cooke Chowdhary kept Town in the match by saving to his right Steven Mackham’s penalty, following a push by Edwards on an opponent. Two minutes later Town thought they had scored when a good run by Sam Cripps found Danny Isaiew only for the forwards “goal” to be disallowed for off side.

With the interval approaching Cripps was penalised on forty two minutes which Mattie Pedder converted from the edge of the penalty area to give Hungerford a half time lead.

Buoyed by the lead Steven Marshall saw Cooke Chowdhary save his shot in the first minute but the home team wrestled the initative with Cripps being involved in a number of runs from full back. It was Cripps who kept the ball in play and sent a low cross to Isaiew on seventy two minutes that allowed the forward to shoot through Foster’s legs from very close range to level the score.

However, a misunderstanding in defence three minutes later allowed Pedder to score his and Hungerford’s second of the match.

Connor headed over from a Town corner and Robbie Sadler blocked another goal bound effort from Nightingale before Isaiew scored his second five minutes from time to level the scores. However, Hungerford refused to settle for a point and from a corner two minutes later the unmarked Sadler was allowed to head the visitor’s winner.

Town returns to cup action this Saturday in a 1.30 pm kick off at home to Binfield Reserves in the third round of BBFA Intermediate Cup.

Cooke - Chowdhary, Cripps, Thomas, Edwards, Nightingale (Varndell), Baxter, Jeffrey (Holloway), Connor, Fairchild (Maskell), Isaiew, Williams, Subs Not Used: Gordon and Hiscock

Attendance: 45