Three points & a clean sheet in the wind & rain at Fairford Town

United made it back to back wins in the Premier Division for the first time and in doing so climbed to twelfth position in the league table.

Playing with the wind behind them Woodley started strongly with both wide men, Owen Davies and Carl Prestidge, dangerous in attack and going on to enjoy their best games of the season and causing the home defence constant problems, particularly in the opening twenty minutes which also saw Greg Beckett and Danny Horscroft have efforts blocked in the penalty area..

However, for all United’s pressure it was the home team who went close to opening the scoring with the lively Lee Smith seeing the ball rebound into play of the foot of the upright before the match’s single goal came in the twenty seventh minute.

Right back Luke Turner played the ball forward to Davies, whose run at the defence from the half way line allowed him to find Horscroft on the edge of the Town penalty area. The United midfielder created space for himself before firing past Charles Steward in the home goal.

Fairford responded and it needed Mitch Cooper to clear a goal bound shot from Smith after the defender had initially slipped to allow the forward to be one on one with Alex Reed while Michael Porter also made a timely tackle to prevent Liam Gale shooting at Reed.

Prestidge was twice denied by Steward while United were indebted to Reed turning a Smith shot onto the post and out of play for a corner, four minutes before half time.

Woodley started the second half as they had the first. Prestidge put in Davies but the ball overran to Steward while Horscroft hit the post and Beckett’s follow up was cleared for a corner which Porter headed towards the penalty area that Beckett fired over.

Smith was denied by Reed when one on one, while Joe Barley cleared off the line after Wilson had beaten Reed on the hour mark.

With the rain falling and blowing into United’s faces Fairford enjoyed good second half possession but Woodley were dangerous on the counter attack while the defence stood firm but had to survive a penalty scare one minute from time when Wilson went down and then relied on Jake Nicholls to block the ball on the goal line in the fifth minute of stoppage time, that Reed recovered to secure the win.

Reed, Turner, Barley, Nichols, Porter (Goddard), Cooper, O Davies (Wilson), Ledger, Beckett, Horscroft, Prestidge (Hinds)