Dissappointment in Gloucestershire

Uhlsport Hellenic League – Premier Division – 28st October 2017

United’s recent good form was undone with a lack lustre display at Tuffley Rovers which despite the performance could have seen the visitors sneak a point had greater composure and confidence been shown in front of goal.

Playing into a strong wind and the sun from the start Woodley was under pressure and escaped going a goal down in the first minute when a Tuffley effort hit the underside of the cross bar and rebound back into play before being cleared.

Alex Reed was called on to save well from a Danny Wallington free kick after eight minutes and the dangerous Shayne Bradley headed an Ashley Bird free kick over the cross bar a minute later.

Having weather the storm Joe Barley set up Carl Prestidge who low cross was cleared for corner that saw Eric Edge have to tip over his cross bar for second corner while a Jake Nicholls low free kick had Edge dive full length to push away for another corner.

The only goal came in the sixteenth minute when Bradley was allowed to head into the far side netting unmarked while two minutes later Idris Karama put a header over the cross bar from a Nicholls’ corner.

With Tuffley moving the ball forward quickly the final fifteen minutes of the half saw a lot of play in United’s half who went into the break a goal down having survived Bradley heading wide and Bird seeing an effort cleared.

The second half saw Woodley struggle to create chances until the final quarter of an hour when a change of players in different positions brought joy with Owen Davies seeing a goal bound shot blocked in the eighty second minute followed by Marvin Hinds shooting straight at Edge on two occasions.

The match ended in an unsatisfactory manner when in the sixth minute of stoppage time Barley was wrestled to the ground, when attempting on last counter attack, and was dismissed for his reaction.

Reed, Barley, Goddard (Samuel – Harman) Nichols, Kamar, Cooper, Hinds, Ledger, Beckett, Prestidge, O Davies