Woodley suffer narrow loss in first ever league meeting between sides

After a bright start that saw Woodley have a lot of the ball early on, it was the visitors who had the game's first shot. Sam Blackie tested Alex Reed in the home goal with a shot from a tight angle on the left.

Brimscombe had a good spell ten minutes in but were denied by some superb defending from United captain Idris Kamara. Getting up well to head clear a cross, he followed that up with an acrobatic clearance as Woodley struggled to get out of their half.

Reed was called into action for a second time twenty minutes in, showing good hands to keep out a free kick at his near post. Midway through the half saw United go behind when some indecision between defender and keeper allowed Blackie to round Reed and roll into an empty net.

Looking for an immediate response, Owen Davies, who got his first for the club in midweek, shot narrowly over from twenty five yards.

This was the catalyst for arguably Woodley's best spell of the match. Sam Guze forced Brimscombe goalie Ashley Gale into a good save diving to his left whilst winger Callum Samuel-Harman saw his shot blocked after cutting in from the left flank.

The scores were level on thirty two minutes when Danny Horscroft's good run of scoring continued when he headed a Davies corner into the top right corner. Three in three now for Horscroft.

With the weather worsening and the rain getting heavier, the teams traded shots. The dangerous Blackie had a shot blocked by United centre back Mitch Porter who started Woodley's next attack bringing the ball out of defence before picking out Samuel-Harman; the United man teed up Davies who also saw a shot blocked.

HT Woodley United 1-1 Brimscombe & Thrupp

The away side started the second half well, creating several half chances. A Blackie cross-come-shot was tipped over by Reed whilst substitute Ben Deakin shot weakly at goal.

It was now Woodley's turn to attack. Samuel-Harman tested Gale, a Davies cross was blocked by a combination of goalie and defender whilst a volleyed effort from twenty two yards went wide of the right post.

United's best chance of the half fell to Horscroft who came agonisingly close to turning home a right wing Guze cross.

Moments later Brimscombe retook the lead with a fine move that ended with a Jack Smith touch setting up Blackie who slotted past the advancing Reed.

Blackie was denied a hat trick by another Kamara block after finding space on the left side of the box as the game entered the final fifteen minutes.

Woodley made several quickfire changes in the hope of salvaging a point. Davies made way for Marvin Hinds on seventy nine minutes before Haydon Richardson made his debut for the first team three minutes later, replacing Joe Barley.

Despite the changes, it was the away side that had the final two chances. Reed pulled off a tremendous save to tip wide a glancing header before beating out another Blackie effort.

In between those opportunities United made their final change when Teddy Thomas came on for Samuel-Harman.

FT Woodley United 1-2 Brimscombe & Thrupp