Woodley come away from Brackley empty handed

Woodley started the match well, bossing the opening ten minutes. A deep free kick by Idris Kamara split the home defence and found Toby Briggs who had his shot blocked for a corner. The resultant delivery saw a Mitch Cooper header saved.

Some nice link up play by Callum Samuel-Harman and Haydon Richardson, who was making his first start for United ended with the former tripped on the edge of the Brackley box; the resultant free kick came to nothing. This was the end of Woodley's best spell of the game and in truth the following eighty minutes produced very little action for Ali Worby in the home goal.

With the wind behind them Brackley took over. James Watts tested United keeper Alex Reed before a long distance shot that got caught in the wind was gathered by Reed at the second attempt.

Saints Watts was running the game in the middle of the park and forced Reed into a very good save diving to his left to keep out a low shot.

Reed was once again called into action to keep out a Ryan Knight effort that was heading for the right corner. Knight then had a half volley from the left of the box parried out; the ball fell to a red shirt a few yards out who couldn't react quick enough to get meaningful contact.

The first half, in which Cooper and Reed were excellent, ended with Worby off his line quickly to cut out a Kamara pass intended for Michael Porter.

HT Brackley Town Saints 0-0 Woodley United

Woodley nearly took the lead at the start of the second period in fortuitous circumstances when a Richardson cross from the right was sliced onto the roof of the net by a Brackley defender.

At the other end the hosts came close to opening the scoring when Watts crashed a shot against the right post from twenty yards after a blocked shot fell invitingly to the Brackley man.

Just past the hour and the deadlock was broken when captain Lewis Baldwin found the right corner from a free kick. Minutes later the score should have been doubled when Alex Stott headed a great chance wide.

United made a change on sixty seven minutes when Richardson made way for Abdul Kamara. This saw Woodley changing to 4-3-3 with Sam Guze playing further forward in support of lone striker Briggs.

The visitors were restricted to shots from distance or set pieces. A Guze effort from twenty five yards was well wide to the left.

With twelve minutes to go United made a further change; Teddy Thomas replaced Joe Barley.

Pressing for an equaliser some great skill by Samuel-Harman saw him twist and turn several Brackley players before being fouled. The following Guze free kick went over.

United made their final change with nine to go when Marvin Hinds came on for Ashley Ledger.

Both sides were reduced to ten men on eighty four minutes when a Porter lunge on Charlie Kille saw an angry reaction from the Saints left back. The tackle was deemed worthy of a red and the Brackley full back also walked for retaliating.

With the wind letting up and the rain getting heavier Brackley sealed the win injury time when Stott tapped in a left wing cross.

FT Brackley Town Saints 2-0 Woodley United