No nine lives at AFC Hinksey!

Following the mass departure of players during the close season, Town went into this match with nine of the fourteen players used making their Woodley Town debuts and a further two making their first team debuts. Notwithstanding this there was plenty of Hellenic league experience in the starting eleven which left the management team at a loss to understand why six goals were conceded in a manic twenty four minute second half spell.

Having retained the services of last season’s leading Division One East goal scorer Anaclet Odmiambo and added Jack Dunmall from Premier Division Kidlington where he scored 23 goals in 2012 – 13, it is little wonder many have tipped AFC Hinksey for the title.

Aided by Jordan Tabor and Liam O’Callaghan in midfield and two full backs who enjoy overlapping the midfield, AFC Hinksey were able to exploit space with their quick one two passing giving Town a lesson in how teams are punished if the ball is not retained.

As early as the first minute James Pheby stopped the ball on the Town goal line for Gareth Davies to clear and while the home team exerted pressure Town withstood it until the twenty second minute when a cross field ball behind Tyrone May allowed Dunmall to cut into the penalty area and open the scoring. Town responded with Shane Maskell and Omar Cofie forcing corners but the pressure was undone on the half hour when a sloppy back pass to Ashley Smith was intercepted and the keeper was punished when a penalty kick was awarded when he tripped the forwarded and Denel Thomas converted the spot kick.

Again Maskell and Cofie sought to put pressure on the home defence winning corners that were cleared too easily but with half time looming a series of quick one – twos saw Odmiambo extend the lead.

Odmiambo could have added his second three minutes after the restart but blazed over while Town’s Lemar Maycock saw his run and through ball just go over the Hinksey goal line for a free kick.

Then the period of madness started with Dunmall adding his second on fifty five minutes and although Cofie fired straight at Jon Beames in the home goal from close range following a Town free kick Odmiambo added a fifth and Dunmall completed his hat trick in the sixty seventh minute.

Town continued to make some good moves with Danny Isaiew lively up front but with AFC attacking in numbers on the counter attack they added three more by the seventy eight minute to complete the scoring.

Pheby failed to make good contact from a Jordan Goddard corner while Isaiew worked hard to find space for a shot at goal only to fire over the cross bar.

The team will have to respond quickly to this set back with a trip to Burnham Reserves on Tuesday.

Smith, Thomas, May (Goddard), Graham. Pheby, Davies, Wheeler, Chrysikopoulos (Kingsbeer), Cofie, Maskell (Isaiew), Maycock, Subs not used: Watkiss, Griffiths