Spelthorne Sports 1 v Woodley United 1
8th August 2026
Another hot afternoon on a hard pitch made it difficult for both teams to play football in a match on another day would have seen United take all three match points.
Despite three changes to the back four, the visitors defence played well with George Hurneyman in goal a match for shots at him. A foul on Mark Taylor midway through the first half set the scene for the remainder of the match with heavy tackles and free kicks leading to a stop / game which broke the rhythm of play for both teams.
Following the first half water break, but minus Jon Bon Jovi singing Living on a Prayer, United enjoyed the remainder of the half. Debutant Henry Mott put a free kick over the cross bar with Daniel Santos-Keskin lively up front. The thirty third minute saw Nathan Mindomba shoot wide and two minutes before half time Louis Eade may a good run ending with an attempted lob of the home goalkeeper Shay Honey who caught the ball while in the middle of his goal area.
Despite this, Woodley were nearly caught out in the second minute of stoppage time when a goal line clearance following a corner kick saw both teams go into the break goalless.
The first effort of the second half came in the fifty first minute with Kaleb Joseph shooting over the crossbar with the opening goal coming on the hour. Harvey Collins through ball was pulled back from the goal line by Louis Eade to Santos-Keskin to shoot into the far setting from a tight angle which evaded a retreating defender.
United pushed for the second which saw Mindomba head Collins’ free kick over the crossbar and Mott having an effort blocked following a pass from Mindomba after a long run from the halfway line.
Following Jamie McCourt being penalised for a challenge, the resulting free kick into Woodley’s penalty area saw Hurneyman and an opponent both jump for the ball, Hurneyman punched the ball clear with both players falling to the ground. Despite the referee signalling for play to continue and no foul he was persuaded to seek advice from his assistant which resulted in a penalty being awarded. Abdi Abdillahi took the kick placing low inside Hurneyman’s right upright despite the best efforts of the keeper to narrowly fail to get a hand to the ball in the seventy fifth minute.
Woodley was unable to take advantage of substitute Max Laschok’s speed, saw Mark Taylor head straight to Honey and in the second minute of stoppage tine Enow Ojong having outrun the defence shot at Honey with only the keeper between him and what would have most likely been the winning goal.
Hurneyman, McCourt, Riley, Collins, Taylor, Cox (Moore), Webb (Laschok). Mott (Wardle), Santos-Keskin (Ojong), Eade, Mindomba (Carolan)