The meeting between two of the divisions bottom three teams saw a cadgy first half with both sides reluctant to commit players forward at the risk of conceding the lead. The outcome was a half played on the counterattack and goal chances being created from set pieces.
As early as the fourth minute Jake Simpson palmed Ryosei Komine’s free kick for a visitors’ corner kick which was followed shortly afterwards with Ousman Darboe heading the ball from Ty Moorcroft’s long throw to Rovers’ keeper Maximillian Gawronski.
Ryoga Miyata shot wide following Mo Adam’s header falling to the winger while Woodley thought a penalty was the outcome of Gawronski’s challenge on Moorcroft in the nineteenth minute only for a goal kick to be awarded.
Takuo Jitsukawa hit Simpson’s left upright from a free kick and in the final minute of the half, a long clearance by Gawronski found the same player who shot on the run over the Woodley cross bar.
Seven minutes into the second half the visitors cleared Sam Garofalo’s corner off their goal line, as Woodley showed an increased desire to take the game to their opponents. Moorcroft headed another Garofalo corner wide with Samurai forging their first chance of the half in the sixty third minute when Nicolas Bross shot over the home goal.
George Day headed onto the roof of the next from yet another Garofalo corner two minutes later. From the resulting goal kick Rovers were able to clear the ball long and wide to Miyata on their left side for the winger to outrun the home defence, hold of a challenge before shooting low and wide of Simpson to open the scoring.
Woodley levelled in the seventy seventh minute when Mackenzie Creech passed to Justin Davis who in turn found Darboe to withstand a challenge and pass to Daty to beat Gawronski at his near post.
With four minutes of normal time remaining Samurai retook the lead with Miyata again receiving the ball on the left and running along the touchline before passing to Haruma Yunome who in turn passed the ball into the United penalty area where Michael Melnarkitis scored from close range.
The lead was short lived as Creech levelled two minutes later heading home Day’s corner. Four minutes into six of added time saw Dylan Clark force Gawronski into a low save in what was the last goal attempt of the game.
Simpson, Adam (Alozie), Podgorski, Creech, Maylen, E Downes, Day, Darboe, Moorcroft, D Clark, Garofalo Subs not used Leahy, Holliday and East