Woodley United 1 (0) v Holmer Green 0 (0)
The game kicked off with United kicking into the sun towards the railway end and saw both teams create chances in the opening five minutes. Dylan Clark saw his corner kick cleared to safety while Ornildo Shehu shot wide from close range following Zeid Hannachi’s pass to be followed by Holmer Green’s Lloyd Majaya shooting direct at Joe Hill in the Woodley goal and Harrison Holbrook heading wide from a visitors’ free kick.
The twelfth minute saw Holmer Green awarded a penalty kick when Jasper Stewart impeded an opponent following a free kick into the Woodley penalty area. Joe Hill was equal to the task stopping Liam Butters spot kick with his feet with the ball going out of play for a corner kick.
The match then settled into an even midfield affair with defences to the fore although Troy Williams did shoot over the crossbar in the thirty second minute from Clark’s free kick to be followed by another Clark free kick which Kieran Maylen played into the penalty area only for Williams to shoot at Sam Bell in the Holmer goal.
The first minute of stoppage time saw Clark cross into the Holmer penalty area where Williams and Stewart both jumped for the ball only to see it cleared to safety and the half ended goalless with visiting spectators saying this was the best Holmer performance of the season not withstanding them missing their leading goalscorer for the game.
The second half saw early chances for both teams with the best one falling to Williams who outran the defence only to be denied a shot on goal by a defender’s timely tackle. This was followed by Hill saving in a one on one situation. Gradually United started to get the upper hand in the match with Clark involved in much of the play from Woodley’s right hand side.
It was to be Clark who score the only goal of the game which came in the seventy eight minute when he received a pass from Williams, withheld a challenge before shooting past Bell.
It took a double goal line clearance first by Hill and then Maylen to deny Holmer an equaliser a minute from the end of norma time to secure the match win for United.
Hill, Maadini, Cammock, Hannachi (Leahy), Maylen, Simpson, Clark (Fanstone), Stewart (Collins). Williams, Taplin (Barlow), Shehu (Downes)