Brook House 3 (2) v Woodley United 2 (1)
Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League – Division One – 10th March 2026
Woodley’s torrid run of poor form continued although in truth this was a decent performance which in another day would have seen the match points won in a match that saw the hosts take a lead into half time by converting to of their three goal attempts.
United started brightly with Dylan Clark involved in much of the early play on the left flank and it was his pass into the goal area that led to Donate Hamblin opening the scoring for the visitors. Clark reacted first to a headed defensive clearance from a cross field pass by Kieran Matylen to beat a defender and pass low to the near post where Hamblin tucked the ball into the net after ten minutes of play.
However, the lead was short lived with Brook House levelling five minutes later when Hekmat Alizai received the ball goal side of Kaylum Barlow and shot through the legs of the advancing Joe Hill into the net.
United responded well and went on to enjoy the better of the half forcing a number of corner kicks and free kicks as the home team defended in depth, block attempts at goal and frustrating United to shoot from distance.
The failure to convert the pressure into goals was United’s undoing in the forty first minute when a cross from Brook House’s right was met at the far goalpost by an unmarked Antony Emeh to head the ball pass Hill which saw the hosts go into half time with an unlikely lead.
The second half started as a scrappy affair and it was from an innocuous free kick played by Brook House from a couple of yards inside Woodley’s half into the penalty area that saw a mis headed clearance fall to Alizai to score his second of the game eleven minutes after the restart.
Four minutes later House’s Greg Wright was penalised for hand ball with Clark converting the penalty kick to reduce the deficit. This lead to United again being positive but failing to convert chances with Hamblin one on one with keeper Adam Childs and squaring the ball only for a recovering defender make a clearance, Hamlin putting a shot over the goal from close range after the ball had rebounded of the cross bar and Mackenzie Creech also firing the ball over the goal from a Hamblin cross.
With six minutes of the half remaining Adam Maadini did well to delay a home team counter attack that saw a three on one situation as United pushed for an equaliser that was not forthcoming despite six minutes of added time being played.
Hill, Barlow (Maadini), Leahy, Campbell, Maylen, Naicker (Van Spall), Clark, Simpson (Collins), Hamblin, Hannachi (Oates), Creech (Taplin)