Woodley United 4 (3) v Belstone 1 (0)
Jack Webb 2 Jordan McNally (pen)
Mark Taylor
Sam Garafalo
Combined Counties League – Division One – 3rd October 2026
Buoyed on by vocal support of the club’s u8 section and bolstered by a number of midweek signings, United was good value for the win against a team that has been a Step 6 promotion semi-finalist in the last two season.
Woodley opened the scoring from a corner kick that the visitors’ goalkeeper Neil Sanneh could only punch behind him and for Mark Taylor to scramble the loose ball into the net from three yards in the sixth minute.
The lead was doubled two minutes later when Jordi Ebanda’s pass over the defence allowed Jack Webb to run onto the ball and loft if over the advancing Sanneh. It was one of the new debutants, Gianni Massi whose cross field pass from right to left field, allowed Sam Garafalo to outrun the defence and see his shot go through Sanneh’s legs for Woodley third goal in the thirteenth minute.
At this stage of the game Garafalo was lively on the left wing and man of the match striker Webb proving a handful to Belstone’s centre backs.
Following the high tempo start, Belstone settled to have more territory and possession but it was not until the half hour that they had their first goal attempt that saw new signing Mo Busse save in an one on one opportunity and the ball subsequently cleared following This was followed six minutes later when Belstone hit the upright.
Seven minutes before half time Webb found himself in a good position running at goal but was prevented from shooting by a well-judged tackle from Aarush Yogarajan. With a minute to the break Garafalo showed good skill to get into the penalty area, fall following a challenge only for play to be stopped after he had got to his feet still with the ball and be cautioned for simulation.
The visitors started the second half strongly but it was Woodley who scored the important next goal, all be it a little against the run of play in the fifty eight minute. Ebanda won the ball on the halfway line, passed to Webb next to him and the forward ran at the defence before shooting low into the next from twenty yards.
A good passage of Beltone play was ended when Busse fouled Josh Gavon for a penalty kick which the same played converted midway through the half. However, the goal failed to lift the visitors’ performance and United went on to take the points and in doing so move out of the relegation zone.
Busse, McCourt, Riley, Cox (Brown), Cooper, Taylor, Mindomba (Wardle) Massi (Wint), Webb (Carolan), Ebanda, Garafalo (Southgate)