Eagles Land Benfica 1 (1) v Woodley United 2 (1)
Brandon Dylon Louie Eade
Harry Wardle
Combined Counties League – Division One – 17th October 2026
In this bottom of the table clash, it was visiting Woodley who took the match points, to leapfrog their hosts and move two places and five points above the relegation zone.
United kicked off fielding ten of the same starting XI as the previous game and were positive from the start. Winger Sam Garafalo had a shot go wide across the goal in the first minute, to be followed by Louis Eade hitting the side netting and Gianni Massi shooting high and wide from distance all in the first five minutes.
The start was rewarded in the tenth minute when Nathan Mindomba’s cross was headed clear to the edge of the penalty area where Eade struck a low shot inside home goalkeeper Albi Laci’s left hand post.
However, the lead did not last for long as Eagles levelled three minutes later. Unmarked Rafael Barbosa from the edge of the visitors’ penalty area flicked the ball to Brandon Dylon who wrong footed James West before poking the ball inside the near post.
A period of frantic play followed with Benfica increasing their work rate and started to move the ball quickly while Woodley looked to move the ball forward at every opportunity to bring Garafalo and Mindomba into the game on the wings.
However, goalscoring opportunities were of a premium. Mindomba headed a ball across the goal from man of the match Luke Cox’s free kick on the half hour while Eagles hit the underside of the Woodley cross bar with four minutes of the half remaining.
The introduction of Jordan Brown early in the second half lead to Woodley playing more in the hosts’ half during the second half which saw a number of corners and free kicks being won. However, it was not until the eighty first minute that United with what was to be the winning goal. This came from Jackson PEnhallurick’s corner that was met by Harry Wardle to head into the net for his first goal for the club.
Busse, McCourt, Riley, Massi (Penhallurick), West (Sweeney) Cox, Eade (Brown), Wardle, Webb (Caralon), Mindomba, Garafalo (Southgate)