United exit Bluefin Sports Challenge cup

An illness hit Woodley United travelled to Division One West members Clanfield 85 on Saturday and what was already a difficult task was made harder seven minutes into the match when Callum Miller side stepped two challenges to open the scoring with a low shot past Tom Bryant.

With Woodley struggling to put pressure on the home defence and Clanfield enjoying possession but creating few chances the game got bogged down in midfield. Bryant stopped a goal when faced one on one just after the half hour which was followed first by Sam Guze shooting wide and then Ryan Alexander putting his effort wide after good play on the right by Teddy Edwards and Andrew Gilbert.

Four minutes before the half time break a home team free kick was header across Woodley’s goal area where the unmarked Miller tapped in his second of the game. Alexander failed by inches to connect with a cross on the stroke of half time before Bryant parried a corner and from the resulting shot Gilbert headed of the goal line.

The second half saw United revert to a 3-5-2 formation with full backs Gilbert and Pele Hagger playing as wing backs to greater effect with United show a greater threat. Chase Jewell saw the home keeper Jamie Zolden catch an attempted chip when one on one ten minutes into the half and Edwards fired a volley wide.

Eight minutes from time the match was settled with a replica of the second goal following a free kick that saw Jordan Thomas score from close range.

A cross from Joe Sissons was headed home by Sam Guze in the eighty eight minute and the scoring was completed in the second minute of stoppage time as Miller pounced on Jon Malone’s under strength header to Bryan to score his third and the hosts forth.

Bryant, Gilbert, Hagger, Malone, Axton-Hall (Hawkins), Sissons, Thomas, Titcomb, Guze, Alexander, Jewell