United and Wallingford share six goals in end to end game

United welcomed Wallingford Town to Rivermoor Stadium on Monday evening for their first home league match in six weeks. Since then Woodley’s fortunes have picked up, including maximum points from their trips to Aldermaston and Chinnor.

Wallingford were also on a good run of form, winning their last four and they had the first chance of the match. A central free kick twenty five yards from goal was saved by Tom Bryant in the United goal.

The hosts’ first half chance came courtesy of Max Laschok who ran onto a pass down the left channel. His cross was slightly too strong for a blue shirt to get on the end of.

Fifteen minutes gone saw Woodley forward Leon Mannion bearing down on the away goal; clipped by a defender twenty yards out, the ball broke to Pablo Fernandez who had the ball taken off him as he was shooting.

United opened the scoring three minutes later when Laschok continued his good run of scoring, netting in his third consecutive match. Receiving a Fernandez pass, he baited the keeper into committing by going to shoot with his right before beating him with a left-footed shot.

Playing some really nice football, the home side went looking for a second. Chace Jewell combined with Laschok, who in turn found Mannion; this time the foul was given, with the free kick going into the wall.

The lead was doubled half an hour in when a sublime Mannion cross from the left picked out Laschok at the back post; smashing goalwards, he was denied his second by a handball five yards out. For the third game in a row Sam Guze stepped up from twelve yards beating Liam Vaughan with a well-struck penalty.

Almost immediately Wallingford nearly pulled one back due to some good play by Ashley Searle. Receiving the ball down the left he cut inside and beat Bryant with a low shot only to see it go inches wide of the left post.

The visitors were then back in the game nine minutes before the break when Luke Williams turned in from close range after Bryant mishandled a cross from the right.

Woodley ended the half strongly; a shot from twenty five yards was blocked whilst Laschok tested Vaughan after a good run.

HT Woodley United 2-1 Wallingford Town

The second period started with another decent United move. Adam Barnard’s pass into Mannion saw the forward’s flick onto Laschok slightly too strong, allowing Vaughan to gather.

At the other end, a shot from the right went into the side netting before the game was all square when Euan Aitchinson got to the ball before Bryant, heading a right wing cross into an empty net on fifty two minutes.

Woodley made a change on sixty minutes when Barnard, who had picked up a knock made way for Teddy Thomas. This saw Freddie Barron move into the middle of the park and Thomas slot in at right wing back.

Being played at a frantic pace, the game was swinging from end to end. Bryant did brilliantly to tip over a Williams effort.

The hosts retook the lead on sixty three minutes after some individual brilliance from Laschok. With nothing seemingly on, a neat turn freed up some space allowing him to fire an unstoppable effort into the top left corner from the edge of the box.

After falling behind again, you would think that Town would have laid siege to the United goal but it was Woodley who had the game’s next opportunity. Mannion’s well hit shot was blocked by a defender. This was followed by a really soft foul given on Vaughan after Barron went up to challenge him following a Jewell cross.

Between these chances, United made a further change when Fernandez was replaced by Harry Hawkins.

With the game in the final five minutes, Bryant pulled off an incredible stop to thwart Searle who had gone one-on-one after latching onto a ball from the right. The ball broke to a yellow shirt who was denied by Jono Malone who drew a foul.

In the eighty ninth minute Woodley made a final change when Toby Briggs came on for Laschok.

United were then denied three points in the third minute of injury time when Wallingford substitute Mark Spruyt smashed into the top corner from the right side of the box.

FT Woodley United 3-3 Wallingford Town