United into next round of Floodlit Cup with decent showing against Aldermaston

Thirteen days after drawing with Aldermaston in the league, the two sides met again this time with Woodley hosting a Floodlit Cup game played in front of the biggest crowd of the season so far.

The first chance of the match fell to United’s Harry Swabey who was playing right midfield in a 3-5-2 that was first deployed this season in Saturday’s match against Wallingford. A cross from the left was headed wide.

Twenty four minutes in saw Woodley get the game’s only goal with Swabey involved again. Forward Max Laschok won the ball high up the pitch and found Swabey who netted after his initial shot was saved.

Aldermaston then had a couple of chances. The first saw a Jamel Forde-Small strike deflect wide whilst Martin King couldn’t direct his header from a right wing free kick on target.

The half ended with both sides trading shots neither of which troubled either keeper. Laschok missed to the right for United before Monay Mills-Chandler blazed well over for the visitors.

HT Woodley United 1-0 AFC Aldermaston

The closest Aldermaston got to levelling came moments after the restart when a fierce shot from the right was excellently saved by Callum Sangwell diving to his left. A further chance followed when another Forde-Small shot deflected wide.

After surviving the early pressure Woodley started to regain control of the match. A fine run by Freddie Barron down the left ended with his cross cut out whilst Gareth Ainsworth headed a Danny Blatchford free kick wide.

United made a change on sixty four minutes when Sam Wood replaced Nathan Lock in centre midfield and a second substitution six minutes later with Ben Anderson coming on for Laschok.

Moments before Anderson’s introduction Aldermaston had their numbers reduced for ten minutes when Forde-Small was sin binned.

Making the most of the man advantage a superb strike by Swabey didn’t make it as far as the goal due to an even better block by King. The resultant corner was headed wide by Swabey.

A minute from time saw Anderson come within inches of sealing the win when his shot cannoned back off the bar whist a looping header at the other end landed on the roof of Sangwell’s net.

The last chance of the game saw Ainsworth square to Anderson who couldn’t keep his shot down as it bounced up before him six yards out.

FT Woodley United 1-0 AFC Aldermaston