United frozen out in the fog

On a bitterly cold afternoon that saw the match finish in freezing fog, United lost out to a second half stoppage time goal having taken the lead midway through the first half.

Woodley started nervously allowing the hosts to shoot over the cross bar in the third minute and then open the scoring two minutes later when a long ball from left back position allowed Nathan Green to run between the visiting back four and beat Alex Londors in a one on one situation. This was shortly followed by Jakub Jeczalik blocking a goal bound short for a corner kick.

United’s first shot at goal came in the twelve minute when Manny Adu Essah received a pass from Kasper Hok and shot from just inside the Windsor half. The shot beat keeper Cairo Richards but was cleared to Mo Davies who in turn shot but was denied by Richards.

A Kevin DeBarros free kick found Davies who was fouled in the penalty area in the eighteenth minute and again Richards rescued Windsor by saving Connor Richardson’s spot kick. The hosts had an opportunity to extend the lead after twenty seven minutes when they counter attacked from a Woodley corner and needed Londors to clear the ball outside his penalty area.

A minute later United was level. Richardson intercepted the ball and passed to Davies on the right wing, who ran to the edge of the home penalty area before lobbing Richardson and scoring off the inside of the far post. The two players reversed roles four minutes later when Davies crossed from the right and Richardson headed the ball unmarked pass Richards to give the visitors the lead. This lead was short lived when both teams failed to control the ball before a pass found Alessandro Pelliccia just inside the Woodley half and the player outran the defence to slot pass Londors.

Before half time both keepers were called upon to parry goal bound shots to safety to send both teams into the break level.

The opening period of the second half saw Londors block with his feet and Richards save well from Richardson despite the later then being flagged off-side. Both teams exchanged corners with Woodley counter attacking from a Windsor one through DeBarros who passed to Richardson only for the Woodley forward to be tackled for a corner kick as he prepare to shoot. From the kick Hok headed straight to Richards.

With the mist turning to fog the game became scrappy with little for the keepers to do. However, the third minute of stoppage time saw Omar Miller-Talaste score following a corner and a deflection off Jeczalik. United only created one further chance to equalise but Richards was alert to Killian Barratt’s header four minutes later.

Londors, Adu Essah (Barratt), Jeczalik, Hok, Watkiss, Nwokobia, DeBarros, Brandao (Creech), Richardson, Suckling (Albanese), Davies (Upton) Sub not used: Lambourne