Having played out two goalless draws last season, these two teams proceeded to provide another forty-five minutes without a score following which two came in seven second half minutes shortly after the restart!

Rising Ballers kicked off and lost possession allowing Enow Ojong to run at their defence from United’s left wing before shooting at Sam Dowding on in the visitors’ goal. Two minutes later the same player shot wide of Dowding’s right had post following good play that involved Lewis Slade and debutant Joe Allen.

Another United debutant, goalkeeper Jake Simpson was called into action in the eleventh minute to block a shot after the visitors’ broke Woodley’s off-side trap. Lewis Slade saw a free kick go wide after a quarter hours’ play that was quickly followed by Matteo Giacobbe having a shot blocked.

With the home team looking defensively sounder compared to recent games this gave them confidence to be positive in forward play, but they were unable to break the deadlock not withstanding Eden Downes’ free kick going over the cross bar and two corners all being won in stoppage time.

The deadlock was eventually broken by Rising Ballers. Shayden McDonald’s free kick to the far post was headed back towards goal where Malik Nyanin scored from close range. The lead was short lived when a short United goal kick followed a long ball down the right wing which Ojong outran a defender and cross low into the penalty area for Giacobbe to shoot low pass Dowding.

Ojong saw a shot go well wide, Allen fired over and Downes headed the ball at McDonald in a five minute spell as United pushed for the lead. Woodley thought they had a penalty in the seventy third minute when Downes appeared to be fouled but play continued. The sinbinning of Tariq Abduelatief with thirteen minutes remaining effectively ended the game with the visitors defending and showing little forward ambition and Woodley unable to find a way to goal.

This remained the case when Abduelatief returned to the match as both teams settled for a point.

Simpson, Podgorski, Van Spall, E Downes, Hopkins, Leahy, Giacobbe (Darcy), Creech (Dabobe), Allen, Slade (Reid), Ojong (D Clark) Sub not used: Ward