S & S pen a cup victory

A “foursome” second half saw Woodley United progress into the second round of the league cup at the third attempt and for the first time since joining Combined Counties League.

Woodley started positively and were rewarded with the opening goal in the fifth minute when Connor Suckling met Dan Watkiss’ cross to score past visiting keeper Sam Butcher.

Penn left winger Elijah Layman began being instrumental in the visitors’ attacks and from passage of play a cross was played to the far post that required Paul Massaquoi to head for a corner as a forward challenged for the ball. United saw two free kicks safely dealt with by Masters before Layman levelled the scores after twenty five minutes play. With United’s back four out of position, Masters delivered a long fly kick into the Woodley half that bounced over Manny Adu Essah as he jumper with an opponent for the ball which went to :Layman. The winger showed good skill to beat a defender and gently roll the ball past Nathan Smith in the Woodley goal.

Smith was called upon to make a block two minutes later that kept the score level at half time.

Six minutes after the restart a good run down the left flank by Connor Richardson resulted in him beating a defender and putting a low cross into the Penn goal area which took a deflection of another defender with Sid Gbla reacting first to score from close range. Five minutes later ex-Woodley captain Gary Smith conceded a penalty when he felled Connor Suckling with the winger running at goal. Gbla converted the spot kick.

Penn reduce the deficit on the hour when Layman passed the ball to his right to allowed a winger to shot at Smith from a tight angle. The Woodley keeper parried the shot into the path of Josh Pedley to tap the ball into the net from close range.

Woodley stated to make a number of substitutions who brought added energy to the game as both teams went in search of the next goal without troubling the goal keepers. The closest either team came to a scoring was when Kevin DeBarros saw a shot thunder of the cross bar and back into play in the seventy third minute and a passage of play involving Richardson and Jack Smith result in Suckling having a shot blocked eight minutes from the end of normal time.

As ninety minutes approached Richardson beat Masters to the ball and put a low cross into the goal area that Suckling converted to restore the hosts two goal lead. The scoring was completed two minutes into stoppage time when Richardson out ran Gary Smith and passed to Jack Smith who in turn passed to Suckling. Suckling return the ball to Jack Smith to score inside Masters’ right hand post.

United now await the second round draw to learn who their opponent will be.

N Smith, Adu Essah (Chowdhary), Massaquoi (Jeczalik), Lambourne (LePaih), Watkiss (Mabukwa), Williams, Suckling, J Smith, Gbla (DeBarros), Brandao, Richardson