Saturday 2nd January

Premier Division

Ascot United 0 Reading Town 3
This Berkshire derby was the only Hellenic League fixture to survive the freeze and so all credit to Ascot for getting the game played. On a sunny afternoon and under blue skies, Ascot were rewarded with a good crowd of around 150. Among them were officials from other Hellenic League clubs, including Binfield and Woodley.
Ascot have twice been hammered by Reading this season, 5-0 away in the league and 5-1 at home in the League Cup. So a three-goal reverse reflects some improvement in the team’s performance. United, who included two recent signings from Reading, Chris Farrelly, who had a fine game and Dean Thomas.
But Ascot spent virtually the whole of the opening 45 minutes in their own half, with only some occasional runs from Farrelly down the right causing any concern for the Town defence. Ascot owed a lot to their defence, in particular Chris Page and Nick Curtis, to restricting Reading to just two goals before half-time.

Reading’s leading scorer James Clark and Michael Hancock both tested keeper Dave Lyons in the home goal before Michael Buck headed Aaron Parfitt's free-kick over the bar from close range. It was central defender Buck who opened the scoring in the half-hour mark, racing through a static Ascot defence to turn home another dangerous cross from Parfitt. Buck also set up the second goal in the 42nd minute. His sliding clearance to deny Andy Lunn a shot at goal was picked up by Parfitt, who threaded a superb through ball for Clark to take in his stride and beat Lyons for a cool finish.
Half Time: 0 - 2
Ascot started the second half in a positive fashion and forced Town keeper Chris Grace into making a couple of saves. But a confident Reading side, with Gianluca Riccio prominent in midfield and Danny Williamson showing plenty of pace down the right flank, soon regained the upper hand and played some excellent football. They had a goal disallowed for offside and a penalty appeal turned down before the Graham Lewis rounded off a slick move involving Scott Rees and Clark. Ascot had a chance to get late consolation goal when they were awarded a penalty as Buck pushed substitute Zak Spencer, but Page’s spot kick was brilliantly turned over the bar by Grace, diving to his right.
Grace reckons he has now saved eight of the last 12 penalties he has faced, a remarkable achievement and one of the reasons why Reading are well clear in the title race.

Oxfordshire Senior Cup 2nd Round - Saturday 2nd January 2010

Garsington 0 - 1 Kidlington

Kidlington Slide past Garsington!

Kidlington hadn’t seen any competitive action for nearly 3 weeks so they were extremely happy that this match with Garsington went ahead. After beating Hellenic table toppers Reading Town in their last run out ‘Kiddy’ faced another previously unbeaten side in Oxfordshire Senior League favourites Garsington and in the end won it by the narrowest of margins.

The pitch at Garsington had seen little action of late and was in a terrific condition considering the semi frozen state of the playing surface and this allowed the game to go ahead. Kidlington were certainly the faster team out of the blocks as the game started taking the play to the home side and trying to play some neat football in the process. Jimmy Deabill played a ball inside to Jack Quainton in the 7th minute, Quainton controlled it well, but after he shot Garsington keeper Chris Flowers saved well. Kidlington took the lead in the 14th minute. A good incisive move down the left flack culminated in Quainton playing a ball across the 6 yard area for the prolific Luke Holden to finish smartly, side footing home into the corner of the net. After this Garsington pushed on to try and secure an equalizing goal. This nearly arrived in the 23rd minute. Kidlington old boy Liam O’Callaghan stormed into the visitor’s box, he delayed his shot though which allowed Kiddy Captain Danny Leggett to get back and make a saving tackle. As the match progressed you could see that the Garsington players were started to get frustrated with their inability to break Kidlington’s defence down. Some over zealous tackles earned a couple of their players yellow cards. Certainly the hosts were having a go in the latter stages of the half but Kidlington held firm and although tricky Garsington winger Jerome Constant had a decent chance he couldn’t beat Kiddy keeper Tom McNamara with a shot from the edge of the box.

H.T. 1 – 0

After the break Kidlington’s Lewis Coyle was really unlucky to see a rasping drive come back off a post in the 47th minute. As this half progressed you could see and hear that the pitch beginning to freeze up again. Players were loosing their footing and finding it extremely difficult to turn with the ball. Both sides were managing to create half chances, but no further goals were forth coming with defences generally on top. Garsington, who are not used to loosing were still persisting with some strong and over the top tackling which was earning them more and more yellow cards. In the 82nd Garsington fashioned themselves a really good opportunity. After Kidlington’s James Philpott had slipped over in the centre of the park O’Callaghan raced forward with the ball. He played it inside to another Garsington player but his goal bound shot was parried by McNamara. The ball fell kindly for Constant who hit a rasping drive which looked destined for the top corner. McNamara though sprang across his box and made a magnificent save to keep Kidlington’s lead intact. In the closing minutes the indiscipline of Garsington really cost them as firstly their Skipper Colin Ryan received a straight red for a really nasty foul, then Aaron Armstrong received his second yellow and Garsington finished the match with only 9 men.

To Kidlington’s great credit they never got involved in any of the shenanigans that were going on and won the game without any of their players receiving a caution. To be fair this was a test today for Gordon Geary’s young side and they came through it with flying colours. With so many players either suspended or injured this was a great result and Kidlington will now go on to face fellow Hellenic Premier Club Carterton in the next round.