Match Reports - Week 27

Junior Challenge Cup Semi Final
Brize Norton will meet FC Chequers in the final of the Junior Challenge Cup as both teams picked up mid-week wins to earn their ticket to the final. Brize Norton beat North Leigh A 2-0 with goals from Jez Morgan and Matt Howard whilst FC Chequers saw off Stanton Harcourt 4-0 in a booming match with Dan Harwood (2), Nathan Beckett and Paul Read all getting on the score sheet.

Senior Challenge Cup Semi Final
It took penalties to separate Hailey and Kingham AB as the sides were locked in a 0-0 stalemate after 120 minutes. Joey King held his nerve to score the winning penalty putting Hailey through 4-3.

Premier Division
Hailey may have been suffering from a semi-final hang-over as they went down 3-2 to Wychwood Forest back in the Premier Division. Luke Manning scored twice for the hosts but goals from Neil Taylor, Jason Trinder and Mike Duerden gave the visitors all three points severely denting Hailey’s hope of retaining the title.

Hanborough’s charge towards the title stumbled slightly on Saturday as thy were held to a 1-1 draw with Charlbury Town. Both goals came in the second half with Tom Lewis scoring for the hosts and regular goal getting, Craig McCallum netting for Charlbury.

Spartan Rangers failed to take advantage of Hanborough’s slip as they were also only able to take a point from their 1-1 draw with Combe. Hot shot Matt Townsend gave Spartan the lead but the hoses were pegged back in the second half through a Mike Gardener strike.

Ducklington pulled level in second place after a narrow 3-2 win over Kingham AB. Ian Peedell, Darren Harris and Frank Clarke scored the goals that earned the win with Sam Philpotts scoring both for Kingham.

Witney Royals continued their good run-in with a 4-1 win over Minster Lovell. Chris Coggins bagged a rare brace with Jamie Kennedy and Matt Thompson netting the others. Ed Dunne replied for Minster who are now all but mathematically relegated.

Division One
FC Mills annual end-of-season relegation escaping charge started with the 5-1 scalp of table toppers Chad Park. Simon Grove-White hit a hat trick in this shock result as the perennial struggles played Chad off the park. Mills who had replaced a lot of first team regulars with up and coming youngsters from the reserves, rounded off the scoring with strikes from Jim Petterson and Phil Tierney. Tim Allen scored the consolation goal for the stunned visitors.

Thanks to Chad’s slip North Leigh A are now only 4 points behind with games in hand after a 5-1 thrashing of Witney Wanderers. Luke Simmonds, Lee Moseley, Simon Doherty and Jason Lonsdale grabbed the goals with Daryl John replying for the visitors. The result leaves Wanderers 3 points from safety at the bottom of the table.

FC Chequers moved into third, leapfrogging their opponents Brize Norton after defeating them 3-0. Nathan Beckett bagged a brace with Mo Semlali netting the other.

Alex Connolly saved a penalty for hosts West Witney but still lost 1-0 thanks to a single Josh Truby strike. The goal was enough to take all three points for Nomads in the mid-table scrap.

Mike Baker and Lee Beer scored for Aston and Ducklington Reserves respectively as the sides played out a 1-1 draw.

Warwick Thompkins and George Dean scored either side of half time to give Chipping Norton a 2-0 win over Hanborough Reserves.

Division Two
Shaun Rawlings, Jamie Hookins and Liam O’Brien scored the goals in Brize Norton Reserves 3-1 win over Wootton. Tom Williams scored for the hosts who still remain bottom, and four points from safety with only 1 game in hand.

Middle Barton kept their promotion hopes alive with a comfortable 2-0 win over Hailey Reserves. Shane Probitts, with his first goal in mens football and Paul Kay scored in each half to secure the points.

Division Three
Freeland moved into second place and are in good shape for the title run-in after a 9-1 thrashing of fellow promotion hopefuls, Eynsham SSC. Neil Swan bagged a hat trick with Ady Williams (2), Scott Greening, Darius Hodaei, George Wagerfield and Ian Lewis getting the other. Freeland are now 7 points behind leaders West Witney Reserves but with 4 games in hand. The only negative from the visitors point of view was the sending off of substitute Dale Cox who lasted about 5 minutes before seeing red.

North Leigh B’s title hopes took a huge blow with their 6th defeat of the season. This time a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Kingham AB Reserves dented their campaign with Richard French getting both goals for the hosts after Craig Horne had scored in the first half for the visitors.

Minster Lovell look set for Division Four football next season after a 3-1 defeat to Aston Reserves. Stephen Burke scored in the first 45 for Minster but goals from Matt Brett, Tim Green and Jamie Poynton ensured Aston would take all three points.

At the bottom of the Division, FC Mills Reserves became the first club of the season to be relegated After going down 4-2 to Witney Royals A. Colin Morris, Luke Lewis-Rippington, Andy Cross and Anthony Barlow added to their misery despite to great strikes from Anthony Saverton and Dan Moore.

Division Four
Carterton Pumas are now just one more win away from clinching the Division Four title after an impressive 4-0 victory over promotion hopefuls FC Hollybush. Kyle Drummond, Leiron Lace and a Dan Chillington brace scored the goals that put them within touching distance of the Division Four crown.

With no relegation in Division Four, Combe Reserves played for 3 points and pride after their 1-0 win over Freeland B. Lewis Cooper scored the goal that took them to third from bottom.