Week 19 Match Report

The football schedule bore the brunt of the cold snap as the end of the freezing temperatures crippled the fixture list in the Witney and District. However, the teams who did get a game on provided plenty of entertainment as the nine completed fixtures produced an astonishing 53 goals.

Division One

Two weeks ago Spartan scored four goals for the first time this season but still ended up on the losing side, this week they had to score five just to earn a point as visiting Brize Norton matched them in every way possible to ensure a share of the spoils this weekend. Both John O’Neill and Che Tannock scored for the second time this month with Ricardo Rodrigues and new signing Corey Kelly both also on the scoresheet. Brize found a way of taking a point though. Joe Hatt and William Buchicchio scored one each and it was left to a marvellous Dylan Briggs hat-trick to carry him to a personal tally of sixteen goals this season and end the game at 5 apiece.

Much more one sided at Hanborough where Bampton United romped to their third consecutive victory with a 4-0 win over Hanborough Reserves. James Haley, Jake Prichard, Miles Roberts and Ross Parker scored one each on the victory which pushed Bampton up to seventh, one place behind their opponents.

Fred Ford 3rd Round

Only one completed game but two sides through to the quarter finals of the Fred Ford.

It was second in Division One versus first in Division Three as Tower Hill hosted Deer Park Rangers (pictured) but the score line was closer than their respective league placings. Rangers had dumped out Premier Division Hanborough in the previous round so were no strangers to causing upsets. Thomas Stratton got their first half goal, with Fenn Carey replying for Tower to leave it 1-1 at half time. There wasn’t much to separate the sides after the break but it was won inside the ninety minutes. Sam Britnell scoring the winner for Tower to push them into the last eight but Rangers gave them a hell of a game.

Combe were already into the last eight, having been drawn against Carterton United in the third round prior to Carterton’s resignation from the league.

Division Two

As unbelievable as it might be, Spartan and Brize Norton’s ten goal draw wasn’t the highest scoring draw of the weekend, that honour fell to Siege and Milton under Wychwood Reserves, who shared twelve goals in a 6-6 draw. Nathan Randall scored twice for Milton but his feat was matched by both Chris Hirons and Jonny Dover for Siege. Kev Lewis and Tommy Burns scored once each for Siege but Milton grabbed a point thanks to a Jack Romanek hat-trick and a Siege own goal.

Kingham and Freeland also couldn’t be separated but didn’t quite reach the steady heights of twelve goals in their game. One goal each was enough for a point apiece. Yusuf Okunade’s strike cancelled out by Matt Williams’ goal for Freeland.

Division Three

A second game to feature twelve goals took place in Division Three. With the powers that be at each club working swiftly to get the game reversed, Faringdon A visited Bampton Reserves instead of hosting them. Faringdon then went on to score five for the second time this season as Jason Evans, Kenny Mortimer-Jones, Ethan Macpherson and Chris Rutt (2) all found the net. But Bampton put together a triple double with three of their players scoring twice. Brendan Neale, Chris Laurence and Dan Paintin all grabbed braces and Aaron Court’s solitary effort made sure of the points in the game of the day.

Carterton Town are now level on points at the top of the table after returning to winning ways by edging past Heyford Atheltic Reserves by the odd goal in five. Henry Fletcher and Josh Haynes scored one each for Heyford but a Travis Cozier brace put Carterton in the game and an Andy Partlett strike secured a win for the hosts.

Matthew Gallagher’s double kept Tower Hill Reserves in the hunt as they beat second bottom Spartan Rangers Reserves, 2-0. Tower’s ninth win of the season, and fourth win in a row, keeps them four points behind Carterton and they have two games in hand.

Stonesfield Reserves recorded their first win in five games to edge further away from the bottom of the table. They edged past bottom side Leafield Reserves with a 2-1 win. Luke Hosegood scored for Leafield but Mike Phipps and Jonny Newton’s goals were enough to get Stonesfield back to winning ways.