Week 23 Football Report

Premier Division

Hailey’s winless run extended to three games as they were held to a draw away at Charlbury. Freddie Buckingham notched his eleventh goal of the season but Charlbury hit back through Felix Robertson and Martin Nutt. Tom McCudden scored Hailey’s second to ensure the points were shared.

Stonesfield jumped into second place as they beat bottom side Spartan Rangers. Logan Mitchell’s brace and Jake Halligan’s strike gave Stonesfield a 3-0 win to leave them a point behind Hailey and one point ahead of Enstone.

Hanborough completed the A4095 derby double against Freeland. Having beaten them by a single goal back in October, Hanborough won by a slightly larger margin to earn their fourth league win of the season. Turning up at Freeland with a bare eleven made for a challenging afternoon. A chaotic first half saw a penalty awarded and then overturned for Boro, Hanborough going down to ten men with Jason Trinder going off injured and a fierce defensive performance from Hanborough’s back four and keeper kept Freeland at bay as the first half somehow ended goalless.
Hanborough’s mantra for the second half was composure and Reece Deasy was composure personified as he neatly volleyed home to give Boro the lead. Every player was working hard to cover the pitch, but Sean Quinn was everywhere, disrupting Freeland in every sector. Then, Aston Leach burst through the middle and skilfully rode some challenges before finding Nick Manifold. Manifold’s shot was saved but the ball fell kindly to Tom Weedon who popped the ball into the empty net. The game got scrappier as Freeland looked for a way back into the game which worked as Regan Pritchard capitalised on Hanborough’s inability to clear a free kick. Freeland looked for a leveller in the last ten minutes but left themselves vulnerable to the counter attack. In the 93rd minute Boro did break away with Freeland stopping it illegally to give Hanborough a free kick and Arran Hobley dutifully stepped up to bend the free kick into the net to give Hanborough all three points.

Milton leapfrogged Freeland in the table as they received a walkover victory against Minster Lovell.

Division One

RAF Brize Norton gave their goal difference a boost as they thrashed Ducklington 9-1. Two goals apiece for Mike Duerden and Rory Simmons got Brize well on the way to victory. Dave Wanless, Mason Holmes, Sam Jarvis, Maahir Alam and Mike Flavell all added one each in the drubbing. Ducklington’s consolation came via George Townsend. Brize now back to within a point of league leaders Carterton.

Faringdon Town Development pulled themselves to within a win of safety after they edged bottom side Combe in a seven goal thriller. Ryan Stockwell, Charlie Ibbotson and James Minchin all scored once for Combe but Faringdon edged it thanks to a brace from Chris Butt and further goals from Liam O’ Sullivan and Richard Evans

Lewis Bartlett’s double gave Tower Hill only their second win of this calendar year as they beat Hailey Reserves 3–1. The scores were level at the break, Ben Horne’s goal for Hailey cancelled out by one of Bartlett’s goals. Bartlett got his second before Sean King put the ball into his own net to give Tower all three points.

Aston got their first win of 2023 with a hard earned win over Chadlington. In the promotion hunt at the turn of the year, Aston have lost five and drawn one of their six league games this year but that all changed as Cairo Cuss and Nick Angus scored one each in the 2-0 win.

Heyford Athletic were awarded a second consecutive walkover victory against Hatherop. Subsequently, Hatherop Reserves have been folded to enable Hatherop to fulfil their remaining fixtures.

Division Two

Dan Lay’s perfect hat-trick gave Kingham all three points as Kingham beat bottom side Spartan Rangers Reserves. Rangers turned up with a bare eleven but worked hard to keep Kingham at bay. It worked for fifteen minutes before Kingham stunned them with a quickfire triple. Dan Lay scored twice in 45 seconds, first running onto a loose ball to lob the keeper with his left foot and then sprinting onto a mistake in the Spartan back four to fire home almost immediately after kick off with his right foot. He should have had a 90 second hat-trick but fired his third shot straight at the keeper’s legs. Damien Corbin did score just two minutes later though, chesting in a cross from inside the six yard box. It could have been more but a fine double save from Rhyan Clarke in the Spartan goal kept them out and Corbin then hit the post. The score 3-0 at half time. It took just 25 seconds of the second half for the fourth to come though, Joe Shirley firing home early on. From there the goals flowed, Mitch Faulkner scored a fifth before Lay completed his hat-trick with a header at the back post. Final goals from Dylan Ellis and Daryl Middleton completed the scoring in an 8-0 win.

Karl Pritchard also scored a hat-trick as Bampton thrashed Milton Reserves 7-0. Arron Court scored a double with Cameron Bilton and Jake Pritchard adding the extras as Bampton moved up to sixth in the table.

Brize Norton also had a hat-trick hero as they maintained a firm grip on their promotion credentials with a 7-1 win over Hailey A. Dylan Briggs was the headline maker with his three goal haul, Joe Hatt, Jason Hirschfield, Paul Morrison and Sam Crossley scored the other four. Jamie Warner grabbed Hailey’s consolation.

Eynsham are thirteen points behind Brize after a walkover victory against Hatherop Reserves. They’ll look to make use of their three games in hand to exert some pressure in the final weeks. Sadly, Hatherop Reserves have had to fold to allow Hatherop to fulfill their remaining fixtures.

Cassington remain top after a walkover victory against Siege. Following Hatherop's removal, they now lead by just two points but do have games in hand over Brize.

Leafield’s sixth win of the season allowed them to jump up one place in the league, as they squeezed past Freeland Reserves. Kieran McCall scored for Freeland but Ciao Jusius and Mateus Cunhado’s goals gave Leafield a 2-1 win as they overtook Siege in the table.

Division Three

Carterton Town made it four wins in five games as they continued their excellent recent form by beating Tower Hill Reserves. It was a quick start for Town, ahead within five minutes when Andy Partlett decided to test the goalkeeper early on from just outside the area and his shot found the back of the net, although the keeper may have had issues seeing it due to the number of bodies in the box. It remained even after that, chances created but neither side could finish, that is until Jay Bufton took advantage of a cautious Town defence and dragged Tower Level nine minutes before the break with a well taken goal. Into the second half and the close battle continued. Finally in the 76th minute Town were awarded a penalty which top scorer Tyler Webster slotted home. From there Town took control, five minutes later Will Brothwell scored a third to pretty much secure the points and with four minutes remaining, Andy Partlett chased down a long ball on the right hand side and through pure grit caught the ball before it went out and then crossed for Brothwell to tap in for Town’s biggest win of the season.

FC Mills came from behind twice to take a point of Chadlington Reserves. Another slow start by Mills as they found themselves behind early for the second week running. George Slatter’s penalty giving Chad a 10th minute lead. John Chapman equalised but Slatter’s second of the game gave Chad a half-time lead. Into the second half and Mills had their own penalty, converted safely by Aaron French. From there Chad were reduced to ten men and then down to nine with ten minutes still on the clock. Mills pushed for a winner but Chadlington held on for a 2-2 draw.

Chadlington’s slip allowed Wootton to move back into the top two for the first time since January. They dispatched bottom side Eynsham Reserves with a 3-0 win. Lee Spencer’s brace and a Dan Harris goal giving Wootton their thirteenth win of the season.
Yarnton remain one point ahead at the top after a 3-1 win over Deer Park Rangers. Harrison Quilley-Smith scored for Deer Park but Yarnton powered to victory with goals from Michael Trafford, George Greening and Ethan Merrill. Wootton and Yarnton meet next week in a top of the table clash.

A triple-double gave Aston Reserves the biggest win of the day in Division Three as they swept aside Sherborne Harriers. They didn’t have it all their own way as Josh Betteridge scored his 21st goal of the season in the 12th minute. Aston did manage to take control however, Jordan Saverton, Lewis Gardner and Alex Murrell all scored doubles as Aston put six into the Sherborne net. There was still time for Betteridge to get his second of the game with twelve minutes to go, but it was nothing more than a consolation in the 6-2 defeat.

Leafield Reserves forfeited their game against Kingham Reserves to give Kingham their ninth win of the season, moving them up to fourth in the process.