Wantage Town F.C. 7 (2) Wokingham and Emmbrook F.C. 2 (1)
16th Feb 10 - Wantage Town 7 vs 2 Wokingham and Emmbrook F.C.
Report by Wantage Will
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Second half finishing crushes the young pretenders.
A second half handful of Wantage goals, demonstrating sharp finishing,
overcame a spirited resistance from the leaders of Division One (East), who
never looked liked a team on the end of a thrashing, and to whose credit,
kept coming forward to keep the Wantage back three busy right up to the
final whistle. In a game played on an extremely difficult surface, made
greasy by pre-match rain, both sides entertained the small crowd, swelled by
the Wokingham following.
The first half started brightly for Wantage with Tom Austin driving a free
kick just over the Wokingham bar. For the first twenty minutes honours were
even as the respective midfields introduced themselves to each other, but in
the 22nd minute the visitors went ahead, Wantage defender Tom Rowe failing
to get enough purchase on a clearing header and nodding the ball gently to
the feet of Shane Cooper-Clark, the Wokingham striker neatly side-stepping
the defender and tucking the ball into the corner of the net past Wantage
keeper Rob Durrant. Wantage responded immediately, raiding winger Matty
Horsell drawing a great save from Wokingham keeper Stuart Harris. In the
25th minute Matt Biddle got the first of his evening’s hat-trick, played in
by a finely judged Claydon header, the Wantage midfielder stabbing the ball
low and hard past Harris, to put the home side back on level terms. In the
32nd minute, after a period of Wantage pressure, Richie Claydon blasted over
when allowed a clear shot on goal. With the half drawing to a close, Claydon
drew a great defensive block from the impressive Wokingham full back Alex
Luis, the rebound falling again to Claydon, whose low right footed effort
was turned past Harris by central defender and Captain Gary Swann. At this
point, Wantage were relieved to go in at half time with a one goal lead.
Despite the conditions, and demonstrating their fitness, Wantage applied
more pressure in the second half, patiently maintaining possession and
showing plenty of movement off of the ball. In the 60th minute, a neat Tom
Malton chip over the Wokingham back line, put Danny Keen clear, the Wantage
striker lobbing Harris from distance with a finely judged strike to put the
home side 3 – 1 up. Four minutes later, Matt Biddle got his second and the
Wantage fourth, firmly heading in unchallenged from a Tom Austin corner.
Wokingham maintained the pace of the game and responded in the 66th minute,
reducing the deficit to two goals, Richard Bland given time to find the net
as Wantage failed to clear their lines. A late flurry of Wantage pressure
produced three goals as the Wokingham defender’s legs tired. Danny Keen
cleverly met a Tom Austin corner at the near post, losing his marker with
quick movement and glancing the ball past Harris. A minute later the goal of
the evening came at the end of a five man move, Tom Austin’s neat cross
being driven in by substitute Liam McCullough, who had started the move from
the half-way line. The goal flurry was rounded off as Matt Biddle secured
his hat-trick, this time being on hand to meet Danny Keen’s cross and turn
the ball past the luckless Harris.
This was a good work out for Wantage before their challenging league
encounter with Old Woodstock at Alfredian Park on Saturday, which leads to
the tough encounters with Kidlington (Tuesday, 23rd February away) and
Shortwood United (Saturday, 27th February at home.)