As the weather was taking its toll across the country, I had pencilled in two possibilities for Saturday, one on grass and one on plastic, knowing that the grass game had very little chance of going ahead. Interestingly, both games involved teams named Oakley. My choices were AFC Oakley v Wootton Blue Cross in the Bedfordshire League or a Thomas Field Shield Quarter-Final between Aylesbury & District side Stoke Mandeville and Oxfordshire Senior League outfit Oakley United. Following an 11am pitch inspection, my original choice of two became one. I was heading down the A41 to Aylesbury. It crossed my mind as I drove toward Stoke Mandeville School, home of Stoke Mandeville FC, that I was only 3 weeks short of an anniversary of this very trip. I headed down the same route in the early hours of a snowy January morning in 2010. taking my with to Stoke Mandeville Hospital where, 8 or 9 hours later, she gave birth to our daughter. What's more, that wasn't my only connection to this particular match. Just prior to my daughter's birth, we had looked at, and almost purchased, a house in Oakley.
Anyway, enough of that, on to today. The match, as stated, was a Thomas Field Quarter-Final featuring two sides currently doing exceptionally well their respective leagues. Hosts, Stoke Mandeville, are also the current holders of the Thomas Field Shield, having beaten Wendover 9-2 in last season's final.
Both teams came into this game top of their leagues although Stoke Mandeville, in the Aylesbury & District Premier League (Step 8), do play one level above Oakley's Oxfordshire Senior League Division Two (Step 9). Both teams could claim an unbeaten league record. Oakley have drawn one and won ten of their games, the offending draw coming on their own ground last time out, against Bletchington. Stoke Mandeville, meanwhile, not only had a 100% league record, but could also claim a 100% record in all competitions, a grand total of 16 consecutive wins this season.
In order to get to this stage of the trophy, Stoke Mandeville had seen off fellow Premier League side, Aylesbury Vale Toqeers Titans, 5-1 in the previous round. Oakley had won 7-1 at Aylesbury & District Division One bottom side, Aylesbury Royals.
So, despite the one level difference between the teams, it was going to be an interesting tie between two sides full of confidence.
Once again, I am indebted to match referee Kevin Saw for sharing the team sheets with me before kick-off. Massively appreciated.
Anyway, enough of that, on to today. The match, as stated, was a Thomas Field Quarter-Final featuring two sides currently doing exceptionally well their respective leagues. Hosts, Stoke Mandeville, are also the current holders of the Thomas Field Shield, having beaten Wendover 9-2 in last season's final.
Both teams came into this game top of their leagues although Stoke Mandeville, in the Aylesbury & District Premier League (Step 8), do play one level above Oakley's Oxfordshire Senior League Division Two (Step 9). Both teams could claim an unbeaten league record. Oakley have drawn one and won ten of their games, the offending draw coming on their own ground last time out, against Bletchington. Stoke Mandeville, meanwhile, not only had a 100% league record, but could also claim a 100% record in all competitions, a grand total of 16 consecutive wins this season.
In order to get to this stage of the trophy, Stoke Mandeville had seen off fellow Premier League side, Aylesbury Vale Toqeers Titans, 5-1 in the previous round. Oakley had won 7-1 at Aylesbury & District Division One bottom side, Aylesbury Royals.
So, despite the one level difference between the teams, it was going to be an interesting tie between two sides full of confidence.
Once again, I am indebted to match referee Kevin Saw for sharing the team sheets with me before kick-off. Massively appreciated.
The game almost started explosively. Within 30 seconds of kick-off Stags captain Kieran Schmidt found jack Maddran with a superb 50-yard diagonal ball. The striker brought the ball down well but then lashed it well wide with his next touch. However, a warning had been issued to the visitors. In the opening minutes, the home side continued to look the more confident and came very close to opening their account on 12 minutes when a free-kick flew across the face of the Oakley goal which no-one could get a significant touch to.
After weathering this opening storm, Oakley began to find their feet, pushing Stoke Mandeville back into their own half. On 20 minutes Lawrence Foster chased down a long ball even though he was second favourite. His pressure forced home keeper Patrick Callaghan to clear his lines but the ball hit Foster, lopped back over the keeper but, luckily for the home team, fell wide of goal. A few minutes later the visitors went even closer. Tom Beckett broke clear in midfield, drove into the left side of the penalty are before hitting a cross-shot that beat Callaghan but also narrowly evaded the lunge of Foster at the far post. Inches from giving them the lead.
Oakley were now having much more say in the game, but they still had to be wary of the diagonal through ball. On the half-hour they were almost caught out again when Leon Harding got on the end of another exceptional pass. Sadly for Stoke Mandeville his finish did not match his first touch and the wild effort did not trouble Mickolaj Thompson in the Oakley goal.
HT Stoke Mandeville 0 Oakley United 0. A tight contest but the visitors, after a nervy opening, had edged the 45 minutes. One thing is for certain, you could not tell they play a league below their hosts. Stoke Mandeville had a game on their hands if they wanted to preserve their 100% record.
After weathering this opening storm, Oakley began to find their feet, pushing Stoke Mandeville back into their own half. On 20 minutes Lawrence Foster chased down a long ball even though he was second favourite. His pressure forced home keeper Patrick Callaghan to clear his lines but the ball hit Foster, lopped back over the keeper but, luckily for the home team, fell wide of goal. A few minutes later the visitors went even closer. Tom Beckett broke clear in midfield, drove into the left side of the penalty are before hitting a cross-shot that beat Callaghan but also narrowly evaded the lunge of Foster at the far post. Inches from giving them the lead.
Oakley were now having much more say in the game, but they still had to be wary of the diagonal through ball. On the half-hour they were almost caught out again when Leon Harding got on the end of another exceptional pass. Sadly for Stoke Mandeville his finish did not match his first touch and the wild effort did not trouble Mickolaj Thompson in the Oakley goal.
HT Stoke Mandeville 0 Oakley United 0. A tight contest but the visitors, after a nervy opening, had edged the 45 minutes. One thing is for certain, you could not tell they play a league below their hosts. Stoke Mandeville had a game on their hands if they wanted to preserve their 100% record.
It was certainly not getting any warmer as the second half kicked off. Possibly a reason that the teams were ready to get going very quickly. What was noticeable early in the second period was that the home side had clearly been given, if not a rocket, then a severe pep talk in the interval. They immediately set about pushing Oakley back. An early chance from a corner fell to Marcus Hussey, after Thompson's punch only reached the edge of the ox. However, the centre-half could only volley over the bar. Foster then had a half-chance at the other end when the visitor's high press won the ball back. The striker's shot on the half-turn not troubling Callaghan.
It was all action at this point. A minute later Hussey must have thought he had scored when his close-range header from another corner appeared goal-bound. However, Thompson leapt across his goal and palmed the ball away. Great save. That was on 56 minutes, but two minutes later, there was nothing Thompson could do as the home team took the lead. Schmidt produced a slide-rule pass inside the full-back for Dan O'Sullivan to run onto and slip the ball under Thompson. 1-0. The Stags now had their tails up and Thompson had to be at his best again a few minutes later, saving well and preventing O'Sullivan from notching a quick-fire double.
The came the game's most decisive couple of minutes. It started with A Tom Beckett effort which Callaghan saved comfortably. Then, a minute later, the visitors had the ball in the net. However, the flag went up immediately. From where I stood it appeared that the initial Oakley effort may well have gone in, but a striker followed up an made sure, prodding the ball over the line from an offside position. The referee signalled for offside and the goal was chalked off. To make matters worse for Oakley, they went from thinking they were level, to being two goals down in the blink of an eye. Stoke Mandeville went straight up the opposite end and, when the ball fell to Sean Coles on the edge of the area, he dropped the shoulder to make himself a yard, before firing low past Thompson's right hand. 2-0.
That goal seemed to finally knock some of the stuffing out of Oakley and, although the more senior players and the bench shouted encouragement, it felt as if the game was up at this point. If it wasn't, then it was on 83 minutes when The Stags produced, possibly, the best move of the game to sew the result up. Jack Bowers exchanged passes on the right, beat his player and then pulled the ball back perfectly into the path of Tye Duventru, who guided the ball low past Thompson into the corner of the net. 3-0
FT Stoke Mandeville 3 Oakley United 0. The 100% season rolls on for The Stags, but they were really made to work for this one. Oakley matched them and, even after going behind, were still in it. The double blow of the disallowed goal followed so closely by going 2-0 behind, finally finished them off, but they can hold their heads high. As for Stoke Mandeville, can they do it? Can they go through an entire season winning every game? They will face their biggest test next Saturday when they travel to Oxfordshire Senior League Premier high-flyers, Kennington Athletic, in the county cup. The Kenny Men sit third in the Premier League. Oakley United, meanwhile, have an absolutely massive league game on Saturday as they travel to second placed Witney Town. Oakley beat Witney 4-0 on the opening day, one of only two games Town have lost so far. A win would put Oakley 3 points clear with two games in hand.
Stoke Mandeville: 1.Callaghan, 15.Gwilliam, 5.Hussey, 4.Skiller, 2.Bowers, 7.Coles, 17.T.O'Sullivan, 16.Schmidt(c), 9.Maddran, 8.Ilyas, 14.Harding. Subs: 10.D.O'Sullivan, 13.Woolhead, 6.Bayliss, 12.Lindsey, 11.Duventru
Oakley United: 1.Thompson, 4.B.Kinane, 2.Hurley, 5.West, 3.J.Kinane, 10.Walsh, 8.Falcus, 25.Kernan, 7.T.Beckett, 15.Dandridge(c), 9.Foster. Subs: 17.A.Beckett, 6.Palmer. 14.Atkinson, 11.Mannerings, 12.Lunn
It was all action at this point. A minute later Hussey must have thought he had scored when his close-range header from another corner appeared goal-bound. However, Thompson leapt across his goal and palmed the ball away. Great save. That was on 56 minutes, but two minutes later, there was nothing Thompson could do as the home team took the lead. Schmidt produced a slide-rule pass inside the full-back for Dan O'Sullivan to run onto and slip the ball under Thompson. 1-0. The Stags now had their tails up and Thompson had to be at his best again a few minutes later, saving well and preventing O'Sullivan from notching a quick-fire double.
The came the game's most decisive couple of minutes. It started with A Tom Beckett effort which Callaghan saved comfortably. Then, a minute later, the visitors had the ball in the net. However, the flag went up immediately. From where I stood it appeared that the initial Oakley effort may well have gone in, but a striker followed up an made sure, prodding the ball over the line from an offside position. The referee signalled for offside and the goal was chalked off. To make matters worse for Oakley, they went from thinking they were level, to being two goals down in the blink of an eye. Stoke Mandeville went straight up the opposite end and, when the ball fell to Sean Coles on the edge of the area, he dropped the shoulder to make himself a yard, before firing low past Thompson's right hand. 2-0.
That goal seemed to finally knock some of the stuffing out of Oakley and, although the more senior players and the bench shouted encouragement, it felt as if the game was up at this point. If it wasn't, then it was on 83 minutes when The Stags produced, possibly, the best move of the game to sew the result up. Jack Bowers exchanged passes on the right, beat his player and then pulled the ball back perfectly into the path of Tye Duventru, who guided the ball low past Thompson into the corner of the net. 3-0
FT Stoke Mandeville 3 Oakley United 0. The 100% season rolls on for The Stags, but they were really made to work for this one. Oakley matched them and, even after going behind, were still in it. The double blow of the disallowed goal followed so closely by going 2-0 behind, finally finished them off, but they can hold their heads high. As for Stoke Mandeville, can they do it? Can they go through an entire season winning every game? They will face their biggest test next Saturday when they travel to Oxfordshire Senior League Premier high-flyers, Kennington Athletic, in the county cup. The Kenny Men sit third in the Premier League. Oakley United, meanwhile, have an absolutely massive league game on Saturday as they travel to second placed Witney Town. Oakley beat Witney 4-0 on the opening day, one of only two games Town have lost so far. A win would put Oakley 3 points clear with two games in hand.
Stoke Mandeville: 1.Callaghan, 15.Gwilliam, 5.Hussey, 4.Skiller, 2.Bowers, 7.Coles, 17.T.O'Sullivan, 16.Schmidt(c), 9.Maddran, 8.Ilyas, 14.Harding. Subs: 10.D.O'Sullivan, 13.Woolhead, 6.Bayliss, 12.Lindsey, 11.Duventru
Oakley United: 1.Thompson, 4.B.Kinane, 2.Hurley, 5.West, 3.J.Kinane, 10.Walsh, 8.Falcus, 25.Kernan, 7.T.Beckett, 15.Dandridge(c), 9.Foster. Subs: 17.A.Beckett, 6.Palmer. 14.Atkinson, 11.Mannerings, 12.Lunn
The Ground
Stoke Mandeville currently play their home games at The Mandeville School, around midway between the town of Aylesbury and village of Stoke Mandeville. Much like the famous local hospital, the school and the ground are actually in Aylesbury rather than Stoke Mandeville. There's plenty of parking at the school, which is just a short walk through the school grounds to the football pitch. The artificial pitch is no different any other cage-style 3G ground. There are dugouts on the school side of the playing surface. No spectator cover is available.
Ground Number: 432
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
Stoke Mandeville currently play their home games at The Mandeville School, around midway between the town of Aylesbury and village of Stoke Mandeville. Much like the famous local hospital, the school and the ground are actually in Aylesbury rather than Stoke Mandeville. There's plenty of parking at the school, which is just a short walk through the school grounds to the football pitch. The artificial pitch is no different any other cage-style 3G ground. There are dugouts on the school side of the playing surface. No spectator cover is available.
Ground Number: 432
Att:
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
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