Welcome sign This was the first Tuesday since games resumed that I had not had a Cricklade Supreme Trophy & Shield game to go to. So, what to do? Put the question to Twitter, of course. Following an online poll that ended all square between Wootton Sports and Swindon AFC, I decided to make the short trip into the Oxfordshire countryside and give myself a rest from the A420 to Swindon for a week or so. The game I decided on was a Ted Young Senior Cup (Witney & District League) tie between Division One Wootton Sports and Premier League side Milton-under-Wychwood.
The Ground
Wootton Sports play their home games on the War Memorial Playing Fields, towards the North end of the village of Wootton, a few miles up the road from Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. There is limited parking on site but plenty of room on the road just outside the playing field. As befits a ground on the edge of the Cotswolds, the far side of the pitch is bordered by a stone wall and trees, with a couple of benches strategically placed for locals to view the match in comfort. The pitch itself looked in good condition. A slight slope but not too much. It was also very well marked out, including technical areas.
The Ground
Wootton Sports play their home games on the War Memorial Playing Fields, towards the North end of the village of Wootton, a few miles up the road from Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. There is limited parking on site but plenty of room on the road just outside the playing field. As befits a ground on the edge of the Cotswolds, the far side of the pitch is bordered by a stone wall and trees, with a couple of benches strategically placed for locals to view the match in comfort. The pitch itself looked in good condition. A slight slope but not too much. It was also very well marked out, including technical areas.
The Background
Not knowing much at all about the Ted Young Senior Cup, I had to do a little digging (thanks to the teams and the WDFL Twitter feed for assistance). The cup comprises of two groups, with the top two from each group going through into the semi-final stage. This was a Group 2 game where Wootton, effectively, could no longer qualify for the semi-final stage. For Milton it was an entirely different matter. A victory in this game would see them go top of the group, leapfrogging Stonesfield and Enstone, and giving themselves a great chance of reaching the semi-finals.
Not knowing much at all about the Ted Young Senior Cup, I had to do a little digging (thanks to the teams and the WDFL Twitter feed for assistance). The cup comprises of two groups, with the top two from each group going through into the semi-final stage. This was a Group 2 game where Wootton, effectively, could no longer qualify for the semi-final stage. For Milton it was an entirely different matter. A victory in this game would see them go top of the group, leapfrogging Stonesfield and Enstone, and giving themselves a great chance of reaching the semi-finals.
Ready for kick-off
The Game
Just as I had arrived at the ground it began to rain but, by the time we got to kick-off the shower had passed, which may well have cost the home side a goal later on.
The game started at a good pace with both sides looking to get an early grip on proceedings. In the first 20 minutes, Milton certainly had the majority of possession but, conversely it was Wootton who carved out the two most clear cut chances, neither of them taken. However, from around the mid-point of the first half, the home side began to tighten their grip on the match and, just after the half-hour mark, they really should have been ahead. An attack down the right culminated in the ball being fed to Lee Spencer inside the penalty area but he pulled his shot wide of the post.
Just as I had arrived at the ground it began to rain but, by the time we got to kick-off the shower had passed, which may well have cost the home side a goal later on.
The game started at a good pace with both sides looking to get an early grip on proceedings. In the first 20 minutes, Milton certainly had the majority of possession but, conversely it was Wootton who carved out the two most clear cut chances, neither of them taken. However, from around the mid-point of the first half, the home side began to tighten their grip on the match and, just after the half-hour mark, they really should have been ahead. An attack down the right culminated in the ball being fed to Lee Spencer inside the penalty area but he pulled his shot wide of the post.
Wootton Corner On 38 minutes there was another let-off for Milton. Sports launched a long ball which the visiting keeper began to come for. However, seeing he wasn't going to make it he hesitated, getting caught in no man's land. Sports number 10, Karl Ware (or Bilbo as everyone seemed to call him), tried an audacious lob from 35 yards only to see the ball bounce over the bar. Maybe a little more rain before kick-off and it would have gone in.
Sports were now finding ways to put the Milton defence under a lot of pressure. One particular line of attack, a diagonal ball from left to right, played from Michael Steers to the Karl Ware, beat the defence three times but each time the opportunity to score evaded Wootton.
HT Wootton Sports 0 Milton-under-Wychwood 0. A really competitive and enjoyable game to watch so far. Both sides capable of some good football. The longer the half went on the more Wootton got on top. Can they keep it up?
Sports were now finding ways to put the Milton defence under a lot of pressure. One particular line of attack, a diagonal ball from left to right, played from Michael Steers to the Karl Ware, beat the defence three times but each time the opportunity to score evaded Wootton.
HT Wootton Sports 0 Milton-under-Wychwood 0. A really competitive and enjoyable game to watch so far. Both sides capable of some good football. The longer the half went on the more Wootton got on top. Can they keep it up?
Jaap Stam plays for Wootton From where I was standing I could hear that the Milton coaching staff were quite vocal during the break and, unsurprisingly, Milton noticeably upped their game in the second half.
Only 7 minutes into the second period Milton almost snatched the lead when Sean Godfrey headed against the near post from a left-wing corner. The ball rebounded across the Wootton six-yard area but was hacked clear. From the resulting corner the away side came close again when Wootton defender Phil Stringer's attempted header clear came back off the same post but again, as cleared to safety. A few minutes later the home keeper was forced into action pulling off a good stop to keep the scores level. Milton were winding up the pressure but it was also clear that Wootton were more than capable of hitting them on the break should then opportunity present itself. The game was very finely balanced.
On 68 minutes we almost had a spectacular opening goal when, latching onto clearance, Milton's centre-half Chris Godfrey unleashed a stinging drive from all of 40 yards that the home keeper was relieved to see whistle past his left-hand post. Ten minutes later Milton came close again, this time Edward Collett, slightly off balance, headed a deep cross just over the bar. They were getting closer but the Sports defence was hanging in there.
Only 7 minutes into the second period Milton almost snatched the lead when Sean Godfrey headed against the near post from a left-wing corner. The ball rebounded across the Wootton six-yard area but was hacked clear. From the resulting corner the away side came close again when Wootton defender Phil Stringer's attempted header clear came back off the same post but again, as cleared to safety. A few minutes later the home keeper was forced into action pulling off a good stop to keep the scores level. Milton were winding up the pressure but it was also clear that Wootton were more than capable of hitting them on the break should then opportunity present itself. The game was very finely balanced.
On 68 minutes we almost had a spectacular opening goal when, latching onto clearance, Milton's centre-half Chris Godfrey unleashed a stinging drive from all of 40 yards that the home keeper was relieved to see whistle past his left-hand post. Ten minutes later Milton came close again, this time Edward Collett, slightly off balance, headed a deep cross just over the bar. They were getting closer but the Sports defence was hanging in there.
Late Wootton presuure Then came the dramatic conclusion to the game. My watch was already reading 90 minutes when Milton launched a long ball downfield which had the home defence back-peddling. Jaap Stam-a-like centre-half Gary Townsend tried to head clear but the ball was slightly above him and skimmed off his head against the inside of the same post that had already been struck twice earlier. This time, however, the home side were out of luck with the ricochet which fell nicely into the path of Alex Ayres who buried it to make it 0-1. On Saturday I was watching a game in the birthplace of Pam Ayres. Three days later I am waiting a game decided by Alex Ayres.
There was still time for Wootton to launch a last-gasp attack ended in the ball going out for what they believed as a corner kick. The referee insisted it was a goal-kick and Steers argued a little too strongly, receiving his second yellow card of the game and getting his marching orders.
FT Wootton Sports 0 Milton-under-Wychwood 1. A pulsating game that could have gone either way. Great effort from the Division One side who matched their Premier League opponents all the way. Credit to Milton who picked themselves up at half-time when they looked like they were struggling towards the end of the first 45 minutes. A shame that there was some argy-bargy at the end of the game which seemed to have been played in pretty good spirits up until that point (of course, you can never be too sure what is being said on the field). I guess a last minute winner can make passions boil over. Best of luck to both sides in the future. The game was a credit to the Witney & District League.
The Witney & District website tells me that, this weekend, Milton take on Bletchington at home whilst Wootton can still have a say in the top to as they travel to third-placed Stonesfield.
Apologies for not using many player names, I had no team sheets. Happy to fill them in if anyone wants to enlighten me.
Wootton Sports: Simms, Townsend, Leggett, Power, Robinson, Steers, Guschtscha, Stringer, Ware, Hutton, Spencer. Subs: Brandon, Ludlow
Milton-under-Wychwood: Allan, Keitly, Taylor, C.Godfrey, James, S.Godfrey, W.Collett, Fletcher, P.Collett, Pearce, L.Breaks. Subs: E.Collett, F.Breaks, Lake, Ayres
Ground Number: 260
Att: N/A
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
There was still time for Wootton to launch a last-gasp attack ended in the ball going out for what they believed as a corner kick. The referee insisted it was a goal-kick and Steers argued a little too strongly, receiving his second yellow card of the game and getting his marching orders.
FT Wootton Sports 0 Milton-under-Wychwood 1. A pulsating game that could have gone either way. Great effort from the Division One side who matched their Premier League opponents all the way. Credit to Milton who picked themselves up at half-time when they looked like they were struggling towards the end of the first 45 minutes. A shame that there was some argy-bargy at the end of the game which seemed to have been played in pretty good spirits up until that point (of course, you can never be too sure what is being said on the field). I guess a last minute winner can make passions boil over. Best of luck to both sides in the future. The game was a credit to the Witney & District League.
The Witney & District website tells me that, this weekend, Milton take on Bletchington at home whilst Wootton can still have a say in the top to as they travel to third-placed Stonesfield.
Apologies for not using many player names, I had no team sheets. Happy to fill them in if anyone wants to enlighten me.
Wootton Sports: Simms, Townsend, Leggett, Power, Robinson, Steers, Guschtscha, Stringer, Ware, Hutton, Spencer. Subs: Brandon, Ludlow
Milton-under-Wychwood: Allan, Keitly, Taylor, C.Godfrey, James, S.Godfrey, W.Collett, Fletcher, P.Collett, Pearce, L.Breaks. Subs: E.Collett, F.Breaks, Lake, Ayres
Ground Number: 260
Att: N/A
Entrance: N/A
Programme: N/A
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