The Programme This Saturday, after another nerve-jangling morning watching my daughter's very depleted squad earn a tough point (this time against one of her old teams), I decided stay fairly local for the afternoon's entertainment. A short journey up the M40 for a Ben Turner Cup quarter-final between Oxfordshire Senior League Division Two side, Hornton, and the leaders of Division One, Witney Town. I last visited Hornton's delightful ground, The Cauldron, back in October 2023 when they beat Kings Sutton 3-1 in a league game (Countryside Caldera). Not too much has changed since that visit, although I do believe some extra hard-standing has been added towards the clubhouse end.
Last season, these two teams competed in the same division, with Witney winning the league and Hornton finishing in the lower half. Witney won both encounters, 3-0 at home and 3-2 in Hornton, a game that saw Hornton's Sam Sherpa-Moore see red.
This season Witney have gone from strength to strength and currently sit top of Division One, ten points clear albeit having played more games. Hornton are sitting in fifth spot, eight points from the promotion places. This position has been mainly down to their home form, where they have taken 10 points from five games.
Witney had already played a game to get to this stage of the competition, beating Hanney 5-2. It would, however, be Hornton's first game in the tournament this season, after receiving a bye in Round One. In last season' Ben Turner Cup, both Hornton and Witney were eliminated by the same team, eventual beaten finalists, North Leigh Reserves.
Many thanks to referee Barry Darvell and Hornton manager Liam Manley for sharing the team sheets prior to kick-off.
Last season, these two teams competed in the same division, with Witney winning the league and Hornton finishing in the lower half. Witney won both encounters, 3-0 at home and 3-2 in Hornton, a game that saw Hornton's Sam Sherpa-Moore see red.
This season Witney have gone from strength to strength and currently sit top of Division One, ten points clear albeit having played more games. Hornton are sitting in fifth spot, eight points from the promotion places. This position has been mainly down to their home form, where they have taken 10 points from five games.
Witney had already played a game to get to this stage of the competition, beating Hanney 5-2. It would, however, be Hornton's first game in the tournament this season, after receiving a bye in Round One. In last season' Ben Turner Cup, both Hornton and Witney were eliminated by the same team, eventual beaten finalists, North Leigh Reserves.
Many thanks to referee Barry Darvell and Hornton manager Liam Manley for sharing the team sheets prior to kick-off.
Hornton with early pressure On a very heavy pitch, kicking towards the clubhouse end in the first half, it was the lower-ranked, home side who started the stronger. Despite the fact that they had to make a last-minute change to their starting line-up when one of their players couldn't make the early kick-off on time, they set about their task with a certain vigour.
Having said that, the first effort to cause any kind of concern was Dom Griffin's 4th minute strike that fairly whistled over Matt Brice's crossbar.
After that, it became the Tom Bennington show for a the next 20 minutes. The Witney goalkeeper took centre stage as the home side created a series of chances. The first save came on 8 minutes when Bennington was forced to go full-length to his right to fingertip Sam Sherpa-Moore's rasping drive around the post. A minute later the visiting stopper was quickly off his line to block from Olly Richards. Then, approaching the quarter-hour, Bennington produced the best stop yet when, after a great move down the left, Hornton fed the ball across the face of goal to Sherpa-Moore, coming in on the back post. Bennington somehow got across his goal to make a point-blank stop from the stunned striker.
On the half-way point, Bennington finally proved he was human when he spilled another Sherpa-Moore effort, recovering quickly to grab the ball before it squirmed over the line. Sherpa-Moore could easily have had a hat-trick and his side probably should be in front. However, it was still goalless. That was when Witney hit their hosts with a stunning three-goal salvo.
With 24 minutes on the clock and Griffin's 4th minute strike still the closest they had come, Witney sent a long ball forward up the left-hand channel. Hornton tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal-kick, but the heavy ground held it up. Before it could cross the line, the ball was slipped across the face of goal where Adam Holloway was lurking to stab past Brice. 0-1.
The home players had barely caught their breath from that shock when they found themselves two goals down, and this time it was an excellent piece of football from The Blanketmen. A series of quick passes sent Tyler Dix free on the left. He played the ball into the path of Redi Karaj, bursting into the box. Karaj took one touch in his stride before slipping the ball past Brice. 0-2. Lovely goal.
Witney were now full of confidence and, on 28 minutes, they made it three goals inside four minutes. Mercayd Morgan-Allen burst down the right, firing a low ball across the six-yard box to find Dom Griffin, who slammed the ball into the net. 0-3.
Shell-shocked Hornton, to their credit, steadied the ship from this point, but they couldn't find a way back to the dominance they showed in the opening minutes. Witney, now with a big cushion, also tightened things up, not allowing the home strikers the amount of room they got earlier on.
HT Hornton 0 Witney Town 3. An extraordinary half in some ways. Hornton were on top until the first Witney goal went in. That goal seemed to light a fire in the visitors, who suddenly bean playing with a renewed confidence and style.
Having said that, the first effort to cause any kind of concern was Dom Griffin's 4th minute strike that fairly whistled over Matt Brice's crossbar.
After that, it became the Tom Bennington show for a the next 20 minutes. The Witney goalkeeper took centre stage as the home side created a series of chances. The first save came on 8 minutes when Bennington was forced to go full-length to his right to fingertip Sam Sherpa-Moore's rasping drive around the post. A minute later the visiting stopper was quickly off his line to block from Olly Richards. Then, approaching the quarter-hour, Bennington produced the best stop yet when, after a great move down the left, Hornton fed the ball across the face of goal to Sherpa-Moore, coming in on the back post. Bennington somehow got across his goal to make a point-blank stop from the stunned striker.
On the half-way point, Bennington finally proved he was human when he spilled another Sherpa-Moore effort, recovering quickly to grab the ball before it squirmed over the line. Sherpa-Moore could easily have had a hat-trick and his side probably should be in front. However, it was still goalless. That was when Witney hit their hosts with a stunning three-goal salvo.
With 24 minutes on the clock and Griffin's 4th minute strike still the closest they had come, Witney sent a long ball forward up the left-hand channel. Hornton tried to shepherd the ball out for a goal-kick, but the heavy ground held it up. Before it could cross the line, the ball was slipped across the face of goal where Adam Holloway was lurking to stab past Brice. 0-1.
The home players had barely caught their breath from that shock when they found themselves two goals down, and this time it was an excellent piece of football from The Blanketmen. A series of quick passes sent Tyler Dix free on the left. He played the ball into the path of Redi Karaj, bursting into the box. Karaj took one touch in his stride before slipping the ball past Brice. 0-2. Lovely goal.
Witney were now full of confidence and, on 28 minutes, they made it three goals inside four minutes. Mercayd Morgan-Allen burst down the right, firing a low ball across the six-yard box to find Dom Griffin, who slammed the ball into the net. 0-3.
Shell-shocked Hornton, to their credit, steadied the ship from this point, but they couldn't find a way back to the dominance they showed in the opening minutes. Witney, now with a big cushion, also tightened things up, not allowing the home strikers the amount of room they got earlier on.
HT Hornton 0 Witney Town 3. An extraordinary half in some ways. Hornton were on top until the first Witney goal went in. That goal seemed to light a fire in the visitors, who suddenly bean playing with a renewed confidence and style.
Witney attacking the clubhouse end The second half began in a very similar way to the beginning of the first half, Bennington making yet another save from the unfortunate Sam Sherpa-Moore, who was getting increasingly frustrated and had already picked up yellow card.
The Hornton striker's mood was probably helped a little in the 53rd minute though, when he finally got the better of his nemesis, drilling the ball past the Witney stopper from the edge of the box. 1-3.
Having got a goal back, it was Hornton's turn to be inspired. Just past the hour, Daniel Hirst tried his luck from distance but couldn't trouble Bennington. Hornton were getting far more of the ball at this point, but couldn't find a way back into the game. Then, with just over 20 minutes remaining, Witney sealed their progress with a fourth goal. A long ball forward found Griffin, who was held up by Horton captain Peter Thorne. Griffin did well to hold the ball up though, waiting for reinforcement to arrive. Some quick feet engineered a yard allowing Griffin to fire the ball across the box where Adam Holloway had arrived, unmarked. All the striker had to do was put his head on the ball and it was game over. 1-4
At this point both sides knew that the game was up. Hornton, to their credit, kept pushing, but Witney were relatively comfortable now, and defended solidly to see the game out.
FT Hornton 1 Witney Town 4. Witney progress to the semi-final with what, on paper, looks like a comfortable victory. In reality, it was far from that. Their goalkeeper, Tom Bennington, must take full credit, and man of the match, for keeping them in the game early on, before they hit their hosts with a stunning trio of goals.
Hornton are back in league action next Saturday as they make the journey to fourth placed Dorchester, who won 4-1 at The Cauldron in the county cup back in October.
Witney, meanwhile, have a weekend off before they make the trip to relegation threatened Charlton United. Witney won the reverse fixture 5-0 with a hat-trick from Jack Morton and two from Adam Holloway.
Hornton: Brice, Burton, Bowden, Hist, Jordan, Lee, Sherpa-Moore, Phillips, Richards, Sabin, Thorpe(c). Subs: Boyle, Fox, Hillman, Middleton, Manley
Witney Town: Bennington, Shayler, Dix, Clarke, Robinson, Walker, Oliver(c), Preston-Carrey, Holloway, Karaj, Griffin. Subs: Morgan-Allen, H.Jackson, G.Jackson, Edwards
The Programme
Hornton produced a programme for this game, priced at £2. With 16 full-colour pages, it contains all of the features you'd expect. A column from the Hornton boss, Liam Manley and another from club captain, Peter Thorne. Coach Steve Jesic provides the column welcoming players and supporters. There are a few photos from last season's meeting between the sides, stats from Hornton's last game and a piece on today's visitors.
Well worth purchasing as a way of adding a few extra pennies to club's coffers.
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att: 36 (manual count. not mine)
Entrance:
Programme: £2.00
The Hornton striker's mood was probably helped a little in the 53rd minute though, when he finally got the better of his nemesis, drilling the ball past the Witney stopper from the edge of the box. 1-3.
Having got a goal back, it was Hornton's turn to be inspired. Just past the hour, Daniel Hirst tried his luck from distance but couldn't trouble Bennington. Hornton were getting far more of the ball at this point, but couldn't find a way back into the game. Then, with just over 20 minutes remaining, Witney sealed their progress with a fourth goal. A long ball forward found Griffin, who was held up by Horton captain Peter Thorne. Griffin did well to hold the ball up though, waiting for reinforcement to arrive. Some quick feet engineered a yard allowing Griffin to fire the ball across the box where Adam Holloway had arrived, unmarked. All the striker had to do was put his head on the ball and it was game over. 1-4
At this point both sides knew that the game was up. Hornton, to their credit, kept pushing, but Witney were relatively comfortable now, and defended solidly to see the game out.
FT Hornton 1 Witney Town 4. Witney progress to the semi-final with what, on paper, looks like a comfortable victory. In reality, it was far from that. Their goalkeeper, Tom Bennington, must take full credit, and man of the match, for keeping them in the game early on, before they hit their hosts with a stunning trio of goals.
Hornton are back in league action next Saturday as they make the journey to fourth placed Dorchester, who won 4-1 at The Cauldron in the county cup back in October.
Witney, meanwhile, have a weekend off before they make the trip to relegation threatened Charlton United. Witney won the reverse fixture 5-0 with a hat-trick from Jack Morton and two from Adam Holloway.
Hornton: Brice, Burton, Bowden, Hist, Jordan, Lee, Sherpa-Moore, Phillips, Richards, Sabin, Thorpe(c). Subs: Boyle, Fox, Hillman, Middleton, Manley
Witney Town: Bennington, Shayler, Dix, Clarke, Robinson, Walker, Oliver(c), Preston-Carrey, Holloway, Karaj, Griffin. Subs: Morgan-Allen, H.Jackson, G.Jackson, Edwards
The Programme
Hornton produced a programme for this game, priced at £2. With 16 full-colour pages, it contains all of the features you'd expect. A column from the Hornton boss, Liam Manley and another from club captain, Peter Thorne. Coach Steve Jesic provides the column welcoming players and supporters. There are a few photos from last season's meeting between the sides, stats from Hornton's last game and a piece on today's visitors.
Well worth purchasing as a way of adding a few extra pennies to club's coffers.
Ground Number: Re-visit
Att: 36 (manual count. not mine)
Entrance:
Programme: £2.00
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