Unlucky Oakwood denied successive triumphs
Schools football
Oakwood Park Grammar School under-17s missed out on backto-back Kent Cup triumphs for the first time, losing to 2-1 to Erith. Ollie Weatherburn and Jesse Dawson hit the bar as Oakwood had all the early play at the Gallagher Stadium on Saturday but they trailed at half-time. Guy Taylor levelled with a 20-yard strike after good work from Nik Weeden and James Tasker and Oakwood continued to pressure the Erith defence, with Ed Pile working tirelessly up front. But an Erith breakaway led to a scrambled second and, despite various attempts, Oakwood couldn’t find a way past a strong back four in the last 20 minutes. Oakwood manager Robert Devonald said: “I am proud of the entire squad. To reach two Kent Cup finals in two years is an incredible achievement and these boys have played a massive part in the school’s most successful football season ever. “A lot of the boys who played today have also won the 2nd XI Kent League and, with the under-16 side winning the Kent Cup two weeks ago, the future feels bright here at Oakwood.”