Woodley hit for six by Robins
Bracknell Town 6 Woodley United 0
LIFE IN the Hellenic Premier Division is not getting any easier for Woodley.
Michael Herbert’s Kestrels are now five games into their first ever top flight campaign and sit second-bottom of the table, still seeking their first goal of the season.
They faced arguably their toughest challenge so far on Saturday with a trip to one of the title favourites in Bracknell and despite good individual displays from goalkeeper Alex Reed and centre-back Michael Porter, came out on the wrong side of a 6-0 defeat.
That loss arrived just two days after last season’s talisman and Division One East top scorer Charlie Oakley left the club to join Sandhurst Town.
Oakley was one of five men to drop out the side which lost 3-0 to Abingdon United last time out, replaced by new signing James Tennant, a striker on dual registration with Hartley Wintney.
Other changes saw fellow newcomer James Suarez start against his former club while
Joe Barley, Idris Kamara and Jake Nicholls all returned to the starting line-up.
Bracknell, who exited the FA Cup with a 4-0 home defeat to Winchester City the previous Saturday, started brightly, only denied going ahead in the early exchanges by a fine Porter challenge and two top Reed stops.
But the pressure told on 10 minutes when former Binfield striker Jon Bennett broke the deadlock with a powerful low drive.
A rare foray forwards saw Woodley register a shot through debutant Tennant, but Bracknell were carving out the clearer openings, doubling their lead just before the half hour mark after an impressive solo effort from left-back Josh Hennah.
Josh Drew recorded the visitors’ first shot on target before the break but the Robins took their 2-0 lead into half-time.
Greg Beckett tried his luck soon after the restart but Reed was soon called into action again to thwart George Short one-on-one.
And a third goal did arrive five minutes into the second period when a cross to the back post was tucked in by Adam Cornell.
Herbert rang the changes, introducing Marvin Hinds, Ashley Ledger and Carl Prestidge and Woodley battled hard to try and remain in the contest.
But they ran out of legs towards the end, conceding three times in the final 15 minutes with Joe Grant finding the net before a Seb Bowerman brace completed the rout.
Woodley face a big week with a home game against Binfield on Saturday before a trip to Burnham, the only side currently below United in the table, on Tuesday evening.
WOODLEY: Reed; Barley, I. Kamara (c), Porter, Greenwood; Nicholls, Suarez (Ledger 60); Drew (Hinds 60), Horscroft, Beckett (Prestidge 74); Tennant.
Subs not used: Khomsi, O. Davies.
Attendance: 150