KESTRELS BLUNT THE SWORDS IN LOCAL CLASH

Woodley United 3 Berks County 2

WOODLEY UNITED got a much needed morale boost by taking all three points against local neighbours

Berks County and in doing so inflicted only the second defeat of the season on the visitors.

Ethan Giles was called upon to make a save in the seventh minute which was followed by Jack Page-Smith hitting County’s upright four minutes later for the ball to be cleared by the Berks defence.

The following 20 minutes saw most of the play in midfield with little goalmouth activity until the 37th minute when Giles saved well for a corner kick to keep the scores locked at 0-0.

A minute before half-time, Ben Anderson’s through ball to Caleb Lucas saw the winger hit the side netting, while as the half came to a close Berks County fired narrowly over the cross bar.

Tahir Carmichael also hit the side of the visitors’ net in added time to leave the match goalless at the break.

The first chance of the second half saw Jordan Goddard hit the cross bar from close range three minutes after the restart.

The opening goal came in the 61st minute when Woodley were awarded a free kick on the edge of the visitors’ penalty area and Carmichael’s kick went through the wall to Liam Harris’s left hand side.

The lead was short lived when Ebby Epoku-Ware fired through a crowd of players three minutes later to put the game level once again.

Woodley were unaffected, taking the game to Berks County and were awarded in the

73rd minute when Lucas’s run saw the teenager bend his shot past the disparing right hand of Harris.

Berks County made a claim for a penalty as the game opened up but instead were awarded a free kick that was shot over the bar.

A minute into stoppage time, Bevan Van Wyk went wide before ex-United youth player Kaine Larkins scored from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage time following good work by Ben

Anderson.

There was still time for one more goal when a minute later Les Sachey converted a penalty for Berk County to reduce the deficit before the referee called for full-time.

WOODLEY UNITED: Giles, Wight, Carmichael, Van Wyk, Richardson, Goddard, Lucas, Birkett, Page-Smith, Anderson, Probert SUBS: Reid, Gray, Monteiro, Larkins,

BERKS COUNTY: Harris, EpokuWare, Senussi, Ford, Rippon, Laverty, Epoku-Ware, Keremieh, Allan, Sackey, Hanley

SUBS: Craske, Hayden, Richardson, Taylor, SassiRoberts