WOODLEY UNITED leapfrogged Berks County in the Combined Counties Division One table with their third consecutive win.
Kicking off, the visitors started lively but it was Woodley who opened the scoring as early as the eighth minute.
United intercepted a visitors’ clearance which allowed Jahson Downes to chip the ball over their defence for Connor Suckling to out run two centre backs before lobbing the advancing Matt Hill on the half volley.
Three minutes later a multi-player move saw Marco DeSousa pass to Suckling whose shot shaved the cross bar for a goal kick.
Buoyed by this positive play United continued to look dangerous as Reuel Griffith shot wide following good play DeSousa and Suckling, while Griffith was denied a goal in the 18th minute for an offside offence.
Berks County gradually got into the game with their best effort coming in the 25th minute when Clive Akem-Che fired wide from a tight angle which was followed two minutes later with Woodley keeper George Eaton pushing the ball over his crossbar for a corner.
With the match becoming keenly contested in midfield and defences working hard, chances in the remainder of the first half became few with Woodley’s best effort seeing Downes pass to Griffith in the County penalty area cleared while Eaton was called upon for a save five minutes before half-time.
The second half continued as the first ended with both teams looking for a goal but defences remaining strong.
County saw good play two minutes after the restart, penalised for offside with DeSousa putting a free kick over the crossbar nineteen minutes into the half.
In an attempt to find the second goal of the match both teams changed their playing formation and it was Woodley who was rewarded with in the 77th minute.
Suckling’s corner was cleared back to him, who in turn passed to Downes who took one touch on the edge of the Berks County penalty area before bending the ball inside Hill’s right hand post.
Goal scoring opportunities remained few as Woodley’s centre back pairing of Dan Watkiss and Rafa Brandao coped with Berks County’s forwards while the visitors remained mindful of the pace Woodley had to cause problems in attack which saw Ciaron Carolan to be denied with a last gasp tackle in the penalty area a minute before the end of normal time.
The host’s continued to work hard, no more so that Tino Chigona, to preserve the led and safely saw the game to full time without any undue pressure from the away team.
Woodley United: Eaton, DeSousa, Barrocas (Rushforth). Chigona, Watkiss, Brandao, Gbla (Ahamed), Lambourne, Griffith (Carolan), T Downes, Suckling (Tull) Sub not used: Davies
