Woodley United made it three wins in five outings with an important victory against bottom team Bagshot.The win means that the Kestrels move up two places in the Combined Counties Division One to 18th position.
Playing down the slope into the setting sun United were caught off side on a couple of occasions while the hosts created two chances of their in the opening ten minutes without troubling the visitors’ defence.
Slowly, Woodley began to impose themselves with Ben Anderson fired over the cross bar and Daniel DeFreitas headed a Jordan Goddard free kick straight at Rhys Forster in the Bagshot goal.
This was followed in the 18th minute, when Caleb Lucas headed over the cross bar from a Rafa Brandao cross and the same player turned in a tight space and shooting wide six minutes later.
The break through came in the 26th minute. Brandao’s corner was not cleared and Anderson was allowed to shoot through a crowd of players to find the back of the net. It needed a point blank save from Ashley East a minute later to preserve United’s lead but this was the closest Bagshot came to scoring in the first half as United continued to dominate. Mark Williams headed wide from another Brandao corner, Lucas put Anderson in on goal but the forward found his pathway blocked while Lucas brought a diving save from Forster who tip the shot over his cross bar two minutes from half time.
The home team started the second half strongly with Levi Smith shooting over East’s cross bar when the ball came to him following a Bagshot free kick and two attacks breaking down due to being offside. United responded with Gary Smith heading wide from a Pedro Monterio free kick while Forster made a fingertip save from Anderson.
United had two scares in quick succession when Alfie Lal twice got free of the defence on Bagshot’s left had side to first be denied by East and then putting his shot wide. 17 minutes into the half, Forster parried Anderson’s shot and recovered quickly to smoother the ball at Lucas’s feet while Ciaran Carolan also shot wide following a good pass from Stuart Birkett.
The second goal came in the 73rd minute when a low Brandao cross saw Anderson get across a defender to steer pass Forster. Seven minutes later substitute Ryan Smith was denied for a corner by Forster.
With three minutes remaining Jack Barbrook fired home from the edge of Woodley’s penalty area following a cleared corner to set up a nail biting finish. It was during stoppage time that the visitors twice came closest to extending the lead as they were quick to counter attack while seeing the game to full time to take all three points.
Woodley United: East, Birkett, Goddard, Monterio (Salter), G Smith, Williams, Lucas (R Smith), DeFreitas (Carmichael), Carolan, Anderson, Brandao
