LEAGUE leaders Risborough recovered from an early Woodley goal with a dominant second half showing to extend their league record to an impressive eighteen wins and two draws from twenty games.
After an early shot by Rangers went wide, a fantastic crossfield ball by United’s Lamin Ceesay found Max Laschok on the left. Getting to the ball before the keeper the forward’s lobbed effort landed on the roof of the net.
In the next attack, Laschok and Ceesay combined again after a clipped ball down the right touchline. This time the former turned provider squaring to Ceesay who placed a low shot into the left corner from ten yards.
Following a goal mouth scramble that saw the away side hack clear, Ceesay missed to the right from the left of the box.
Risborough were a very physical team, with the majority of their side well over six foot. A corner from the right saw a Joel Read header clip the top of the bar. Following a sustained period of pressure, Woodley keeper Craig McCreeth did well to punch clear a left wing cross moments before Rangers had a goal ruled out.
United were looking to hit their opponents on the counter using their pacey wide men. Another fine ball from left to right saw Ceesay pick out young winger Josh Millo, who was making his first start for the first team. After a couple of nice touches, Millo passed to Laschok who rolled in Ceesay whose shot from a tight angle on the left was blocked for a corner.
There was a big let off for Woodley on thirty eight minutes when a dangerous cross was inadvertently turned towards his own goal by right back Jamaal Wright. Showing excellent reflexes McCreeth did superbly to palm away the ball destined for the left corner.
United’s advantage only lasted for another sixty seconds as almost immediately after the save McCreeth was beaten by a low shot from Sam Pekun whose celebration was even better than the finish. Despite defending well for large periods, Woodley went into the break behind after Brian Haule fired home after a left wing corner wasn’t cleared.
The second half started frantically with United clearing off the line and a golden chance at the other end spurned when Ceesay failed to control a ball that would have seen him go clear through on goal.
Woodley were immediately punished on fifty one minutes when Haule smashed home after the ball broke to him on the left side of the box.
Two minutes later Haule completed his hat-trick despite the best efforts from McCreeth who got a hand to a header that went into the top right corner following a header back across goal.
After a couple of half chances for Laschok, one that went wide and the other blocked, a miserable thirteen minutes for United ended with Josh Fox rounding McCreeth and rolling into an empty net from a tight angle.
Just after the hour, Harry Hawkins shot over after being teed up by Ceesay as Woodley attempted to get back into the match.
A United double change took place on sixty six minutes when Tommy Boyd and Ben Anderson replaced Sam Wood and Millo.
The home team were relentless and much more impressive than the game earlier in the season when they narrowly won. Some excellent play on the right by Pekun saw him beat his man and fizz a cross in that Kyle Faulkner couldn’t convert.
Woodley made their final change with fourteen minutes to go when Pele Hagger made way for Bailey Hill at left back.
With the match entering the final ten minutes, McCreeth pulled off a sprawling save to deny Pekun a second. The scoring was then completed sixty seconds later when Pekun unselfishly squared to Faulkner who couldn’t miss from close range.
The final chances fell to United. Hawkins saw an effort blocked whilst Toby Briggs blazed well over in added time.
Woodley: McCreeth, Whight, Hagger (Hill), Briggs, Alexander, Swift, Millo (Anderson), Wood (Boyd), Laschok, Hawkins, Ceesay Subs not used: Swaine, Axton-Hall
Match report by Mark Rozzier
