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Durkin scores winner for Letcombe to lift War Memorial (20-04-2024)       Letcombe Reserves last night lifted the War Memorial Trophy after they posted a narrow 3-2 victory over Woodcote Development in a game which could have gone either way at Wantage Town Football Club in front of around 200 plus spectators. Letcombe took an early advantage after just under ten minutes when Kian Durkin collected the ball on the edge of the box turned his marker and was brought down only for the referee to point to the spot and Luke Plumb stepped up to send Woodcote keeper Joe Hybert the wrong way and give Letcombe the lead. This goal gave Letcombe an extra zip and calmed any pre match nerves as moments later they doubled their lead when Kyran Driscoll went on a fine run down the Woodcote right took a touch and fired the ball across where Billy Tulloch hit a first-time snapshot from just inside the box that went past the diving Hybert and into the corner of the net. Both sides created half chances which were either saved or missed before Woodcote pulled a goal back just after the half hour mark with the goal of the game when Andy Taylor picked up a loose ball around thirty yards out and took aim and unleashed an unstoppable rocket past the diving Joe Clark and into the roof of the net. Then moments later Woodcote should have been levelled when Taylor fired over a free kick into the wide of the target with only Letcombe keeper Clarke in front of him. The second half started and both defences held firm as there were no real chances to note apart from some long-range efforts from both sides that both keepers saved Letcombe box and there was Sully Akers all in space but could only fire the ball comfortably. Then just over the hour mark Woodcote pulled level when following a Taylor corner Akers rose like a salmon at the far post to head the ball home past keeper Clark to level the scores. Both sides then had chances to take the lead, but it was Letcombe that went ahead with around fifteen minutes remaining when Durkin chased a long ball and just got there before keeper Hybert, and he neatly tapped the ball past him and into the net. Woodcote pushed hard and they should have levelled the scores with three minutes remaining when following great work from Nowell his cross found Tom Brownlow in space, but he could only fire over the bar from ten yards out with the goal at his mercy. Woodcote’s Taylor then shot wide of the target whilst on the run before Archie Clark fired a twenty-yard free kick straight at the wall which followed with the final whistle with Letcombe claiming a hard-fought victory to lift the trophy as Kian Durkin was named man of the match for his endless running and contribution and scoring the winning goal. Pearson strike wins Kingham and sets up treble for Didcot. Didcot Town Youth completed the double and added the North Berks AG Kingham Cup to last week’s Division Three title success when they beat Wantage Town A by a narrow 1-0 victory at Abingdon United Football Ground in front of around 300 spectators. Wantage though started the better of the two sides and throughout the first half missed array of chances to take the lead which came back to bite them later on in the game. The first chance came when Wantage’s Tom Austin curled his free kick over the Didcot wall, but Didcot keeper Karl Dawson was well position to make the save. Then ten minutes later following a free kick Wantage’s Kyle Cross attempted a over head volley that beat keeper Dawson but was headed off the line by a Didcot defender Dan Knapp and out to safety. Just after the half our mark Wantage forward Jamie Bristow was sent clean through on goal, but his first-time effort went straight at keeper Dawson when he had more time than he thought. Didcot were struggling to carve up any worthwhile chance as Wantage keeper Jay Claridge had yet to make a worthwhile save and Didcot keeper Dawson was again called upon when tipping a close-range header over the bar at full stretch. Didcot then created their first chance to note when Jake Moss collected the ball midway in the Wantage half took a touch and fired his snapshot from twenty-five yards out that whistled just wide of the Wantage far post. Then just as half time approached Dawson made a double save first saving a Tom Geach close range effort and as he got up from the ground and saved the rebound from Finn Bliss which followed with Wantage’s Bristow running onto a through ball rounding the keeper Dawson but taking the ball to wide and the strong attack amounted to nothing. The second half started, and the game went into a period where neither side troubled either keeper as the defences held firm with only long-range efforts which were easily saved or went wide of the target. Wantage’s Finn Bliss seemed to be covering every blade of grass on the pitch but could not make the final ball count and Didcot’s Bradley Moon saw his long runs fade in the final third. Then on around seventy minutes Didcot took the lead when following a corner James Pearson header was saved at close range but the rebound fell kindly and he fired the ball though a crowed six yard box and into the roof of the net .Wantage pushed forward to level the scores and created a string of corners but could not break through the Didcot defence and the last chance fell when Wantage’s Kyle Cross produced a fine run and his low cross found Tom Austin on the edge of the box but his shot went over the Didcot crossbar. Didcot saw out the remaining minutes to lift the Kingham trophy and now go onto next week to look to complete the treble against Marcham.