North Berks Football League Roundup - 24th March 2018
 Richard Underwood, NBFL Media Relations Officer

Lambourn hit five and move into the last four

Division One Lambourn Sports booked their place in the North Berks Cup semi final when they travelled to Division Two Compton and posted a fine 5-0 victory. Lambourn started the better of the two sides when forcing a few early corners which never troubled the Compton defence which followed minutes later with Compton hitting the Lambourn cross bar following a free kick from Jake Rostron after Jack Baker had been brought down on the edge of the box. Then both sides had half chances with Lambourn’s Kieran Watson firing wide from just inside the box which followed with Compton’s Ben Brzoska seeing his shot saved low down by the alert Lambourn keeper Jordan Northmore.Then on twenty minutes Lambourn’s Dan Bond headed just wide after running on to a long ball from Marc Connelly which quickly followed with Bond firing over a pin point cross that Rob Curtis just failed to get on the end of when in a great position. Compton’s Rostron then saw his low shot minutes later saved well by keeper Northmore as both sides started to create chances at either end. Lambourn then lost their captain Connelly to an injury which followed with Lambourn creating a great chance to take the lead when a fine ball from Curtis found Watson just inside the Compton box and he took a touch and fired his shot which rattled the Compton cross bar with keeper Harry Sosnowy rooted. Then with minutes remaining in the first half Lambourn took the lead when following an in swinging corner which was cleared off the line the loose ball fell to Curtis who fired home from close range. Compton came out for second half and started well with firstly forcing a few corners which then followed with Alex Cairns firing over the bar from outside the box when in a good position. Then both sides created half chances with Compton’s Karl Sargison just failing to connect to a James Maskell long ball when in front of goal which followed with Lambourn’s Luke Richards and Watson both having snapshots which were saved by keeper Sosnowy. Lambourn doubled their lead just after the hour mark when Substitute Jonathan Peachey Score ran and found Curtis just inside the box and he took a touch and fired the ball passed the diving Sosnowy from around ten yards out. Only minutes later Lambourn scored again when a long through ball found Peachey Score one on one with keeper Sosnowy and he kept his head to calmly place the ball past the keeper and into the back of the net. Lambourn now were in full swing and started to play some good passing football and added a fourth shortly after when Leonard Khan ran on to a through ball and calmly chipped the ball over the advancing Sosnowy and into the roof of the net. Lambourn then thought they had then added a fifth minutes later when Curtis was denied his hat trick after firing home from close range only to see the lineman flag raised for offside. Compton seem to be stunned by this quick flurry of goals as they were now from looking from a close game on the hour mark were now struggling to keep it to a respectable score line. Lambourn then missed a glorious chance to make it five when Curtis was put clean through on goal but fired straight at the keeper which following with Luke Richards somehow missing the target when in a great position in front of goal. Then with minutes remaining Lambourn made it five following a corner which Compton failed to clear the ball out of their area and the ball fell to Chris Tewksbury who turned the ball home from close range and into the back of the net. Compton then had a great chance of their own right on the final whistle when the ball ran kindly to Michael Booroff but he watched his shot shave the far post and go inches wide from just inside the box. A game which was played in good spirit from two good sides which saw Lambourn putting the game to bed in a devastating twenty minute second half spell which moves them into the last four of the competition.

North Berks League Cup Semi Final
Cumnor Minors U21 booked their place in the League Cup final when they posted a narrow 3-2 victory after the game went into extra time with the sides locked at 2-2 after normal time at Laye Avenue. Cumnor took the lead through James Large before Alex Mclay levelled the scores just after half time but Cumnor regained the lead minutes later through Jeshwa Simmons-Sadler. Darren Outen then levelled the scores with ten minutes remaining before Cumnor were reduced to ten men when Wilkinson was sent off for a second bookable offence. The game then went into extra time with Levi Webb scoring what turned out to be the winning goal which followed with further sending offs in the game with Cumnor’s Ben Winn and Watlington’s Alex McClay both seeing red. Cumnor will now go on to meet Berinsfield Reserves in the final.
North Berks AG Kingham Cup Semi Final
Division Tw0 Saxton Rovers Reserves booked their place in the Final with a hard fought 2-0 victory over Division Three Lambourn Sports Reserves with the game all square at half time in took two goals from Connor Spraggs to claim the victory

Division One
Berinsfield moved within one point off the leaders when they travelled to North Oxford and came home with a 5-1 victory with Max Palmer scoring twice with further goals coming from Zach Gallagher, Luke Saunders and Brian Rawlings with Filip Loan scoring for the home side.Saxton Rovers hit seven for the second week running this time at the expense of Hanney United with posting a thumping 7-0 victory at Caldecott Road with Louis Bloomfield and Ollie Nadin both scoring hat-tricks whilst Tom Stanley scored the other goal. Long Wittenham moved up into fifth in the table with a 3-0 victory over Steventon with Andy Taylor, Steve Pyne and Will Houseman scoring the goals.

Division Two
Watlington Town continued where they left off last week and claimed another three points with a 4-2 victory over Faringdon Reserves thanks to two goals from Adam Holloway with Ben Little and Jon Little also finding the target whilst Faringdon relied through Walter Brigido and Mitch Singh. Kintbury Rangers Reserves also claimed three points when they travelled to Wallingford Town Reserves thanks to a hat-trick from Luke Connors with Kyle Williams also finding the target.

Division Three
Leaders East Hendred Reserves could only settle for a point as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Drayton at Mill Lane with Chris Whitworth scoring for Hendred whilst Drayton’s leading scorer Josh Dennis replied for Drayton. Long Wittenham Reserves reduced the gap at the top to nine points when they posted a 2-0 victory over Letcombe Reserves thanks to goals from Sam McDermaid and Andy Sutherland.

Division Four
Marcham Reserves moved into second spot in the table when they claimed a 4-2 victory over Appleford thanks to two goals from Leighton Jackson with further goals coming from Cameron Chalmers and Jamie Salter whilst Appleford replied through Matt Butler and James David. Hanney 66 Club were in the goals again with this time posting a narrow 4-3 victory over Faringdon Town A with John Green claiming a hat-trick with Luke Ulyatt also finding the target whilst Faringdon replied through Jack Green and James McFarland.

Roll Of Honour
Saxton Rovers Reserves reach the Kingham Cup Final
Cumnor minors U21 reach the League Cup Final
Louis Bloomfield and Ollie Nadin hit hat-tricks as Saxton hit seven
Luke Connors hits a hat-trick for Kintbury Reserves
John Green scores a hat-trick for Hanney 66 Club