North Berks Football League Roundup - 28th April 2018
 Richard Underwood, NBFL Media Relations Officer

Holders Berinsfield book place in North Berks Final

Holders Berinsfield booked their place into the North Berks Cup Final after they beat Long Wittenham 3-1 at the Sutton Courtenay Football Ground. Long Wittenham started the better of the two sides and went in front as early as the fifth minute when a Kieran Cooper low free kick from just outside the Berinsfield box found its way through keeper Tom Lovett and into the corner of the net. Minutes later Berinsfield’s Max Palmer was put through on goal by Luke Saunders but his shot was saved low down by the alert Long Wittenham keeper Charlie Pay.Wittenham’s Sam Borland then had two half chances with the first and snap shot from just inside the Berinsfield box which went over the cross bar which followed with a low twenty yard drive going straight at keeper Lovett.Berinsfiled then pulled level when Palmer linked up well with Mark Ingram just inside the Wittenham box and he took a touch but saw his shot saved by the out rushing Pay but Ingram stayed alert to fire the rebound home from ten yards out. Then Berinsfield thought they had gone into the lead on the half hour mark but Charlie Lee’s effort was ruled out for offside as Berinsfield started to create a few more chances. Wittenham then had a great chance to go ahead when a long through ball put in Sam McDermaid on goal but his attempt to chip Berinsfield keeper Lovett went just wide of the far post. Then just as the half time whistle was about to blow Wittenham pressed the destruct button when following an injury Wittenham were asked to play the ball back to Berinsfield so instead of kicking the ball way back to their keeper they played the ball to the nearest Berinsfield player Brian Rawlings who in turn played a long through ball which found Lee just inside the box who took a touch and fired his shot past the diving Pay to take Berinsfield into a 2-1 lead. The second half started with neither side creating any chances to note with Berinsfield’s Palmer shooting just wide from an acute angle being the best of the chances. Ingram then saw his low free kick from just outside the Wittenham box flicked on by Luke Holdsworth from six yards out only from keeper Pay to save low down with his feet. Wittenham keeper Pay then had defender Gareth Barnes to thank after he failed to deal with a long ball and he passed the ball straight to Berinsfield’s Palmer who only failed to score because of a last ditch challenge from Barnes. Berinsfield then saw a few snapshots go just wide of the Wittenham post from Holdsworth, Rawlings and Ingram after same great long passes from Chris Murphy as Wittenham looked to push forward in hunt to level the scores. Then with around ten minutes remaining Berinsfield extended their lead when Ingram showed some pace on the Wittenham right chasing down a long ball and his pin point cross was inch perfect for the running on Lee who fired the ball past Pay from around eight yards out. Wittenham then saw a Cooper high free kick bounce off the Berinsfield cross bar and then cleared to safety which then followed with Berinsfield’s Lee firing just wide following a great through ball from Palmer. Berinsfield saw out the remaining minutes of the game to now face Saxton Rovers in a repeat of last year’s North Berks Cup final.

Saxton Rovers Reserves stage comeback to lift Kingham Cup
Saxton Rovers Reserves staged a second half comeback to claim a 2-1 victory to lift the AG Kingham Cup against Ardington Reserves at Abingdon Town Football Ground in front of around 150 spectators.Saxton Reserves created the first real chance of the game when striker Michael Smith fired a fierce free kick from just outside the Ardington box that was superbly tipped over the cross bar by Ardington keeper James Wilkins. Then minutes later Michael Smith linked up with Connor Spraggs just on the edge of the Ardington area and he took a touch but fired his shot just wide when in a great position.Saxton’s Liam Smith then went on a fine run down Ardington’s right beat two defenders and curled his shot just wide of the far post with keeper Wilkins beaten. Moments later Saxton’s Joseph Pratley had a snap shot from around ten yards out that was blocked on the six yard line by a Ardington defender when the ball was goal bound. Ardington then forced a few corners that never real troubled the Saxton defence which then followed with Saxton’s Paul Churchouse heading wide from a George Goodenough deep cross. Ardington then took the lead with their next attack when Tom Eatwell collected the ball midway through the Saxton half and he found Jonny James in space on the edge of the area and he took a touch a fired his low shot past the diving Saxton keeper Darren Spayes and into the far corner of the net. Then just before the half time whistle Saxton’s Liam Smith collected the ball on the edge of the Ardington area beat a defender but his shot was saved low down by keeper Wilkins. The second half started with neither side creating any worthwhile chances to note as both defences held firm and it took a great strike to bring Saxton level on the hour mark when Michael Smith was put through on goal by Spraggs and Smith kept a cool head a fired a bullet of a shot past the diving Wilkins and into the roof of the net. Then only minutes later Saxton took the lead when Ardington gave away a free kick on the edge of the their own box which was whipped across by Liam Smith and after the ball had pin balled around the six yard box the ball fell kindly to Harry Winn who turned the ball home from close range.Ardington then had a five minute spell of their own where they created a few corners and Dale Cameron had a shot blocked on the edge of the Saxton area which fell kindly to Patrick Steptoe but he could only shoot wide from a good position.Saxton thought they had gone further ahead with around twenty minutes remaining when Carl Archer headed home from close range but this was ruled out for offside.Saxton’s Spraggs then went on a fine run beating three or four Ardington defenders but only could shoot wide from ten yards when all the hard work seemed to be done. Then with time running out Ardington had a glorious chance to go level when a long cross found substitute Danny Wilkins who headed the ball back across goal where Cameron could only fire wide from ten yards when in a great position. Ardington then had a string of corners in the dying minutes but could not make that final touch count as Saxton held on through the remaining seconds of the match to lift the Trophy in front of a the loud and singing Saxton supporters.
North Berks Cup Semi Final
The Saxton Rovers train is still running on track for claiming four trophies and was not derailed when they posted a fine 5-0 victory over Lambourn Sports at the Ardington Football Ground with Patrick Mannix scoring twice and Niall Hodgkins, Tom Stanley and Louis Bloomfield also hitting the target.

Division One
Hanney United produced a mini shock when they travelled to Westminster and came away with all three points in a high scoring 4-3 victory with Shaun Harris scoring twice and Neil Pimm and Nicholas Christodoulou also finding the target.

Division Two
Kintbury Rangers Reserves maintained their good run of form when they posted a fine 4-0 victory over Blewbury which saw then leapfrog them in the table into third place with Luke Connor, Luke Johnson, Dan Chamberlain and Tom Head all on target.

Division Three
Pete Ivey’s Drayton clinched the runners up spot in Division Three and will play Division Two football next season after they posted a fine 3-1 victory over Long Wittenham Reserves at the Bodkins Sports Ground with leading scorer Josh Dennis scoring twice and Kieran Hughes scoring the other goal whilst Andy Sutherland scored for the home side. Marcham made short work of their afternoon with posting a thumping 12-0 victory over Uffington United with Tom Graham claiming a five timer with Dan Thomas and Dave Yallop both scoring twice whilst Dan Barnes, Alex Woodham and Chris Shahab also found the target.

Roll of Honour
Berinsfield and Saxton Rovers reach the 101st North Berks Final
Saxton Rovers Reserves win the North Berks Kingham Cup Final
Drayton clinch the runners up spot in Division Three
Marcham hit twelve at Uffington United
Tom Graham hits a five timer for Marcham