FINCHAMPSTEAD slipped to a 1-0 defeat in their Hellenic League Division One East clash at home to Woodley United on Saturday.

Arguably the turning point in the game was in the 55th minute when home captain and centre back Sam Green became involved in an incident in the Woodley half and was subsequently dismissed.

While the game remained tight, 17 minutes later Adbul Kamara’s deft touch in the Finchampstead penalty area created a rare chance for Woodley which Charlie Oakley converted for his seventh goal of the season.

The tone of the game was set in the opening eight minutes with Finchampstead conceding free-kicks close to their penalty area, but Greg Beckett and Jake Nicholls saw their set pieces cleared without troubling the home keeper Neil Griffith.

However, with right winger Kylo Atkinson proving dangerous and looking to run at United’s defence at every opportunity the visitors were pushed onto the back foot and reliant on the counter-attack with the best chance coming on 34 minutes when a multi pass move involving Kamara and Nicholls resulted in Beckett shooting wide.

Finchampstead finished the half strongly with the dangerous Atkinson being denied on a number of occasions by Woodley’s keeper Alex Reed to keep the match scoreless at the break.

Playing down the slope the home side started the second half strongly with Reed again being called upon as United struggled to make headway into the hosts’ half.

With the sending off came the opportunity for Woodley to play higher up the pitch with Oakley seeing a goal-bound shot cleared for a corner and Adam Nditi’s free-kick from distance dropping onto the roof of Griffith’s net at the 70 minute mark.

This period of pressure paid off with Oakley’s decisive goal which in turn spurred Finchampstead to finish strongly with man-of-the-match Reed making a double save and Idris Kamara surviving home appeals for a penalty when the ball was drilled at pace onto his arm.

Finchampstead host AFC Aldermaston this coming Saturday (3pm).

  • SANDHURST Town visit Cirencester Town Development in the Hellenic League Challenge Cup this Saturday (3pm).
  • WOKINGHAM & Emmbrook return to Hellenic League Division One East action at home to Headington Amateurs on Saturday (3pm).
  • EVERSLEY & California host Sheerwater in the Combined Counties League Division One on Saturday (3pm) before travelling to Knaphill in the Aldershot Senior Cup on Tuesday (7.30pm).