Ups and Downs Contd

Witney 3 - Reading 2
A shambolic start from Reading gifted Witney a 3-0 lead in the first 10 minutes. With the usual vagaries of the A34 Reading started the game with nine men, none of which owned any goalkeeping kit and conceded an early penalty stroke for Witney's opening goal. Steve Thurlborne's first action on entering the affray was to pick the ball out of the goal after the umpire considered that a Reading defender had blocked a goal-bound shot with his body. A cheaply conceded and weak Penalty Corner and a deflection gave a young Reading team a mountain to climb in the remaining 60 minutes.
Up to eleven men with the arrival of Ahmet 'Tino' Tuney Reading took on the task one step at a time and began to take control of the game with some neat passing hockey and as the half progressed Tino and Toby Pratt were unlucky not to get the visitors a toe-hold from a string of Penalty Corners. The Witney keeper in particular was proving a difficult barrier to overcome and at half-time it was still 3-0 to the home team.
The second half belonged to Reading who got a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel when Jamie Etherington drove from right back and crossed for Nic Barton to force the ball home at the far post for Reading's first goal. The second came soon after when Reading were finally able to beat Witney from a Penalty Corner, Tino getting plenty of whip on his drag flick that beat the keeper's left glove.
In the dying moments of the game Reading won a final Penalty Corner and when the Witney defenders broke early were expecting another go against a depleted defence. However the eagle-eyed umpire had spotted a Reading infringement and the moment passed with the boys in blue unable to find that final goal that their hard work deserved.
On the positive side the game was played in good spirits and Witney took the lead in the all important league table for best away teas.