News & EventsLatest NewsCalendar
Crop finishing the season strong

Crop finishing the season strong

Kieran Reading11 Apr 2022 - 10:17
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.cropredyfc.com/new

Cropredy made it three games unbeaten and 7 points from 9 with an away win at Charlton.

Cropredy travelled to South Oxfordshire looking to avenge their one of the most dissapointing results of their season when they lost 3-0 at home to Charlton United in the reverse fixture in February. Charlton had lost their intervening 6 games since then but were not going to be took lightly, with a tightly contested middle section of the Oxfordshire Senior League table. However their pre match preparations were disrupted when a car carrying four players broke down on route. The three passengers made it to the ground with half an hour to go but unfortunately driver Ruben Torego, who was due to start in central defence had to miss out so Izzy Liverpool slotted into his position. Elsewhere there was a start for Matt Allum and Robbie Brown made his first start since November after recovering from injury. Tom Rivers and Jamie Williams continued their own respective injury recoveries with places on the bench.

Cropredy had started the brightest in the game and took control against a team looking to stay tight with a back three as they did in the reverse fixture to good effect. But it was Charlton who drew first blood on 12 minutes. A lapse in concentration in the Cropredy defence allowed a lofted pass to fall behind them where a Charlton striker took the ball down and slotted neatly into the far post.

Charlton managed their lead well when the teams last met but it took just 9 minutes for Crop to get on level terms this time around. Allum used his speed to get to to a ball out wide on the left and after beating his man managed to make an inviting cross into the six yard box. The ball was met by Aaron Dineen but the keeper blocked at close range but Harry Dunham was well placed for an easy conversion for 1-1.

Crop could of took the lead moments later after good hold up play by A.Dineen allowed him to get away from his markers and play a ball across the face of goal but no one in a blue shirt was there to meet it.

Cropredy had control of the game but we’re guilty of some sloppy balls and link up play in attacking areas. The closest they came to scoring again were through speculative chances, once when a Sean Dineen cross flew on target and was tipped over the bar by the goalkeeper and a long distance free-kick from Brown missed all the players from the box and the goalkeeper was needed again to thump away for a corner.

Charlton almost too the lead just before half-time, after a free kick Cropredy had switched off again and a Charlton player had time and space in the box but his effort went just wide of the post.

The teams went in level at the break but Cropredy opted to react to Charlton’s back three by sacrificing Brown and Bringing on Ben Rogers to go 4-4-2. Just three minutes into the restart Crop had took the lead. A Jack Welch corner struck the backside of Matt Allum and found the back of the net, an unorthodox way for him to open his account for the club but a welcome one.

Cropredy had almost shot themselves in the foot two minutes later when a ball was allowed into the box and Charlton’s striker seemed to have a tap in at the near post but Welch’s crucial intervention meant the worst damage was conceding a corner.

From that point on Crop had full control of the game and there was daylight with a two goal cushion on 65 minutes. Rogers done well to bring down a high ball played from Sean Dineen into him with his first touch and his second touch was played over the head of his marker. As the ball came back down the defender and Rogers had an aerial duel which ended in a goal to Cropedy.

There were further chances for Cropredy to extend their lead. Shortly after the third goal Luke Ulla Thomas’s eyes lit up as he was presented with a free shot from 12 yards but his effort was blasted over the bar. A. Dineen was frustrated to be denied in a one on one with the keeper and again after good link up play with Rogers his effort lacked enough power to trouble the keeper.

In the end it was a convincing win for Cropredy and made a success what threatened to be a difficult day. Only two games remain in their aim for a top 5 finish and will travel to Summertown Stars for their penultimate fixture of the season next Saturday.

Cropredy: Cutts, S.Dineen, Truman, Liverpool, Palmer (Rivers 80), Ulla Thomas, Brown (Rogers 45), Welch (C), Dunham (Smithers 60), Allum (Williams 88), A.Dineen

Goals:

Charlton (1-0) - 12
Dunham (1-1) -
Allum (1-2) - 48
Rogers (1-3) - 65

Further reading