Cropredy travelled to Halse for their final game of the season knowing there was still a slim chance of achieving their pre-season target of a top 5 finish if they could get the three points.

Unlike the last fixture at Summertown Stars on Easter Saturday Sean Dineen could call upon a full squad of the fully fit players available. Jack Welch returned to the starting eleven in place of Ben Smithers who dropped to the bench.

Cropredy started slowly out of the blocks and we’re given a warning as early as the fifth minute. A free kick was played into a Halse attacker who’s header was met at the back post by another player in black and white but his header from two yards went wide. However minutes later the hosts did take the lead. A long ball over the top caught out the Cropredy back line cold and the peculiarly numbered 88 took the ball down and converted from close range. Halse doubled their lead just two minutes later on 11 minutes, Cropredy weren’t alert to a thrown in and quickly taken shot that flew into the net for 2-0. Halse were threatening to run away with the game in the early stages and found themselves 3-0 to the good after just 20 minutes. A well taken shot was thundering in to the goal but James Cutts’s fingertips forced it on to the crossbar and out for a corner. From this corner though a Halse player was granted too much time to control the incoming cross and fire home.

Cropredy made some tactical changes at this point, moving to a back three and playing with inverted wingers. This allowed them to gain some control for the first time in the match. Some neat work by Ben Rogers got him past his marker and played a square ball across the face of goal but Harry Dunham couldn’t quite meet it and Luke Ulla Thomas tested the goalkeepers gloves for the first time shortly before half time.

Cropredy knew they had to come out as a different team in the second half to the one who took the field an hour earlier in terms of endeavour and application and made a fast and aggressive start to the second half upsetting the Apple cart with their hosts and Welch forced an effort on goal. However the game was pushed away from them on 52 minutes, in a one on one duel between goalkeeper and attacker, Cutts was adjust to off taken the latter down and the resultant penalty was converted for 4-0.

Cropredy did get one back on 57 minutes. A cross wide from the left was met by Aaron Dineen who’s header found the back of the net.

Cropredy tried to be positive in their play but realistically the comeback was never on and Halse took their chances to add gloss to their scoreline. It was 5-1 on 68 minutes when Curt parried a shot across goal but only to an unmarked on rushing striker to tap home and shortly after they converted another penalty after Ruben Torego had lunged in on an attacker. In the closing minutes Halse made it seven with a looping strike going in just under the crossbar.

Overall it was a poor performance and desperately disappointing way for Cropredy to end their season but the result wasn’t fully representative of their season with almost a fully new coaching team and squad in which many positive foundations have been built with some memorable results secured along the way.

Cropredy: Cutts, S.Dineen, Truman, Liverpool (Smithers 55), Palmer, Ulla Thomas, Torego, Dunham (Brown 60), Rogers (Allum 70), Welch (Williams 88), A.Dineen

Goal:

Dineen - 52