Match Report: A Bridge Too Farnham

Uxbridge 1-3 Farnham Town

Uxbridge welcomed Farnham Town to Honeycroft on Saturday, looking to bounce back from the previous weeks first home league defeat of the season to Yate Town. They had made light-work of North Greenford United in the Middlesex Senior Cup on Tuesday, a win which sees them visit Southall in the Semi-Finals – due to be played in the new year. The Reds injury list is showing no signs of shrinking with George Moore, Casey Bocarro, Joe Lawal and Marvin Sordell all unavailable.

Club Captain CJ Fearn is back from holiday next week, which will bolster the squad with the busy holiday period on the horizon. Uxbridge made five changes from the defeat against Yate Town. Laurie Shala – who was recalled by parent club Wycombe Wanderers – was replaced in goal by former Slough Town and Enfield Town keeper, Rhys Forster. Kai Hobbs, Kyle Bailey, Daniel Hector and Ada Okorogheye started in place of Cole Brown, Bernie Tanner, Liam Prior-Tack and Marvin Sordell. Farnham Town arrived at Honeycroft in good form, having won their three previous matches and were looking to close the gap on the teams in the playoff places.

The game was less than ten minutes old when the team from Surrey took the lead. An overload down the Uxbridge left saw the ball worked to Owen Dean, who had time to cross into the box and find the unmarked Bobby-Joe Taylor, who planted a header wide of the despairing dive of debutante Forster. Shortly after Forster was called into action, pushing Matt Mackenzie’s well hit shot, from the edge of the box, over the bar. Farnham had undoubtedly made the better start, but the remainder of the half was dominated by the Reds. On twenty-three minutes Harry Rush sent a low shot fizzing just wide of the upright and three minutes later Okorogheye turned in the box, but his effort was just too high. With Uxbridge now well on top an equaliser looked on the cards, and it duly arrived on the

half-hour mark. Although there was an element of good fortune about Frank Keita’s goal the build- up play was sublime. Bailey fed the ball to Hector who turned Mackenzie and found Okorogheye in space. Okorogheye picked out Keita in the box and the number elevens shot was deflected over Michael Eacott to level the scores. Farnham were now on the ropes, but the Reds were unable to make any of their punches tell. Hobbs stung the fingertips of Eacott with a sumptuous half-volley – Okorogheye dribbled his way to the touchline before pulling the ball back for top scorer Nnams Nwachuku. Unfortunately, his first time shot sailed high over the bar. Uxbridge continued to put pressure on the Farnham Town defence which held firm and the half ended all square.

Half-Time: 1-1

If the truth be known Uxbridge probably didn’t want to hear the half-time whistle, so much was their dominance in the later stages of the opening period. The away side came out from the dressing rooms with a determined look in their eyes and the Managers words of wisdom ringing in their ears. Two Farnham Town attacks, scrambled behind for corners, in the opening five minutes, signalled the trajectory of the second forty-five minutes. As the pressure mounted the Reds dropped deeper and deeper trying to protect a point. In the sixty-ninth minute another corner was conceded and Dan Bayliss found space at the near post to send a powerful header into the net, giving the side from Surrey the lead. Six minutes later the contest was all but over as substitute Ogo Obi slotted past Forster from ten yards, after good work from Jack Dean and Dan Liddle. Uxbridge made use of all five of their substitutes in the last ten minutes, but they were unable to reduce the arrears as Uxbridge were left to rue the lack of goals their first half display warranted.

The Reds will have to quickly lick their wounds and get ready for another tough match on Tuesday evening. Its seventh versus eighth as Sholing visit Honeycroft. Kick-off 7:45pm.

Full Time 1-3

Attendance: 342

Uxbridge: Forster, Hobbs, Giamattei, Bailey, Stepney, Nnadozie, Hector, Rush ©, Nwachuku, Okorogheye, Keita. Subs Used: Tanner for Stepney, Brown for Hobbs, Prior-Tack for Rush, Deru for Giamattei, Brandao for Nnadozie.

Match report courtesy of Michael Bodman