Match Report: Robins leave Reds with little Festive Cheer

Uxbridge 2-3 Bracknell Town

A bright, crisp December Saturday saw Uxbridge welcome our visitors from Bracknell to Honeycroft for the final home game of 2025. Both sides were sitting just below the playoffs, with the Reds looking to turn around their recent poor run of form in a match that marked Danny Edwards’ 1000th game as a manager.

In the first half, chances were few and far between in what turned out to be a somewhat scrappy affair. Uxbridge looked to exploit the space behind the defence with balls over the top, finding some success in the early minutes. The first real chance fell to Bracknell in the 21st minute, with a shot deflected wide from Jordan Esprit following a move that started on the right-hand side. It seemed that the majority of Bracknell’s moves were focused on the right. Uxbridge’s best chance fell to Kai Hobbs, as he headed over following a long throw in the 26th minute.

HT: 0-0

A substitution at half-time saw Bernie Tanner come on for CJ Fearn. This seemed to affect Uxbridge, as almost immediately after the restart, they were caught cold by a ball played in between the left and centre-back—a pass expertly finished in the bottom corner by Marcus Johnson-Schuster to give Bracknell the lead, This seemed to spark Uxbridge into life, and the equaliser soon followed on 54 minutes when an excellent team move saw Giamattei’s cross finished by the onrushing Keita. In the skirmishes that followed the equaliser, the opposing goalkeeper was booked. Their tails up now, Uxbridge were in the ascendancy with chances for Giamattei and the ever lively Lawal. The pressure told in the 67th minute when a cross from the left was diverted into his own net (somewhat unluckily) by the Bracknell centre-back at close range following good pressure by the Uxbridge attackers. Not settling for this, Uxbridge continued to press on, looking for the cushion of a third goal. Chances came and went, including a penalty shout for handball which you could file in the "I’ve seen them given" pile, and maybe the tireless George Moore could have done better when through one-on-one in the 78th minute, sending his shot just wide.

Then the kicker: a free-kick awarded on the right-hand side was crossed in and not dealt with, allowing Jack Mazzone to bundle in the equaliser in the 87th minute. 2-2. All to play for, and once again Uxbridge found themselves in behind with a chance to win it, but the forward couldn't sort his feet out and the chance was gone. Three minutes into the additional five minutes of stoppage time, another free-kick was conceded in a dangerous area, out wide left this time. It was like déjà vu all over again as the cross came in, was not dealt with properly after a mix-up at the back, and was bundled in by Max Herbert in front of the delirious away support for another late sickener.

Next up for the Reds is a trip to Hanwell Town on the 27th December, when hopefully we’ll turn this run of form around.

FT 2-3

Att 320

Uxbridge: Forster, Hobbs, Giamattei, Fearn (Tanner), Stepney, Nnadozie (Boorn), Brown (Prior-Tack), Rush, Lawal (Nwachuku), Moore, Keita (Hector)

Man of the Match sponsored by eandadesigns.co.uk Joe Lawal

Match Report courtesy of Paul Edwards