The Don (sponsored by The Snooty Mehmaan & The Advertiser Magazine & Pickpackplus) are on their travels to Berkshire in the David Grainger Saturday Junior Trophy this weekend as they take on East Berkshire League Division One promotion hopefuls South Reading in this Third-Round tie.
Kick-off at the Whiteley Wood Recreation Ground is 13:30 and directions to the ground are here: Faringdon to Whitley Wood Recreation Ground – Google Maps.
The home side are currently plying their trade in the East Berkshire League and sit second in Division One, five points behind the leaders, but with four games in hand. From their eight league encounters, they have six victories, one draw and a single defeat, with forty-one goals scored and fourteen conceded. Their squad is full of former Hellenic League and even higher experience with leading scorer Louis Soares (ten goals from seven games), Phil John, Barry Elmore and Shane Cooper-Clark all having played for many clubs in and around Berkshire over the years. To reach the Third Round of the competition, South Reading much like The Don received a bye in the opening round before they demolished Harchester Hawks 9-1 away from home to set up this encounter.
The Don management again has a selection headache, with nineteen lads available for selection, which is a nice headache. Last weekend’s Corsham Print Wiltshire Senior League Division One 4-1 home victory over a dogged Cricklade Town will have put much-needed minutes into the squad’s legs after a very stop-start couple of months due to the weather. Town defeated Wraysbury FC in the previous round on the road, 4-2 so at least this round’s tie is slightly nearer, only 40 miles away! The only change to the squad this week, sees Adam Rudman drop out and Will Bazen come back into the selection following a run-out with the Devs last Saturday.
Squad From
Adam Sly
George James
Harry Timbrell
Jack Gibson
Jamie Arlott
Jamie Tuck
Josh Forth
Kyle Bowyer
Liam Hares
Luke Davenport
Luke Smith
Matt Pill
Pete Fletcher
Ray Lovell
Sam Leech
Will Bazen
The Devs (sponsored by J Godfrey & Son Funeral Services & Las Chicas Faringdon) are back in Witney & District League Division Two action this weekend, following a Fred Ford Cup defeat on the road to Wootton Sports. The 5-3 loss saw Town fight back to 3-3 during the game, before succumbing to defeat. Manager Robbie Harrington was happy with the overall performance against the fellow Division Two promotion favourites.
This weekend they are at Tucker Park, where Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm-sponsored Chadlington Reserves are the visitors for this league tie. The kick-off is 13:45. Fifth-placed Town will be hoping to gain full points from their visitors who currently sit eleventh (from fourteen) with just the one victory and six defeats from their seven league games. That single victory game last weekend, as they sent Bourton Rovers to the foot of the table with a 3-2 home win. All three goals in the game were scored by top-scorer George Slatter (five from six games) so he is obviously the man to watch.
The two sides have met already this season, with Town coming away with a convincing 9-1 victory courtesy of a four-timer from Adam Sly, two from Justin Yates and a goal a piece for Sam Gorham, Jamie Broadfield, and Chris Rutt. Town know this will be a different challenge, but the end goal remains the same, three points.
It’s also a home tie for the A Team this week, with only a point and a position separating the sides in Witney & District League Division Three match with Stonesfield Reserves, kick-off 14:15. Town sit in tenth position following last weekend’s heavy 8-3 defeat, even though the opening half ended 4-3 to Sherborne Harriers. Ninth-placed Stonesfield have been without a game for a couple of weeks, so will either be fresh or rusty coming into this tie. Town will be hoping to get back to winning ways……
