VETS WIN OPENING PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY

Town Vets opened their pre-season campaign with a short trip to North Berks Division 3 side, Uffington Utd on Tuesday evening, to play under the lights at Fawler Road. The two sides met this time last season, with the much younger United winning 6-3.

Town use the fixture for fitness, playing against younger opposition and the result doesn’t mean anything. Town were introducing four new lads to the Vets scene, with Ben Eltham, Mike Corcoran, Chris W (I can’t remember the rest, it’s long & its Polish!) and Lee Rath all welcomed to the Don old-timers.

Town were looking to keep the ball and learn from their mistakes last season, when the long ball and pace of the home side, was our downfall.

Town went into the half-time break 2-0 up with goals from Ben Eltham and a great strike from Chris Roche on the stroke of half-time, with the Town goal untroubled.

Second half and Town changed their system with the introduction of Iain Lawson, Corks, Rathy and Chris W. Whilst we had to face a couple of near misses with Paul Smith making two decent saves, a Corcoran penalty, another Roche finish and a good Rath strike saw Town runout comfortable 5-1 winners with United grabbing their consolation when 4-0 down and Town failed to track runners.

This was a welcome 85 minutes of football, played in the right spirit and Town played some decent football and scored some nicely worked and finished goals.

Team: P Smith, D Harrington, D Legg, B Eltham, G Sutton, G Townsend, B Spencer, A McCusker, P Hulme, T Redman, Chris Roche, Chris W!, M Corcoran, I Lawson, L Rath.

DOTD: Damo (Lost his phone, checked the van three times, his pockets a hundred times, Rocky called it 5 times and then the wife calls back to say he’d left it at home) WHEEL OF FORTUNE: Has to buy the three stooges a drink each at next fixture!