PROFFESIONAL FREELAND BACK TO WINNING WAYS

Witney Athletic 1 - 3 Freeland A

Freeland produced a professional, if unspectacular performance, to get themselves back to winning ways after the mauling they received the week before at the hands of Stanton Harcourt. With a growing injury list Freeland were without Gavin Welch, Dave Simpkins, Adam Longford, Stuart McNaughton, and long term absentees Chris Hicks and Joel Holden. Freeland were given two huge boosts, with the return of Chris Collier and none other than living legend Richard Stanley on the bench.

Freeland started brightly and John Pyrah was back to his sparkling best, linking up well with both wingers and his midfield partner Lee Tomas. Robert panting and Dave Titcombe were assured as always at the back, Ben Harris continued his recent dazzling form at right back, and Mark Venn was bombing forward with pace from left back.

"Lee Tomas came over all David Beckham"

Freeland rarely looked troubled at the back, and with Bower and Hardy looking dangerous down the wings it was only a matter of time before Freeland opened the scoring. Callum Parker was looking lively upfront and he had a great chance to give Freeland the lead but his shot was underhit and the chance went. Freeland did take the lead soon after though, Lee Tomas came over all David Beckham, and struck a looping effort from just inside the Witney Athletic half, the shot was struck to sweetly for the keeper to handle and he could only tip it into the top corner for the midfielders first goal for seventeen years.

Freeland doubled their lead not long after, Footitt was put through by Tomas and the lethal marksman struck the ball against the foot of the post, Hardy followed up to ram the ball home from a yard, making his last three goals a combined distance total of three yards.

Parker then had another chance but he somehow managed to head the ball into his strike partners face. His strike partner had more joy moments later though, when Athletic failed to clear a corner, Bower whipped the ball back into the area and Footitt adjusted himself well and volleyed home for his eleventh goal of the season.

"Mobey then produced a wonder save"

Mobey then produced a wonder save somehow reaching and tipping over a mis hit goalbound cross. He was not to remain unbeaten though, and shortly after, minutes before the break, Witney Athletic took a quick corner, and Coutts bent the ball into the top corner from the edge of the area.

The second half was a pretty uneventful forty-five minutes, Freeland dominated possession, with Pyrah again pulling the strings, but Freeland failed to create any clear cut chances. Richard Stanley made his long awaited comeback, coming on for the hard working Parker, and almost scored with one of his first touches. Bower, did what he had been doing all game, and put in another great cross, and Stanley cleverly poked the ball towards the bottom corner, Athletics goalkeeper dramatically clawed the ball away to deny Stanley his comeback goal.

Captain fantastic Robert Panting almost notched his first goal of the season, but he left his free header too close to the Athletic keeper. Paul Mills, a second half substitute made a comical fall when bearing down on goal, arms and legs flying everywhere, and that was pretty much the last action of an otherwise actionless half of football. Freeland were not complaining though, as the three points sends them two points clear at the top of Division 4.