Freeland reserves progressed in the 1^st round of the Clarendon Cup, beating a spirited Chadlington Reserves side. Freeland had Scroggs, Sadler and Hodges all playing in their first reserve game of the season.

 After a school boy warm up, with a hurricane like wind blowing the game started a scrappy affair, Freeland getting frustrated and resorting to balls over the top when short sharp passing was making the ageing Chad side chase the ball around. The Chad side were using the wind to their advantage, mainly adopting long ball tactics  with their strikers playing on the last man, but a well disciplined Freeland back line had no problems with stand in skipper and FFC Tracksuit Model Salkeld mopping most  things up.

 It was Freeland who had the best chance when some great interchanges between Blackwell and Langford set Youth Team protégé Webb free on the Right hand side, his teasing cross eluded everyone and Gatso had the goal at his mercy, only for him to blaze over from 5 yards, it was finishing that the away fans likened more to Gareth Berry than Goal Machine Colin.

Freeland eventually took the lead through a disputed penalty. Ben Symonds found Vandenberg in space who turned and threaded the ball through to Belcher who was clattered by the two ageing centre backs to earn Freeland a penalty. After much debate over where the ball should be placed defender Sam Symonds hit a penalty and the keeper managed to only palm the ball into the back of the net.

Freeland on the whole were good value for their lead at half time. The second half Freeland started the better and it seemed only a matter of time before Freeland increased their lead. A short free kick from one of a number of Chad offside’s found Sam Symonds with space of the right, his cross field ball found the run of Wick who calmly headed back over the keeper. The Chad linesman raised his flag for an offside, however quite rightly the ref overruled this and the goal stood.

Sub Scroggs could have had a hat trick within a matter of minutes of coming in, squandering a chance and forcing two great saves from the keeper. The normal tough tackling Blackwell lacked his usual bite thanks to  Freeland’s own scouse pest Neil “50p to mind your car” Evans shouts of steady every time he went in for a tackle. Evans then got ideas above his station and attempted to influence the substitutions, only to be quickly shot down.

 On the right wing Freeland’s Webb was causing the full back a number of problems, and substitute Hodges was showing his class. Blackwell won a free kick  on the edge of the area, and after much foot stamping stepped up to take the kick, only to blast it into the wall.

Against the run of play Chad scored a goal when Veteran striker Jones turned Salkeld and fired low into naturist Perkins net. A matter of minute’s later sub Sadler sealed the win fro Freeland when his effort from 25yrads clipped the post on the way to the back of the net.

A far from convincing performance from Freeland but a win sees them through to the next round were they will hope to go one better than last year and reach the final.