After many weeks of delays due to the weather, Freeland finally ventured to the outskirts of Reading to play Park United in the quarter finals of the Intermediate Cup.

For such a high profile game, it was pleasing that the Manager had a strong squad to choose from and this included Danny Taylor - recently returning from a year helping to reform convicts in Australia, and club carthorse Si Hole who was back from impersonating an Italian Yeti.

Freeland eased into their first game for 6 weeks more comfortably than had been anticipated, partly due to the football played by Freeland, and partly due to the poor performance by Park United, who did not want to compete after Freeland’s strong start.

 Andy Salkeld was on target early on with an opportunist goal from close range. This dispirited Park who were struggling to compete, and Freeland dominance showed and Paul Salter was unlucky with a shot hitting the underside of the bar soon afterwards.

As the game progressed, Freeland got stronger and played some good passing football. Even the little mishaps were successful with a mis-timed header coming on the enormous head of Carthorse Simon Hole not going goalward but back to Gary Brooks who had taken a corner, from the return ball he drilled in a cross that was rifled into the goal by Richard Trigg who was impressive throughout the 90 minutes.



After the break, Freeland continued to outplay Park and were unlucky not to get the ball in the back of the net on a number of occasions. There were a number of last ditch defensive blocks just doing enough to keep the visitors at bay.

Richard Trigg scored his second and Freeland’s third after some neat interplay on the edge of the penalty area between Trigg and Paul Salter, with Trigg rolling the ball to Salter and then timing a great run onto Salter’s perfectly timed ball, Trigg’s unstoppable shot being drilled into the top of the net.

Richard Trigg looked to be in line for a hatrick and was only prevented when his shot was stopped on the line late on in the game by a Park defender, it would have been no more than Trigg and Freeland deserved after this thoroughly pleasing performance.

Freeland now progress into the Semi Finals of the Intermediate cup where the winners of Hinksey and Henley will be waiting for them.

Whilst polishing his dancing shoes in the post match press conference, Gaffer Longford said he enjoyed his first day back in the office and expects a lot more from his troops in the coming weeks with the hectic fixture schedule.