Easington Sports completed their league programme with a disappointing defeat at Clanfield but finished the season with their heads held high in a top six position. The match proved to be an open game with both sides looking for a victory but Sports will be cursing their luck in a game that they should have won. A major turning point came after 30 minutes when Ricky Johnson was flattened in the box when through on goal, only for the referee, Colin Gay, officiating for the last time before retiring from the game surprisingly waving play on. This setback seemed to upset the Sports team and they lost some fluency from the game.

The second half proved to be much of the same with Sports putting the home defence under pressure but unable to break the deadlock, with Callum Convey and Mike Spaull failing to find the target after good runs got them into the box and a good scoring position. On 60 minutes the game burst into life when a speculative shot from Clanfield’s Sean McKeon caught keeper John Okole out of position to give the home side the lead. Minutes later a rash challenge by Clanfield’s full back, Ashley Johnson, left Ali Robinson needing lengthy treatment and saw him get a straight red card. Even though the home side were now down to ten men to their credit they held out against the onslaught, with their keeper making a reflex save from a Johnson header in the dying minutes to give them a hard fought home win. 

Easington Sports manager, Ronnie Johnson, whilst disappointed his side could not finish with a win, praised his young outfit on an excellent season finishing in sixth spot.

“To be honest, even though we held top spot for a number of months, I always felt that we did not quite have the strength in depth to mount a top place challenge, but top three was always a possibility. A number of our players who are under 18 have been given the chance to test the water at this level and it can only be good for the future of the club. There has been a number of plus points this season, the reintroduction of the reserves certainly assisted with availability of players and once again our discipline record has been a credit to the club in a sport that presently appears to be riddled with indiscipline and controversy”.

Witney & District Youth Football League Match Reports courtesy of www.wdyfl.org