Eynsham Reserves 2-2 Slade Farm United

Date: 5-Sep-09
Venue: Away
Competition: Oxford Senior League Division 1

Scorers: Matty Gardner, Nick Harrison
Man of the match: Adam Philip

Slade Farm earned their first point of the new season with a hard-fought draw away at Eynsham Reserves. With the starting eleven looking quite different from the one that finished last season, it was hard to know what expect from the visitors, especially as they were stepping up a division yet again. However Slade started brightly, putting together some promising attacks but just lacking the cutting edge in the final third to capitalize. The hosts finished at the wrong end of Division 1 last season but looked up for the challenge, and their greater physical presence began to tell as they played to their strengths by playing plenty of balls into the Slade box. Their best effort actually came from a free kick that was sweetly struck from 25 yards but keeper Jack Hardy produced a fine save to tip it over the bar. HT: 0-0. Slade began to get into their rhythm of pass and move football in the second half, putting Eynsham under more and more pressure. This finally told when Matty Gardner was played in; he rounded the keeper and coolly finished to put the Farmers ahead. The hosts were level when some slack marking at a corner allowed the ball to be collected at the back post and returned across goal to be put away in the 6-yard box. Slade got their noses back in front almost immediately when new signing Nick Harrison produced a fine individual goal, firing a scorching low drive into the net from 20 yards. Slade really should have made the game safe as several other good opportunities went begging, and this came back to haunt them as 2 minutes lack of concentration at the end of the game allowed the hosts to snatch a point. They really should have equalised from the penalty spot after Slade debutant Tom Watson hacked down the home side’s striker, but the kick hit the upright. Slade seemed rattled by the incident because seconds later a needless free kick was conceded; the ball was played into the heart of the box, and the Eynsham full back powered home a header much to the delight of his team-mates and the home support. It felt like 2 points dropped for Slade but some encouraging signs on which to build on. FT: 2-2.

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