Wantage Town played their penultimate home match of the season on Tuesday night when they entertained Abingdon Utd. After a strong start from the visitors the Freds were forced into an early change when Paul Taplin picked up a head injury and was replaced by Tom Butler. Karl Roberts led a rare breakaway for Wantage early on but dragged his shot wide when clear and just a minute later Abingdon took the lead. United ran straight through the middle and Rookes hit the shot just wide of Tucker who could only palm it in on 16 mins.

This finally seemed to fire up the home side and Rich Claydon levelled the scores on 20 mins - playing a through ball to himself and slotting the ball calmy past the keeper for a fine individual goal. Within 5 mins the scoreline had been turned on its head. A long cross into the box was just flicked by Pedder ahead of the keeper and the ball dropped for Karl Roberts to smash home into the goal for 2-1. On the half hour it seemed the game was won. Ben McCready hit another screamer of a free kick from 25 yards and it was 3-1. Just before half time McCready had another excellent free kick brilliantly saved by Zoldan.

Wantage came out a bit slowly in the 2nd half and Abingdon took advantage once more. After some neat play Cochrane fired home on 52 minutes into the bottom corner after some more slack play from the Freds. Wantage huffed and puffed but were struggling to make any headway until a superb ball into Rich Claydon appeared to see him time his run to perfection and hit the bottom corner for 4-2 on 67 mins only to see the linesman flag raised very harshly to deny the goal and 3-2 it remained. Two minutes later though United’s task was made harder when Crook was sent off for a 2nd yellow card after bringing down Roberts on the edge of the box whilst in full flight.

The ten men though seemed to work in Abingdon’s favour and Tucker had to make a good save after a slip from James at the back. Sub Andy Younie just headed over from a corner with 10 mins to go before Tucker was once again called into action to make a good stop. United kept pressing and were making life hard for the Wantage back line but it was Tom Butler with a late effort from range brilliantly tipped over once more that came closest to altering the scoreline.

3 points won but not the best performance of the season from Wantage but fair play to Abingdon United who ran tirelessly all night and produced their strongest showing of the season against us in the 3 games.

Next up a second midweek game as the Freds travel to Flackwell Heath on Thursday night in the Floodlit Cup Semi Final - 745 kick off.

Team - Tucker Sadler Taplin (sub Butler 10) Cattell James (c) Malton McCready Melledew Pedder (sub Younie 73) Claydon Roberts (Davis 82) Subs not used Odhiambo and Webb

Abingdon Utd - Zoldan Cottrell McNeil Doyle Davis Organ Threlfall Rookes Edney Crook Cochrane Subs Christian Langford Denton McGlynn

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The A Team were also in Tuesday night action when they travelled to bottom of the table Sutton Courtenay and came away with an 11-0 win. Wilkins scored 5, Jones 3, with McCullough, Bint and Roche getting the other goals.

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OTHER MIDWEEK FIXTURES

MONDAY

PREM DIV

Cheltenham Saracens 2-1 Wootton Bassett

PRESIDENTS RESERVE CHALLENGE SUPP CUP Q-F

Highworth Res 2-1 Cirencester Dev

TUESDAY

PREM DIV

Abingdon Town 1-5 Binfield
Flackwell Heath 6-2 Holyport
Reading Town 0-2 Ardley United
Thame United 1-2 Brimscombe & Thrupp

DIV 2 WEST

Brimscombe & Thrupp Res 5-0 Hook Norton Res

OXFORD SENIOR CUP S-F

Kidlington 0-0 Oxford Utd - Kidlington won on pens 4-3

NORTH BERKS LEAGUE DIV 2

Drayton 2-3 Abingdon Utd Res

WEDNESDAY

PREM DIV

Wootton Bassett v Bracknell

DIV 2 WEST

Shrivenham Res v Beaversbrook

THURSDAY

PREM DIV

Abingdon Town v Shrivenham
Cheltenham Saracens v Kidlington
Oxford City Nomads v Highmoor Ibis

DIV 2 WEST

Highworth Res v Oxford City Nomads Dev

FLOODLIT CUP S-F

Flackwell Heath v Wantage
Brimscombe & Thrupp v North Leigh Res

PRESIDENTS DIV 2 SUPP CUP Q-F

Ascot Dev v Wokingham & Emmbrook Res
Bracknell Res v Penn & Tylers Res

OXFORD SENIOR CUP SF

Oxford City v Ardley Utd