The game turned on 30 minutes when following a clattering challenge, the visitors found themselves a man down and from thereon it was a case of Woodcote parking the bus.

Fair play to the visitors they defended well although United could and should have won but it wasn’t to be and Cookham with points in the bag are marginal favourites for the title although United have now completed their fixture schedule against the top six, which yet may swing things back their way, but complacency against the lower teams in the Division will be punished and United fortunately are very aware of that.

With Mortimer losing it is now very much a three horse race although despite stubborn resistance, the result, perhaps did far more damage to Woodcote’s chances than United’s.

But for United there was no time to consider league honours as they travelled to Wantage Town on Tuesday evening for a Reading Challenge Cup Quarter Final tie for a David (Step 7) v Goliath (Step 5) encounter which saw Premier Division front runners Wantage Town pay United a huge compliment by fielding their full first team bar one.

That United might have been 1-0 up inside 25 minutes only to fall behind to a goal that came from nowhere in the 36th minute following a long range effort that crashed in off the post demonstrated how well they played but Wantage did get a foothold following this although midway through the second half United might have equalised but chances come few and far between against teams at this level and have to be taken as did Wantage who went 2-0 up after 76 minutes and a tiring United couldn’t find a response and slipped out of the cup but with a creditable display that can only inspire them going forward.

So on to Rotherfield United in yet another quarter final which now becomes the biggest game of the season, as is every game that United play here on out, it’s the price of success but a position where every team wishes to find itself. If United are to reach a tenth Madejski Stadium Cup Final then they need to maintain the standard already set and there is nothing to suggest that they can’t.

United’s reserves slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Hurst on Saturday to slip into the relegation zone in Division Two.

Around the league Cookham maintained their bid for the title with a 5-0 victory at Reading City TVPL while Berks County continued their good form with a 2-0 win over Richings Park as Mortimer fell 4-1 at home to Burghfield and Wraysbury beat Westwood United 3-1.

This Saturday United return to Oxfordshire to face Rotherfield United in the BTC Senior Cup Quarter Final at Bishopswood and the reserves entertain Goring United at Derehams Lane with both games kicking off at 2pm.