Sonning 1st XI 2 - 1 Aylesbury 1st XI

Sonning 1st XI finished off their pre-season with another hurdle successfully cleared. After defeating Bracknell 1st XI 5-3, and holding Oxford 2nd XI to a 2-2 draw, both away from home, they defeated Aylesbury 2-1 to remain undefeated after the summer break.

Sonning didn't start particularly brightly, with centre back Matt Sloper's passing 'consistent' if nothing else. A charitable donation to the Aylesbury centre forward at the top of the circle within the first minute luckily only led to a penalty corner, which fortunately was well defended, while at the other end, forward James Lockhart was unfortunate to see his powerful strike miss the target by a whisker (pictured, copyright Noel Plant Photography).

But it was Sonning who struck first after a period of pressure. Sonning welcomed back Ian Gallagher to the side, who has recently found his way home from an Australian excursion. Apparently it hasn't diminished his lust for goals, as he seized upon a loose ball in the circle from a penalty corner and nearly tore the roof of the goal of with his first time strike, much to the home crowd's delight.

The run of play continued until half time, with a couple of chances for both sides. First, skipper Steve Ridley saw his drag flick strike the post, although for some reason he decided to celebrate like he'd just won the lottery anyway... Next, Aylesbury were able to find an equaliser from a penalty corner, with a deflected strike creeping inside the right post just before the whistle sounded for half time.

After the break, Sonning pretty much dominated the game. Aylesbury's small squad began to tire, and they were pushed deeper and deeper into their own half. Chances came and went, and with space at a premium, errors began to creep in. Jimmy Manser was able to continue his scoring run though, after clinically turning in a loose ball from his own deflected strike. He is now on 4 goals from 3 games!

2-1 Sonning the final score, with a well deserved win, and the final score-line not really reflecting a game in which the home side were rarely troubled. Tougher challenges await, with Maidenhead 1st XI first up in the league, 10:30 at home on October 4th. #COTN.

Goalscorers: Jimmy Manser, Ian Gallagher
MOM: Paul Brown
DOD: Steve 'It's a celebration...' Ridley